Dragonfly 800 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Construction is unidirectional fiberglass with Airex coring in the hull and deck, a material choice distinct from the foam-sandwich balsa work of earlier Quorning trimarans. The folding system that defines the model pivots the amas aft to retract rather than pulling them up and in, and the procedure is deliberate: remove the aluminum strut between hull and crossbeam, ease rig tension, loosen the netting, and winch the ama in. For trailering, four bolts on each ama are unscrewed and the float is stowed upside down on the trailer. An open transom affords swimmers convenience and a cleaner stern profile than the comparable F-27. An alleged bad batch of resin caused delamination of several rudders a couple of years prior to one survey, but the importer stated the problem had been recti QUOTE CUT.

Rig and Handling

All sail handling is accomplished from the cockpit, with most controls passing through rope clutches on the coachroof and the rotating mast itself controllable from aft. The racing model carries a taller mast and Kevlar sails; the cruising version makes do with standard cloth. A small jib furls in seconds via a drum located below the deck at the forward end of the anchor locker, its control line led aft to emerge underneath the traveler, while lazyjacks keep the mainsail manageable. Lines to haul the amas in and out appear on top of the cockpit coaming next to a winch, and a barberhauling system led from each ama bow to the jib sheet and back into the cockpit permits infi QUOTE CUT. The folding floats are wound via the primary winches, a procedure taking about two minutes.

Performance Under Sail and Power

In light air of 5 to 8 knots test sailors found her reaching at the speed of the wind and nearly so upwind, and the boat tacks easily, pivoting about its centerboard. Yachting Monthly recorded up to 20 knots on a reach and about 12 knots hard on the wind, while company literature claims a top speed near 25 knots; above 12 knots a roostertail appears. An interesting characteristic emerges when overpowered: the hull begins to lift and the rudder cavitates, causing the boat to round u QUOTE CUT. The recommended 6 hp outboard moves the hull at 7.2 knots in flat water and is controlled from the cockpit so motor and tiller turn together. She is a terrific daysailer and an adequate coastal cruiser, yet seaworthy enough for offshore passages—designer Eric Quorning sailed one to victory in the two-handed Round Britain and Ireland Race.

Accommodations

Below, the V-berths run about seven feet with a tinted skylight overhead, separated from the settees by a pull-down privacy blind; an optional toilet tucks under one cushion. The main cabin settees have fold-out panels that secure against the centerboard trunk to make two 30-inch bunks, with a teak drop-leaf table over the trunk and a small split galley carrying a sink fed by a 17-gallon tank and a single-burner Origo alcohol stove. Ash plywood overhead, designer lights, and teak trim make time below pleasant, and the forward-facing hatch throws light and air deep into the cabin. The cockpit extends the living space when dodger and Bimini are zipped together. Yachting Monthly judges the accommodation cramped, with no standing headroom, limited stowage, and four single berths total.

Known Issues

The seacocks lacked flanges recommended by ABYC, a detail noted in survey, and the rudder delamination from a suspect resin batch stands as the other documented structural caveat. The folded beam of just over nine feet exceeds the legal road limit, a practical constraint for trailering owners.

The Verdict

The Dragonfly 800 Swing Wing is a focused folding trimaran that trades cabin volume for cockpit control and roadability. Its third-generation folding geometry and all-cockpit sail plan make it a genuine daysailer's tool, while the documented seacock and rudder notes deserve a buyer's attention rather than alarm.

Pros