Weta Trimaran

The Weta 4.4 Trimaran is a 4.4 metre (14 foot) sailing dinghy conceived and developed in New Zealand from 2001-2006 by Roger and Chris Kitchen and others with original drawings by TC Design's Tim Clissold.
Design.
The boat is constructed from fibreglass and carbon fibre, and is popular as a racing boat or for recreational sailing. It has added stability and righting moment from the trimaran amas or floats.
Recognition.
The Weta Trimaran is recognized as one design class by Yachting New Zealand, the French Sailing Federation, and the Royal Yachting Association in the UK.
It has been approved for the Paralympics and World Masters Games.
Awards.
In 2010 the Weta Trimaran was awarded Boat of the Year by Sailing World magazine.
Builds.
There are two distinct builds of the Weta Trimaran, the 'original build' and the '2015 Weta' which was created from a new mold and included (mostly internal) hull revisions.
In April 2017, Weta announced the availability of a foam-core Weta which as well as being stiffer is right on the minimum weight of 120Kg in the class rules.
Original build.
Early prototypes were produced in New Zealand but from 2006 to 2014 the 'original build' was manufactured in China for Weta Marine and sold internationally. In 2020, 1300+ boats have been sold to date with the largest fleets in France and the USA. The original sails were manufactured by Dutch windsurfing sail-maker, Gaastra.
The design evolved over time:
2015 Weta.
In 2014 the new 2015 Weta was announced with a switch to a new manufacturer, Xtreme Sailing Products (XSP), based in Singapore (with the factory in nearby Batam, Indonesia).
XSP produced a new mould and made structural and cosmetic improvements, including:
In September 2014 the first of the new '2015 Weta' build were shipped to customers in the US.
2017 Foam Core Weta & Square Top Sail.
In April 2017, Weta announced the availability of a foam-core hull (right on the class weight limit of 120Kg) and bi-radial cut 9.3 mformula_1 square top mainsail (compared to the original Pin-head 8.3 mformula_1 mainsail. Nearly all Wetas built since 2018 have been foam core and the Square Top sail has been adopted as the standard sail for racing in most regions.
2020 Self-tacking jib kit.
In February 2020, Weta announced the availability of a Self-Tacking Jib kit designed to be retrofitted to existing hulls or as an addition to new boats. The kit allows tacking without adjusting the jib sheets and includes a slightly smaller jib which is 3.0sqm. Around 6% less sail area than the standard jib at 3.2sqm.
2020 Twin Tiller Extension kit.
In August 2020, a twin tiller extension kit was announced. The kit consists of a second tiller extension, bolts to attach both extensions to the tiller and a shock-cord and ring system to prevent the inactive tiller dragging in the water. The benefit is that you no longer have to pass the tiller around the stern when tacking.