Design and Construction
Killing’s hull shows a firm turn to the bilge extending aft with a moderate amount of deadrise amidships fairing to a flat at the transom, a shape that gives good form stability and a relatively stable hull form without strangling the boat’s planing potential. Dockside stability is excellent, yet the same hull carries a ready willingness to plane. At 290 pounds rigged and 5 feet 6 inches beam, the boat is much more durable than a skiff while keeping a skiff’s appetite for speed. The centerboard is deep and housed in a trunk that only protrudes six inches above the cockpit sole, doubling as an ideal foot rest, and the rolled deck edge works well ergonomically. An open transom empties the cockpit of water in seconds, though it forces the builder to use a rudder hump to mount the rudder.
Rig and Handling
The Fusion 15 carries a large sailplan of 142 square feet for main and jib plus a 79-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker, and like a skiff it wears mylar sails. Killing chose an asymmetrical chute over a normal spinnaker to avoid the complications of a conventional setup, and the bow profile is extended enough to pull the tack point of the asymmetrical eight inches forward of the jib, 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, with a single sheet leading up the mast from the jib track and down to a swivel jam cleat below the boom vang. The chute is set by a very simple launcher. A self-tacking roller-furled jib lets the boat be singlehanded, raced with two, or daysailed with three, and the boat can confidently be sailed single-handed, by a good sailor and a novice, or by two skilled sailors. The anodized aluminum mast is paired with Harken and Ronstan hardware, and computer-routed foils—a kick-up rudder and pivoting centerboard—come under strict one-design controls for racers.
Accommodations and Cockpit
There are no cabins or berths to speak of; this is a daysailing and training dinghy with crew capacity of one, two, or three people. The cockpit is defined by the centerboard trunk, which protrudes six inches above the floor to provide a footrest and an attachment point for the hiking straps mounted on the trunk at a comfortable angle for crew hiking. The open transom and rolled deck edge keep the working space safe and self-draining, while the minimal 5-inch draft with centerboard up and 4-foot draft down let the boat shift from trailering and shallow ramps to windward bite.
Known Issues
The open transom requires a rudder hump for mounting, a design consequence rather than a fault, and the truncated builder notes leave the full chute-launch description unstated.
Refits and Ownership
The boat is no longer being manufactured, and production ran from 2000 through 2004 with about 100 built. Original factory spec included Quantum Mylar sails in the base package, and the simple launcher and self-tacking jib mean ongoing ownership centers on sail care and hardware lubrication rather than complex systems. The one-design controls keep a racing fleet close, while the durable hull and straightforward rig suit a school or a family stepping up from a tender.
The Verdict
The Fusion 15 is a rare thing: a dinghy that is genuinely fast and fun yet friendly enough for a novice paired with a skilled hand. Killing’s hull gives it stability and planing without the fragility of a pure skiff, and the self-tacking jib with asymmetric chute makes short-handed sailing real rather than aspirational. It is a limited-production design that already earned its award and its place as a teaching bridge.
Pros
- Stable hull form with excellent dockside stability and real planing willingness
- Self-tacking roller-furled jib and simple asymmetric launcher enable confident single-handed or novice crewed sailing
- Open transom self-drains; deep centerboard trunk doubles as footrest and strap mount
- Durable construction beyond typical skiff fragility; one-design controls support racing
Cons
- No enclosed accommodation; strictly a daysailer or trainer
- Production ended; limited used supply with about 100 built
- Open transom dictates a rudder hump rather than a clean transom-hung blade
