Visually, the Evo looks like a 21st-century version of the hallowed Finn heavyweight dinghy. But with an overall length of 15.75 feet, a 5.77-foot beam, and a featherweight displacement of 181 pounds, it’s a thoroughly modern planing machine rather than a tribute act.
Design and Construction
Bennett’s design sheds every avoidable pound. The foam-cored hull uses vacuum-bagged construction in E-glass, carbon, and epoxy to minimize weight while maximizing stiffness. The builder’s literature says construction is shared between Ovington Boats, Ltd. and Mackay Boats Ltd.
The lead-ballasted dinghy has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 54.9 and a capsize screening figure of 4.08. Those numbers place it firmly among high-performance singlehanders rather than daysailing trainers. SAIL noted that the lightweight hull is expressly configured to get onto a plane.
High-aspect carbon foils kick up for easy launching from any location. That feature contributes as much to the boat’s ramp-and-trailer practicality as to its racecourse manners.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Evo’s cat rig centers on a clear-coated carbon mast from Southern Spars of New Zealand, matched by a clear-coated carbon gennaker pole. A GNAV vang sits above the boom in place of a conventional kicking strap.
The carbon-fiber rig can carry three different mains to accommodate crews weighing from 165 to 250 pounds. The boat can therefore be sailed singlehanded or doublehanded by a pair of lighter-weight sailors.
On the foredeck, a self-tacking jib runs on a Harken Radial track and uses a recessed Harken jib furler. A large-mouth gennaker launcher, together with a single-line gennaker halyard, retrieval, and pole launcher, keeps asymmetric-spinnaker handling manageable for one pair of hands. The whole package can be rigged or de-rigged in about 15 minutes.
Cockpit and Intended Use
There’s 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 accommodations amount to an open cockpit and the option of carrying a second light crewmember.
Double-stacking trailers are available for transport to regattas. A VX Evo training and regatta series has also 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 distills a clear design genealogy—Viper 640 to VX One to Evo—into a 15-foot, 181-pound planing hull with a carbon rig and kick-up foils. This purpose-built singlehanded sportboat is quick to rig, easy to launch, and adjustable across a useful crew-weight range. But it’s 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 a self-tacking jib make single- or doublehanded sailing practical
- About 15 minutes to rig or de-rig, with double-stacking trailers available
Cons
- No accommodations beyond an open cockpit; unsuitable for cruising
- Light 181-pound displacement limits it to planing conditions and skilled crews
