„Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers. They are capable of migrating across the oceans. They can move in any direction, and can changing direction in flight suddenly.“ That´s what Wikipedia has about the fascinating real-world insects (and there´s much more). This little sentence explains also very well, what the GRP-made sisters of those buzzing animals are like. Dragonfly´s brand name is well-chosen: This boat is a beast!
That this is a fact and that there shall not be any doubt is fostered by an imposing and absolutely breathtaking first impression which visitors got by just walking past the booth at Boot Duesseldorf: The three razorblade-thin hulls, pointy, with a negative stem creating a wavepiercer-design made many, many people stand and contemplate in awe. A Dragonfly, trimaran by birth, is an awesome sight. No doubt that I had to include this fascinating boat to my Duesseldorf walkthrough articles-list.
Trimarans: Extremely fast sailing quaranteed!
The trimaran multihull-concept, other than the catamarans, are a rather rarely seen attraction. There are very, very little manufacturers spezialized in making these three-hulled sailboat nowadays. With the exception of cruising-oriented Neel trimarans, almost all of them are speed-dedicated, lightweight and, well, very expensive. You may remember my article on the Rapido 40, another one of currently available trimarans.
So why is that? Well, other than a catamaran, the trimaran may be seen as the more complex, if not the more complicated, boat. These beasts have the reputation to be very quick. The Dragonfly trimarans can easily reach two-digit boat speeds in excess of 20 knots! Well, that sounds amazing (and it surely is) but everyone having clocked those speeds ever on water will confirm that sailing that fast may be … intimidating. Making a boat which is structurally capable of takin those immense loads and stresses requires precision and effort. So that´s maybe one explanation why trimarans are products for a small niche.
Nevertheless, Dragonfly enjoya almost legend-like status in Europe and has a stable customer base. Besides, what´s so cool about it, they have an even bigger fan-base: You can rarely see one, at least that´s my impression here at the Baltic Sea, but if you do, it´s always a gorgeous sight, gatherings of people on the jetty, happy faces all around. I´ve seen it. I´m one of those. Just as their insectoid counterparts, a Dragonfly under full canvas speeding up is truly an occasion …
These boats are made by Quorning Boats, a shipyard based in Denmark. And as it is the case with all Danish brands – or let´s widen the scope here and say it´s the case with all Scandinavian-made boats – the manufacturing quality of Dragonfly is outstanding. The shipyard is located in the small Jutland town of Skerbaek, not far from Kolding where the famous Luffe Yachts, the Nordships and Faurby boats. Just a few nice bayous north of Haderslev, where X-Yachts is based. Hotspot of Danish boatbulding, one might call it.
A completely different kind of sailing
I know this sailing area quite well from a few trips around the Island of Fyn. It´s a nice mixture of inshore-like sailing with occasionally lots of strong wind but – because there´s almost no fetch – rarely high waves at all. These are ideal sailing conditions for fast boats, be it planing performance yachts or multihulls which go fast best when there´s no waves. In this, the Dragonfly 36 feels kind of „strange“ for anyone who boards her for the first time coming from classic monohulls. A trimaran is basically a monohull-like central hull with two slim floats which resemble the famous „wings“ of the Dragonfly. As for the central hull, here´s the helm and line controls and it almost feels like being aboard your ordinary mono.
But it´s only an „almost“, because what you have to get used to is the enormous width of the boat when the floats are extended. The Dragonfly has a maximum beam of staggering 8.12 metres, which is mind-boggling! I mean, my own multihull-experience as skipper is only restricted to the Excess 11 catamaran. This one is a 38 foot cruising cat with a width of 6.56 metres, which is very wide for a mono-guy like me. But imagining to sail around with +15 knots and having more than 8 metres width is just an amazing thought. By the way, when retracted by their proprietary „swing wing“-system the boat will have a width of just 3.70 metres.
Other than that, ergonomics in the Dragonfly cockpit are exemplary: Look at how the winches are positioned and the jammers feed lines onto them. It´s all very well thought through to make sails trim easy and fast. It has to be that way: Multihulls, especially lightweight trimarans, are very sensible to sudden, hard gusts and pressure. Easing your sails and controlling the sheer power to not risk to flip is essential.
Looking onto the foredeck of the central hull some of the ropes had been installed during the boat show. I could spot very (!) long Genoa sheet tracks for the sheet leeds. And of course, all lines for the running rigging are diverted aft so that going to the bow isn´t necessary anymore. The Dragonfly comes with a displacement of 4.5 tons (empty) and projected 6.7 tons including all and crew. She sports an upwind sails area of 94.45 square metres (with Genoa) in the „Touring“-version and 110 square metres for the „Performance“-version.
It´s worth mentioning that for both versions a Carbon mast is part of the standard equipment for the Dragonfly 36. The performance-aspirations for these boats are not just marketing claims, but delivered reality. Details like the Andersen winches or the upper-shelf fittings underline the high quality of these boats. Dragonfly never has been and doesn´t want to be a bargain. This is why I love the uncompromising attitude of Scandinavian brands. They don´t care for large numbers. Stuff built here lives up to the highest quality standards. And lives long.
But in all the exciting data about the performance, speed and active sailing of the Dragonfly, this really is a cruising yacht! We will of course have a thorough look at her cruising amenities and luxury inside down below as well, but looking at her cockpit she already comes with a very nice seating area: Two benches facing each other and a folding cockpit table. Not your wide bathing-lounging-sunbathing area as seen on the Mediterranean-style cruisers, but a nice place to sit, lay down or have a chat with your sailing mates.
