The boat claims the best accommodation-to-performance ratio in its class while remaining easy to sail singlehanded. That combination helps explain why period reviewers treated it as a genuine express alternative to a monohull rather than a stripped-out racer.
Design and Construction
The Dragonfly 35 is a centerboard trimaran with a solid-fiberglass hull and deck, a spade rudder, and a fractional sloop rig. Its mast rises 59 feet above the waterline. Quorning’s modern sandwich construction and Danish-built beams give the structure the stiffness demanded by a wide trimaran.
The patented Swing Wing system hinges the amas inward toward the center hull, reducing beam from 8.20 meters to 3.85 meters. Folded aft alongside the hull, the boat measures about 41 feet long by 13 feet wide and fits a normal-proportions monohull slip.
Displacement is 8,600 pounds—under 9,000 pounds—with tankage for 37 gallons of water and 21 gallons of diesel. The boat is beachable and can be dried out without damaging the folding propeller. Its high-volume floats also provide storage for extra sails and even folding bikes.
Rig, Versions, and Handling
The Dragonfly 35 comes in two versions that share the same hull and accommodations. Only the rig and sail area differ. The Touring version is intended for fast cruising, while the more challenging Ultimate carries a larger sail plan and needs to be reefed earlier.
The builder’s specifications list 903 square feet of sail area, compared with about 1,100 square feet for the Ultimate. Multihulls World’s test sailors recorded 17 knots off the wind, helping to explain why the Ultimate’s extra canvas calls for quicker reefing.
All control lines lead aft to the cockpit, and wheel steering is standard. Together, those features make the boat easy to sail singlehanded.
Cockpit, Machinery, and Storage
The cockpit is very spacious, and the floats’ volume is put to practical use. Besides sails and folding bikes, an optional arrangement can store a full-size kayak or a surfboard with a one-piece mast in the back of a float.
A separate aft engine compartment houses a 30-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel with sail drive. Electric winches, a windlass, and a bow thruster are available to keep deck work light.
Accommodations
The cabin is central to the Dragonfly 35’s accommodation-to-performance claim. Standing headroom reaches 1.94 meters. Forward, there’s an enclosed V-berth cabin with clothing lockers and standing space, followed by a full-width head with a shower and hanging lockers.
The main cabin includes a functional galley with a double-burner stove and oven, ample lockers, and an optional cool box. A large saloon table seats eight for dinner. Because the seating is raised, occupants get a deck-saloon-style view through the windows.
A starboard “wet seat” provides a place to remove foul-weather gear before coming below. Beneath the cockpit floor, the aft cabin has a full-size double berth measuring 2 by 1.5 meters, with enough headroom to sit up.
Numerous small lockers have tidy wooden roll-top fronts. With the optional Classic interior, the dinette converts to bunks, bringing total capacity to seven berths; Cruising World counted six sleeping quarters in the standard layout.
Verdict
The Dragonfly 35 is a thoughtfully executed bridge between monohull comfort and trimaran speed. Its folding system allows a boat with a 27-foot sailing beam to occupy a standard berth. Below, the saloon can seat eight for dinner, while the Ultimate has recorded 17 knots downwind.
For a monohull sailor seeking multihull pace without giving up a proper head, usable accommodations, or a normal marina berth, few boats in this size range make the case as cleanly.
Pros
- Folds from 8.20 meters to 3.85 meters in beam to fit a normal monohull slip
- Full standing headroom and an eight-person saloon in a sub-9,000-pound trimaran
- Easy to sail singlehanded, with all lines led to the cockpit and standard wheel steering
- Beachable and capable of drying out, with float storage for bikes and kayaks
Cons
- The Ultimate version requires earlier reefing and is more challenging to sail
- Because the Touring and Ultimate versions differ only in their rigs, comfort-focused buyers sacrifice pace with the smaller sail plan
