HMS Triton, the largest ocean-going trimarran, has begun 18 months of sea trials. Triton is 330 feet long and displaces 1,000 tons, but has the deck area of a much larger ship. Triton, designed to be a smaller-scale prototype of a new type of warship, uses a relatively slender central hull and two slender outrigger hulls. A large deck is mounted over the three hulls. The design provides a more stable platform, more fuel efficiency (due to the slender hulls), and more deck space for weapons, sensors, and helicopters.--Stephen V Cole