6 questions for… Antoine Houdet and François-Xavier Tillier – Tricat
Tricat: A Passion for Trimaran Sailing
An interview with Antoine Houdet, founder of Tricat, and François-Xavier Tillier, the new owner, reveals their shared vision for the future of these unique trimarans.
The Genesis of Tricat
Antoine Houdet: “I started the project in 2003 to build the boat I wanted… Simple as that. We were into sport catamaran raids, but with the arrival of children, we needed a little more comfort on board! So, I embarked on building a first boat that was exciting, fast, with sufficient shelter on board. It was just great: the youngest of the children started sailing on this boat at… 3 weeks old! Soon, I had requests to build others, and this first Tricat 22 sold 38 units. At the beginning of the adventure, I was alone in the company, but soon I hired staff, and to avoid being a ‘single-product’ shipyard, I decided to develop a range of trimarans. Without really conducting a ‘market study,’ I mainly sought to understand the reasons why I hadn’t finalized certain sales after customer trials. What didn’t they like? What was missing from this first Tricat to attract more owners? Clearly, these prospects were looking not only for a little more comfort but especially a transportable and foldable boat. We took these requests, these evolutions into account to design the Tricat 25 and on all the following boats.”
A New Chapter
François-Xavier Tillier: “I have been working in the nautical industry for 8 years now. I went from aerospace to boats via marine electronics. That’s how I met Antoine. I loved his boats but also the shipyard, the atmosphere, etc. I immediately embraced the ‘Tricat’ concept, really. And jokingly, Antoine once asked me: ‘You who buy anything, don’t you want to buy the shipyard?’ [laughter from Antoine and François-Xavier]. And the joke became reality in 2024. Tricats are efficient, certified, safe, solid, well-designed, and terribly addictive. My job is to preserve this essential DNA and develop the brand, particularly for export, where the market for this type of boat exists – I am thinking, for example, of Switzerland or Canada – countries where we are not very well known.”
The Core Values
Antoine Houdet: “At the beginning of the story, nearly 25 years ago now, I wanted to build the boat I dreamed of: a minimalist boat, reasonable in purchase and maintenance costs, but capable of offering me real sensations, pleasure in sailing. The idea was not to reproduce what we have at home in terms of comfort; it doesn’t make sense to me at sea. I am also not a fan of extreme sophistication, which inevitably leads to problems, breakdowns, and hassles. I opted for a simple, fast boat that offers sensations: a light trimaran that is easy to handle, launch, and rig to use it whenever you feel like it!”
François Xavier Tillier: “We respond to the demand of customers who are also looking for a little more comfort. But we sincerely believe that the most important thing remains the pleasure of sailing. Comfort generates weight, an additional cost to purchase and maintenance, while Tricat owners seek adventure, authenticity, and perhaps more than anything, an experience as close to nature as possible. I would like to point out that our boats have gained in comfort compared to our beginnings, but while retaining all the values of the shipyard!
In the current period, when everyone’s budgets are increasingly constrained, offering a boat at a reasonable price that requires minimal maintenance is a real plus. This has been our philosophy from the beginning, and it continues today.”
Innovation and Expansion
François Xavier Tillier: “This year, we presented a brand new boat, the Tricat 8.50. A trimaran that is a true Tricat: sporty, foldable, transportable, but that gives the crew a little more comfort on board. This new trimaran will be exhibited at various boat shows. A new model is important to us: on average, we present a new model only every 3 years.
We are also currently developing evolutions on certain models, with the objective of being even more efficient. I am thinking, for example, of the upgraded ‘Lac’ version of the Tricat 6.90. We have, as I said earlier, the desire to develop internationally and have already passed distribution agreements in the USA, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and Dubai. This is one of the major areas of development for this year and those to come.”
The Enduring Appeal
Antoine Houdet: “I don’t feel that the demand for authenticity, for simple, fast, efficient, and easy boats is decreasing. On the contrary, even. I often go out in the bay for a few hours, for pleasure – now that I have more time to sail – and we are almost always the fastest boat on the water. Except when the Ultim or IMOCA are involved…”
François Xavier Tillier: “I think that our niche is and will remain interesting for many sailors. It is possible to sail on a Tricat every day, even for a short time. These are easy boats, ready to sail in a few minutes. The weather is good? You have 2 hours ahead of you? Come on, a little sail to recharge your batteries, and off you go! And since, in addition, these are fast boats, you can have a fairly distant cruising goal without worry. Is the demand for authenticity from sailors increasingly important? We can predict a bright future! We are also aware that the future will inevitably involve the design of slightly more luxurious boats, without distorting our DNA.”
By the Numbers
Antoine Houdet: “250 boats built…”
François Xavier Tillier: “…100% of our customers conquered and 60% of our competitors envious [general laughter]. More seriously, we build 15 boats per year, and the most popular models reach 80 units. A Tricat is also 11 knots on average, between 15 and 25 outings in a year, and 10 liters of fuel per year!”
Adventures Await
Antoine Houdet: “I recently accompanied a Tricat 30 customer from Brittany to Alicante via Gibraltar in about ten days, with a daily average of 150 miles.
My next sail: with my personal Tricat 30, with which I also run a sailing school in Brittany. We are going with the family for 4 weeks to Spain, crossing Biscay.”
François Xavier Tillier: “My last navigation took place between La Grande Motte and Porquerolles with journalists on board. We didn’t have much wind, unfortunately.
The next one will be in 2 days, always with journalists and always on the Tricat 8.50.”
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