Design and Construction
Low on the water and painted vermilion red, the 9.7 carries an anthracite grey or silver cockpit, a teak-covered deck, and the merest blister of a varnished mahogany coachroof — a silver band on that coachroof gives the illusion of headlights up front, in Molino's own words. Compared with earlier models, the coamings and coachroof have moved from solid mahogany to veneer-covered composite, though the topdecks remain a composition of highly polished dark mahogany and fibreglass contrasted with 8.0mm teak. The hulls and decks are hand-laid, resin-infused fibreglass and foam sandwich finished in vinyl ester, and the slender proportions sit over a modern hull that promotes glide and stability anchor. With a beam of 2.99m and a lightship displacement held to 2,300kg, the hull carries maximum beam well aft into a sugar-scoop stern with a stylish bevel edge and a lazarette.
Rig and Handling
The 9.7 features a fractional rig with a tall tapered mast, backstay, and two spreaders — the test boat carried an Axxon carbon mast with a self-tacking Solent jib tracked at its foot and race-crafted North Sails 3Di composite sails. A streamlined deck layout keeps all sail-handling lines returning to the cockpit and hidden in channels beneath the deck, with Karver KJ jammers disappearing under a false coachroof and controllable remotely. Jib-sheet winches are mounted inboard on binnacles reachable from the tiller, and separate forward winches serve the asymmetrical spinnaker via a carbon-fibre bowsprit. The mainsheet runs on a continuous loop with no tail, attached to the cockpit sole, while a fine-tuning sheet works a traveller at the stern. Writing in boatsales.com.au, testers found the cockpit suits two-handed sailing well, with all controls in easy reach, and the tiller extremely responsive in light winds anchor. The 15hp diesel saildrive pushed the lightweight hull at a decent clip and stopped it in half a boatlength when put astern.
Performance Under Sail
Despite its dayboat brief, the 9.7 is designed to be as fast short-handed for club racing as with an extended crew chasing passage honours. In 10 to 12 knots of breeze, upwind speed settles between 6 and 7 knots; ease the sheets and the boat accelerates past 9 knots with a pleasant feeling of gliding. The wide beam is used to minimise the wetted surface of the flatter planing hull aft, and under jib and main the hull rose easily and popped onto the plane in faint gusts. Swept stays limit how far the boom can be sent dead downwind, so the boat is happier on a reach than running.
Accommodations
Below, the cabin is reached through removable washboards and a sliding canopy, or a two-section companionway hatch on gas struts. The minimalist interior uses selected woods and mahogany finishes, with a pair of bunks or sail lockers under the cockpit floor, a pair of lounges, a split galley with stove to port and sink to starboard, and a forward vee berth — four berths including the saloon seats. There are no hull windows; light enters from a forward hatch and the large companionway. Headroom is only 1.34m, and the standard chemical toilet is basic, though a comfort pack adds a sink and hob. The vertically lifting keel version's well significantly impacts accommodation, and the boat is comfortable for a night or two rather than extended living.
Known Issues
The low freeboard and lack of guardwires were a little concerning to one reviewer when stepping aboard, and below-decks headroom is limited by design. The lifting and swing keels are manually operated, and taking the ground with keel raised at 1.22m requires legs — a delicate exercise. There is no bow roller, so the boat suits a light anchor with rope rode rather than heavier ground tackle.
The Verdict
The Tofinou 9.7 distils the brand's timeless silhouette into a genuinely quick, easily handled modern daysailer with automotive-grade deck ergonomics and a surprisingly plane-friendly hull. It is a coastal and harbour craft first, trading liveaboard space for elegance and short-handed speed.
Pros
- Slender, modern hull that glides and planes with minimal crew
- Hidden, remote-controlled deck lines and self-tacking Solent jib ease handling
- Three keel options (fixed, swing, lifting) for draught flexibility
- Distinctive vermilion-and-teak styling with composite coachroof weight savings
Cons
- Limited 1.34m headroom and minimal galley/head facilities
- Low freeboard and no guardwires by design
- Manual keel operation; no bow roller for serious anchoring
