Design and Construction
The Dragonfly 28 is the latest Swing Wing trimaran from Quorning Boats, a builder that by the time of this model’s launch could draw on 20 years of experience building boats with retractable outer hulls. The Swing Wing feature itself allows the outer hulls to be swung in from the cockpit without tools, an operation accomplished in about 2 minutes; with the hulls retracted the boat remains a maneuverable craft under power and can still use normal marina slips, a genuine advantage over fixed-amas trimarans of comparable size. Structurally the platform is a fiberglass-solid hull and deck, with a 28.71 ft overall length and 21.33 ft beam when extended. At 4,189 lbs displacement per builder documentation—noted elsewhere at 3,700 lbs in a period review—the boat is light for its footprint, and the 83.3 displacement-to-length ratio places it firmly in the performance-cruiser camp rather than the heavy-displacement world.
Rig and Handling
On the water the Dragonfly 28 is defined by its poise. It sails upright with huge stability, and gybing is easy as the boat is stable, while upwind it tacks easily like a dinghy. The tiller is always in full balance so even a kid can helm the boat, and for racing the design is often sailed single-handed; sailing with the spinnaker is a real pleasure even singlehanded. Light-air performance is a documented strength: set the bowsprit, unfurl the Code-0 or set the asymmetric spinnaker, and the boat sails as fast as the true wind in light winds. All lines are led back to the cockpit for easy and safe control, the furling Genoa and lazy jack system for the mainsail let the boat be left sail-ready in the harbor, and the cockpit itself is spacious, safe and user-friendly. Underway the Honda 15 HP outboard operates like an inboard engine with even better maneuverability, and you rarely motor with these boats given their sailing ability.
Accommodations
Below deck the Dragonfly 28 offers a remarkably versatile and functional interior for a 28-footer, configured for cruising with family and friends. The main cabin provides 1.85 m standing headroom, and the layout includes five berths plus a separate head in the documented cruising configuration. The full galley is paired with a generous galley space on each side, and the spacious dinette offers a nice view outside like on a deck saloon yacht—an unusual sightline for a trimaran this size. Above the deck structure, plenty of deck space is provided by the two large trampolines, which extend the usable living area forward and aft of the central hull.
Equipment and Shelter
The standard power package is a Honda 15 HP outboard with electric start and electric tilt, mounted to behave more like an inboard than a typical tender engine. For weather protection the Dragonfly 28 is offered with sprayhood, cockpit tent and bimini for additional shelter, supporting extended stays aboard. The sail plan combines a furling Genoa with a lazy-jacked mainsail, and the cockpit-led control runs mean a short-handed crew can manage the boat without leaving the helm area.
Known Issues and Ownership Notes
The documented record on the Dragonfly 28 is unusually free of defect reports; the source material contains no flooding paths, structural weaknesses, or recurring systems failures for this model. Ownership considerations instead center on the Swing Wing mechanism’s upkeep and the outboard’s maintenance, since the Honda 15 HP unit is the sole propulsion and tilts electrically. The boat’s light weight and folding hulls mean trailering is practical—period testing found it can go from behind your car to blasting across the bay in about 40 minutes—but the folding system demands correct procedural discipline despite needing no tools to operate.
The Verdict
The Dragonfly 28 succeeds as a genuine dual-purpose trimaran: a stable, easily handled family cruiser that can be raced single-handed and folded into a normal slip or onto a trailer within minutes. Its accommodations are generous for the length, and its light-air speed under Code-0 or asymmetric spinnaker is a standout trait. The absence of documented structural or systems defects in the source material underscores a mature design from a specialist builder.
Pros
- Swing Wing hulls fold tool-free in ~2 minutes, enabling normal marina slips and trailering
- Upright sailing with huge stability; easy gybing and dinghy-like upwind tacking
- Tiller always in balance; can be sailed single-handed including with spinnaker
- Five berths, separate head, 1.85 m headroom, deck-saloon-style dinette view
- All lines led to cockpit; leaves harbor sail-ready with furling Genoa and lazy jacks
Cons
- Reliance on a single Honda 15 HP outboard for propulsion (no inboard option documented)
- Light-air speed claims cut off in source; verified only to "as fast as true wind" threshold
- No documented defect history, but folding-system discipline is owner-dependent
