Design and Construction
Quorning designed the 800 and builds it with a unidirectional fiberglass hull and deck with Airex coring. Unlike the F-27, whose crossbeams pull up and in, the Dragonfly’s amas pivot aft as they retract.
Folding them is a deliberate process: remove the aluminum strut between the hull and crossbeam, ease the rig tension, loosen the netting, and winch the ama inward. With both amas drawn in, the boat’s beam is just over nine feet—still wider than the legal road limit. For trailering, four bolts on each ama must therefore be unscrewed, and each float stowed upside down on the trailer.
The open transom earns praise for making it easy to get aboard after a swim. A kick-up rudder and centreboard also let the boat sail ashore like a beach cat.
Rig and Handling
The 800 comes in racing and cruising configurations. The racing version carries a taller mast and Kevlar sails.
All sail handling takes place from the cockpit. Most controls run through rope clutches on the coachroof, and the rotating mast is controlled from the helm. The roller-furling drum sits below deck at the forward end of the anchor locker, with its line led aft to emerge beneath the traveler. Ama-hauling lines come out on the cockpit coaming beside a winch. A barberhauling system runs from each ama bow to the jib sheet and then back into the cockpit.
Yachting Monthly notes that the small jib furls in seconds, while lazyjacks help manage the mainsail. The floats can be wound in or out with the primary winches in about two minutes.
Performance
In breezes of 5 to 8 knots, testers reached at wind speed and nearly matched it upwind. Yachting Monthly recorded speeds of up to 20 knots on a reach and about 12 knots hard on the wind. The builder claims a top speed near 25 knots, and above 12 knots the boat throws a roostertail.
The 800 tacks easily around its centerboard and pivots quickly. When overpowered, however, the hull lifts and the rudder cavitates, rounding the boat up.
A 6 hp outboard is recommended. In flat water, it drives the hull at 7.2 knots. The engine can be controlled from the cockpit, with the motor and tiller turning together.
Accommodation
Below, the V-berths are about seven feet long, with a tinted skylight overhead and a pull-down privacy blind from the settees. The main-cabin settees have fold-out panels that fasten against the centerboard trunk, forming two 30-inch bunks. A teak drop-leaf table fits over the trunk.
The split galley aft includes a sink supplied by a 17-gallon water tank and a single-burner Origo alcohol stove. An optional toilet fits beneath one cushion. Yachting Monthly describes the accommodation as cramped, with no standing headroom, limited stowage, four single berths, and a sea toilet beneath the saloon seating.
Ash plywood overhead, designer lights, and teak trim finish the cabin. A forward-facing hatch provides light and ventilation. When the dodger and Bimini are zipped together, the cockpit becomes an extension of the living space.
Known Issues
An alleged bad batch of resin caused several rudders to delaminate a couple of years before Practical Sailor’s review, although the importer said the matter had been addressed. Testers also noted that the seacocks lacked the flanges recommended by ABYC.
Verdict
The Dragonfly 800 Swing Wing is a clever folding trimaran that trades cabin volume for trailering practicality and shoal-draft beachability. Its cockpit-led controls and two-minute float-folding process suit daysailing and coastal cruising, while Yachting Monthly found it capable of offshore passages in the right hands. The cramped interior, lack of standing headroom, and concerns about some rudders and the seacocks remain real trade-offs.
Pros
- Amas pivot aft for marina berthing and can be removed for trailering
- Floats wind in or out in about two minutes
- All sail handling takes place from the cockpit
- Tacks easily and pivots quickly around the centerboard
- Strong light-air performance and reaching speeds of 20 knots or more
- Kick-up rudder and centreboard allow the boat to sail ashore
Cons
- Folded beam remains over nine feet and exceeds the legal road limit
- Trailering requires removing the amas
- Cramped cabin with no standing headroom and limited stowage
- Several rudders reportedly delaminated because of an alleged bad batch of resin, though the importer said the matter had been addressed
- Seacocks lack the flanges recommended by ABYC
