Design and Construction
Bennett's design is built to shed every avoidable pound. The hull is vacuum bagged in E-glass, carbon and epoxy with a foam core to minimize weight while maximizing stiffness vacuum-bagged construction, and the builder's own literature confirms construction is shared between Ovington Boats, Ltd. and Mackay Boats Ltd. The lead-ballasted dinghy carries a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 54.9 and a capsize screening figure of 4.08, numbers that place it firmly in the high-performance singlehander class rather than the daysailing trainer world. SAIL noted the lightweight hull is expressly configured to get up onto a plane, and the high-aspect carbon foils kick up for easy launching from any location, a detail that explains the boat's ramp-and-trailer practicality as much as its racecourse manners.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Evo's cat rig centers on a clear-coated carbon mast by Southern Spars of New Zealand, with a clear-coated carbon gennaker pole to match. Above the boom sits a GNAV vang rather than a conventional kicking strap. Three different mains can be flown from the carbon-fiber rig to further accommodate crews weighing from 165 to 250 pounds, so the boat can be either singlehanded or doublehanded by a pair of lighter-weight sailors. On the foredeck, a self-tacking jib runs on a Harken Radial track with a recessed Harken jib furler, while a large-mouth gennaker launcher and a single-line gennaker halyard, retrieval and pole launcher keep asymmetric spinnaker work manageable for one pair of hands. The whole package can be rigged or de-rigged in about 15 minutes.
Accommodations and Use Profile
There is no cabin, no berth count, and no creature comfort to speak of — the VX Evo is a hiking-and-trapeze dinghy styled for speed, not cruising. Its accommodation is the open cockpit and the option of a second light crewmember. Double-stacking trailers are available for transport to regattas, and a VX Evo training and regatta series has been part of the boat's life since its early years, reinforcing its role as a one-design racer first and a recreational screamer second.
The Verdict
The VX Evo is a purpose-built singlehanded sportboat that distills a clear design genealogy — Viper 640 to VX One to Evo — into a 15-foot, 181-pound planing hull with carbon rig and kick-up foils. It is quick to rig, easy to launch, and adjustable across a useful crew-weight range, but it is unapologetically a racer with no concessions to cruising comfort.
Pros
- Direct evolutionary link to the VX One and Viper 640 under Brian Bennett's design hand
- Vacuum-bagged carbon-epoxy-foam hull delivers stiffness at minimal weight
- Kick-up high-aspect carbon foils simplify launching and recovery
- Modular mains and self-tacking jib make single- or doublehanded sailing practical
- Rapid ~15-minute rig and de-rig cycle with available double-stacking trailers
Cons
- No accommodation beyond an open cockpit; unsuitable for cruising
- Light 181-pound displacement limits it to planing conditions and skilled crews
