If you think cruising multihulls are staid and stodgy, the Danish Dragonfly
range will put you right. This cleverly designed folding trimaran has a
blistering turn of speed – up to 20 knots on a reach and about 12 knots hard
on the wind – and can tack on the proverbial sixpence. She’s seaworthy
enough for offshore passages – designer Eric Quorning sailed one to victory
in the two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Race – and set up for easy
handling, with a small jib that can be furled in seconds, and lazyjacks help
keep the mainsail manageable. The folding floats are wound in (for marina
berthing) and out (for sailing) via the primary winches, a procedure that
takes about two minutes. The kick-up rudder and centreboard allows you to
sail her ashore, like a beach cat. So where’s the catch? Down below, you pay
a price for the slim hull that makes the Dragonfly perform so well under sail.
The accommodation is cramped, with no standing headroom and limited
stowage. There are four single berths, a table that doubles as the centreboard
case, and a sea toilet under the saloon seating.

LOA 8m (26ft 3in) LWL 7.6m (24ft 11in) Length folded 9m (29ft 6in) Beam 6.05m (19ft 10in)
Draught 1.25m (4ft 2in) with plate down, 0.35m (1ft 2in) with plate up Displacement 1,100kg
(2,425lb) Class association www.dragonfly-trimarans.org YM test report July 2006