Sailing World’s Boat of the Year judges named the Vago XD Best One-Design Dinghy. The design has a Royal Yacht Club Portsmouth Yardstick average handicap of 1074. It is normally raced by one or two sailors and is rated for intermediate to advanced skill levels.
Design and Construction
Richards gave the Vago XD a hard-chine hull with rocker that helps it “handle like a dream during maneuvers,” as Chuck Allen wrote in his 2007 Sailing World review. Flared gunwales provide flotation and a good righting moment, helping the boat remain forgiving when heeled while resisting capsizing.
The hull is rotomolded from a tri-skin foam sandwich of polyethylene. Period reviews described this construction as durable, stiff, and inexpensive. The Vago line was first built in 2005 by LaserPerformance in the United Kingdom and the United States, and the XD carries the same sharply single-chined hull, raked stem, and plumb transom as the standard boat. ### Rig and Handling
The XD carries 30 more square feet of sail than the standard Vago and adds a trapeze. Allen described it as a ton of fun to sail, mostly because of the speed. Several key design features help this 13'9" rocketship plane sooner than similar dinghies.
The Gnav vang sits above the boom, opening up the cockpit and distinguishing the Vago from more traditional small dinghies. The rest of the control layout is straightforward: a fractional sloop rig, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller, and a retractable daggerboard. For more speed downwind, the boat can fly an asymmetrical spinnaker from a retractable bowsprit.
Cockpit and Transport
This is a dinghy rather than a cabin boat, but its spacious cockpit makes tacking and jibing easier. With the Gnav vang above the boom, the open layout leaves the crew free to move around the boat.
Once the daggerboard is removed, the Vago XD can be beached or carried on a trailer or car roof rack, supporting its role as a portable trainer and racer.
The Verdict
The Vago XD is a versatile planing dinghy that combines Richards’ hard-chine hull with durable rotomolded construction and a generously sized racing rig. It is quick to plane and easy to maneuver, and it has earned recognition from the one-design community. However, its intermediate-to-advanced rating, larger rig, and trapeze workload mean it is no mere beginner’s plaything.
Pros
- Hard-chine hull with rocker for dream-like maneuvering
- Durable, stiff, and inexpensive rotomolded polyethylene tri-skin foam-sandwich construction
- 30 sq ft more sail than the standard Vago, plus a trapeze for real speed
- Spacious, open cockpit thanks to the Gnav vang above the boom
- Named Best One-Design Dinghy by Sailing World
Cons
- Rated for intermediate to advanced sailors; not a first boat for novices
- Single trapeze and larger rig demand active crew effort
