Design and Construction
The Air is a cat-rigged monohull with a daggerboard and a modern hard-chined hullform built from four approximately even-sized sections. Those hull segments are laid up from two fiberglass skins with carbon reinforcements, and a trapped layer of air between the skins removes the need for a foam core; the hull itself is vacuum-infused fiberglass/polyester composite carbon-reinforced composite hull. The four elements fasten together with stainless-steel clasps on deck and are drawn tight by two longitudinal straps running either side of the daggerboard trunk, tensioned through a purchase system. That structure lets the assembled hull stay rigid and resist flex and torsion when thrashing upwind through a chop rigidity under load. The largest single section is genuinely portable, weighing about 33 pounds, and the whole 163-pound boat can be put together by two people in under two minutes.
Rig and Handling
This is a singlehanded performance boat, yet it is also described as designed for easy sailing. The rig is a four-part carbon mast standing 16 feet 5 inches, carrying a 64.5-square-foot fathead mainsail on a boat just 11 feet 2 inches long with a 4-foot 9-inch beam. The sail plan and hull combine for a stated sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 45.36, and the manufacturer rates the Air as the fastest and most compact small sailboat ever built fastest compact sailboat, with a speed record of 16.2 knots. The capsize screening ratio of 3.69 sits in performance-dinghy territory rather than cruiser range. Owners report that the boat can lose two sections and still float and sail, and the sealed flotation tanks carry inspection ports and vent holes.
Accommodations and Use
"Accommodations" here means where the boat goes when it isn't on the water. The Reverso Air fits into the trunk of a station wagon, a large lazarette, or under the dinner table in an apartment; the builder claims it can, at least in theory, be stored under a coffee table, in a closet, on a balcony, or in the basement of a small urban apartment. It also finds a spot on deck or in the lazarette of cruising or charter yachts. The boat is designed for kids and family and can carry up to two adults or one adult and two children, with a load capacity of 400 pounds. A dedicated mount for the Velocitek Speedpuck GPS sits on the deck.
The Verdict
The Reverso Air is a serious performance dinghy that happens to be portable. It earns its racing credentials through rigid, carbon-reinforced construction and a brisk sail plan, yet it folds away small enough for apartment living or yacht tender duty. The trade-off is assembly and a minimalist, single-sail platform with no accommodations beyond payload.
Pros
- Folds into four stackable sections and assembles in under two minutes by two people
- Rigid, carbon-reinforced vacuum-infused hull that resists flex upwind
- Genuine performance: 16.2-knot record, cat rig with fathead main, racing DNA
- Extremely portable storage; fits car trunk, lazarette, or apartment
- Survives afloat and sail-able after losing two sections
Cons
- 163-pound total weight still requires two people to manage assembly
- Singlehanded cat rig limits crewed sailing and downwind options
- Minimal creature comfort; payload and stowage only, no liveaboard space