Better than an inflatable? Duncan Kent took the Fliptail folding boat to the beach to test it as yacht tender

Folding boats test – Fliptail

OUR VERDICT: 7/10

The great thing about the Fliptail is that you can modify the plans to suit your needs and she can be built cheaply. Though she looks somewhat fragile she is in fact quite rigid as well as being light and her wide, flat bottom makes her very stable under load – a definite plus for a tender.

PROS

■    Very stable
■    Quick under power
■    Fastest to deploy
■    Cheap if self-built

CONS

■    Too long to stow in a locker
■    No seat
■    The wooden frames require regular maintenance