Production began in 2018. The design has since collected a USA Boat of the Year award and best-design honors at the Audi Talents Awards.
Design and Construction
The Air is a cat-rigged monohull with a daggerboard and a modern, hard-chined hull. Its four sections are approximately equal in size, and each is laid up with two fiberglass skins and carbon reinforcement. A trapped layer of air between the skins eliminates the need for a foam core. The hull itself is a vacuum-infused fiberglass/polyester composite with carbon reinforcement.
Stainless-steel clasps secure the four sections together on deck. Two longitudinal straps, one on either side of the daggerboard trunk, draw them tight through a purchase system. This structure keeps the assembled hull rigid and helps it resist flex and torsion when thrashing upwind through a chop.
The largest individual section weighs about 33 pounds, making it genuinely portable. The complete boat weighs 163 pounds and can be assembled by two people in under two minutes.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Air is a singlehanded performance boat, although it’s also described as being designed for easy sailing. Its four-part carbon mast stands 16 feet 5 inches tall and carries a 64.5-square-foot fathead mainsail. The hull is 11 feet 2 inches long with a beam of 4 feet 9 inches.
The sail plan and hull produce a stated sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 45.36. The manufacturer calls the Air the fastest and most compact small sailboat ever built, and the boat has a speed record of 16.2 knots. Its capsize screening ratio of 3.69 places it firmly in performance-dinghy territory rather than the cruiser range.
Owners report that the boat can lose two sections and still float and sail. Its sealed flotation tanks have inspection ports and vent holes.
Capacity, Equipment, and Storage
“Accommodations” on the Reverso Air are less about living aboard than about where the boat goes when it isn’t on the water. It fits in the trunk of a station wagon, in a large lazarette, or under a dinner table in an apartment. The builder also claims that, at least in theory, it can be stored under a coffee table, in a closet, on a balcony, or in the basement of a small urban apartment. On a cruising or charter yacht, it can be carried on deck or in the lazarette.
The boat is designed for children and family use and can carry up to two adults, or one adult and two children. Its load capacity is 400 pounds. A dedicated mount for a Velocitek Speedpuck GPS is fitted to the deck.
Verdict
The Reverso Air is a serious performance dinghy that also happens to be portable. Its rigid, carbon-reinforced construction and brisk sail plan support its racing credentials, yet it folds small enough for apartment storage or yacht-tender duty. The trade-offs are the need for assembly and a minimalist, single-sail platform with no accommodations beyond payload and stowage.
Pros
- Separates into four stackable sections and can be assembled by two people in under two minutes
- Rigid, carbon-reinforced, vacuum-infused hull that resists flex upwind
- Genuine performance, including a 16.2-knot record, a cat rig with a fathead mainsail, and clear racing DNA
- Compact storage in a car trunk, lazarette, or apartment
- Reported to remain afloat and sailable after losing two sections
Cons
- At 163 pounds overall, it still requires two people to manage assembly
- The singlehanded cat rig limits crewed sailing and downwind options
- Minimal creature comforts, with payload and stowage but no liveaboard space