Sailing World named the Fusion 15 its Boat of the Year in the Performance Dinghy category. The design still comes across as a coherent response to a real brief rather than a compromise that pleases no one.
Design and Construction
Killing’s hull has a firm turn to the bilge extending aft, with moderate deadrise amidships fairing to a flat transom. This shape gives good form stability and a relatively stable hull form without strangling the boat’s planing potential. Dockside stability is excellent, yet the boat remains eager to plane.
The Fusion 15 weighs 290 pounds rigged and has a beam of 5 feet 6 inches. It is much more durable than a skiff while retaining a skiff’s appetite for speed. The centerboard is deep and housed in a trunk that only protrudes six inches above the cockpit sole. The trunk also makes an ideal footrest, while the rolled deck edge works well ergonomically.
An open transom drains the cockpit in seconds, although it requires the builder to use a rudder hump for mounting the rudder.
Rig and Handling
The Fusion 15 carries 142 square feet of sail in its main and jib, plus a 79-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker. Like a skiff, it uses Mylar sails. Killing chose an asymmetric chute to avoid the complications of a conventional spinnaker setup. The bow profile extends far enough to place the asymmetric tack point eight inches ahead of the jib tack; it was later described as a clipper bow extending the tack 8 inches ahead of the jib tack.
The jib is roller-furled and self-tacking via a ball-bearing Harken car. A single sheet runs up the mast from the jib track and down to a swivel jam cleat below the boom vang. The chute uses a very simple launcher.
This arrangement allows the Fusion 15 to be sailed singlehanded, raced by two, or daysailed by three. It can confidently be handled by one sailor, by a good sailor paired with a novice, or by two skilled sailors.
The anodized aluminum mast is paired with Harken and Ronstan hardware. Computer-routed foils—a kick-up rudder and pivoting centerboard—are subject to strict one-design controls for racers.
Cockpit and Crew
There are no cabins or berths; the Fusion 15 is strictly a daysailing and training dinghy for one, two, or three people.
The centerboard trunk rises six inches above the cockpit floor, providing both a footrest and an attachment point for the hiking straps. Those straps are mounted on the trunk at a comfortable angle for crew hiking. The rolled deck edge and open transom keep the working space safe and self-draining.
Draft is just 5 inches with the centerboard raised and 4 feet with it lowered, allowing the boat to move from trailering and shallow ramps to useful windward bite.
Known Issues
The open transom requires a rudder hump for mounting. That is a consequence of the design rather than a fault.
The available builder notes are truncated, leaving the full description of the chute-launch system unstated.
Production and Ownership
Production ran from 2000 through 2004, with about 100 boats built, and the Fusion 15 is no longer manufactured. The original factory specification included Quantum Mylar sails in the base package.
With its simple launcher and self-tacking jib, ongoing ownership centers on sail care and hardware lubrication rather than complex systems. Strict one-design controls keep the racing fleet close, while the durable hull and straightforward rig suit either a sailing school or a family moving up from a tender.
The Verdict
The Fusion 15 is a rare combination: a dinghy that is genuinely fast and fun, yet friendly enough for a novice sailing with a skilled hand. Killing’s hull delivers stability and planing ability without the fragility of a pure skiff. The self-tacking jib and asymmetric chute also make short-handed sailing a practical proposition rather than an aspiration.
It is a limited-production design that earned both its award and its place as a teaching bridge between beginner dinghies and demanding skiffs.
Pros
- Stable hull form, with excellent dockside stability and a real willingness to plane
- Self-tacking, roller-furling jib and simple asymmetric launcher support confident singlehanded or novice-crewed sailing
- Open transom drains quickly; the deep centerboard trunk doubles as a footrest and hiking-strap mount
- More durable than a typical skiff, with one-design controls for racing
Cons
- No enclosed accommodation; strictly a daysailer or trainer
- Production has ended, leaving a limited used supply of about 100 boats
- The open transom requires a rudder hump rather than a clean, transom-hung blade