If you imagine that this boat will sail with almost no heeling at all thanks to the leeward outrigger stabilizing and limiting her angle to a few degrees, the prospect of sitting here, enjoying a fast ride whilst being able to serve coffee and some tasty Danish pastry is appealing. But make no mistake: The Dragonfly isn´t your usual cruising yacht. Although rated CE-category A with a maximum crew capacity of seven (!) people, I am sure most owners will sail her with significantly less people. Maybe just together with their partners and the occasional guests. Because … albeit occupying an area of 8 by 12 metres, this is not a very big boat in terms of space and volume.
Quick cruising with the least ballast
We all know that sailing quickly requires first of all a hull design that is capable of planing and as much less weight to be propelled as possible. That said, the Dragonfly already has about two tons more of weight as the First 36 for example, but that´s okay since her speed is guaranteed not so much by a planing hull but more by having three needle-thin hulls for buoyancy and the least wetted surface (hence less friction) as possible. The „surplus“ weight in the floats makes for the desired stability, as there isn´t any keel nor ballast. Of course there is a 2 metres centreboard responsible for restricting leeway.
So the extra weight in the floats is indeed the leverage needed to counter-balance the lift and tendency to flip. The floats themselves aren´t empty: I admit, in the past I thought that there were cabins integrated there, but that´s of course wrong. But, in theory, the large stowage volumes in the outrigging floats could be turned into makeshift cabins as well. For the standard, these are just about right to house the usual stuff needed for cruising.
A large opening hatch in each of the floats makes it possible to put away even bigger items. I´m thinking of your SUP, folding bikes or even heavier items, like diving equipment and compressors. Of course, you don´t want to create too much of an overload here and I am sure that there is a limit to the added weight: That´s also because the floats can be retracted to allow entering harbors to go into small berths. A nice add-on: Other than catamarans, the Dragonfly-owner will only have to pay for a monohull-berth.
Speaking of the retraction of the floats: Dragonfly has perfected this system that works completely mechanical, maybe with the help of an electric winch if wanted. They call it the „swing wing“: In significantly less than one minute the floats will be retracted and folded out by a simple rope. This makes the Dragonfly perfectly well suited for very shallow waters and even narrowest marinas – things which are not unimportant when cruising.
Astonishing onboard comforts!
So, how does she look like down below? Well, you will be surprised! Usually, performance oriented and weight-sensitive boats tend to be saving on „bling“ and decorative elements. This often results in rather „naked“ or, let´s say, bare GRP environments. This has its charme and does not necessarily have to be ugly or uncomfy. For example, I am appealed by the rather sparse interior of a Pogo 44. But that´s definitely nothing you get in the Dragonfly. I mean, look at this …
Scandinavian boatbuilding is always closely connected to charming, classic (but modern) and absolute high-skills in terms of wooden craftsmanship and joinery. The Dragonfly 36 is no exception: The entreé down below welcomes you with an astonishing wide, lush and rich interior. Thanks to many windows and skylights, the saloon will be light suffused. Classy layout with galley to port side, facing saloon benches with a folding dinner table. I instantly loved the colors, the mood in here and the proportions between wooden, white and blue cushion-surfaces. All so tasteful. Understatement rather than outspoken craving for recognition.
Of course, due to the fact that you are aboard a trimaran where you have three hulls but each hull is slim, the volume available in each hull is much smaller than compared to a monohull. I´d say the Dragonfly 36 offers the volume of a smaller, maybe 31 to 33 feet monohull. The layout is on the one hand very similar, which makes you feel „at home“ very easy, but on the other hand also kind of strange – later more on that.
The cabins aboard Dragonfly 36
Let´s start with the all familiar things: The front cabin. Passing through the massive main bulkhead that takes all the loads from the mast, you enter the forecastle. It´s a simple V-berth with some stowage, directly adjoining the one and only (!) bathroom of the boat. Two hull windows in the bow – comparatively low positioned – will surely make for a nice light-show when sailing or at anchor.
Now, you´d be guessing that this is the owner´s cabin – and maybe many owners choose to reside here – but that´s not the case. There is a second cabin. Upon first entering the boat I thought that the door to my right next to the companionway leads to the bathroom. It does not. This door actually opens to the aft owner´s suite. And here´s where the layout becomes „strange“ (in a good way) because those cabins are more common in smaller power boats.
Going through that cabin door there are a few steps down. Facing abaft, a huge volume opens up in front of me: This is, in my opinion, the true owner´s refuge down here. Directly underneath the cockpit, the whole width of the hull is filled with a large bed. Some cabinets and shelves will house clothing and stuff. A large hull window to the starboard side opens up great views to the spray outside when the trimaran is sailing.
Of course, when the floats are retracted and hauled in, for example when in a marina, the view is obstructed. At least fresh air will have a nice passage inside. I like this aft cabin: It´s kind of snug and cozy, almost reminds me of a bear´s cave: Down here it´s safe, feels protected. I can only imagine that the only downside would be here in the middle of the night, feeling your midnight´s wee urge … it will be a long way up, through the whole saloon into the bow to the one and only forward bathroom.
But isn´t this the old discussion about how many heads a boat should have? For a boat used by two with occasional guests, having just this one bathroom is absolutely fine for me. But I can imagine that it is annoying to having this whole ship length to go from down back there to the bow. Having said that, this is the one and only downside I could find in here. Other than that, she is absolutely lovely, much, much more classy than you´d be expecting from her outward appearance. I´d call her interior „luxurious“.
Could that be your next boat?
The quality of the joinery is exemplary. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, it is always such a joy and pure eyecandy when aboard a Scandinavian-made yacht. Their emphasis on craftsmanship, material quality and, as I call it, the focus on being best of their respective niche makes those boats so special. Dragonfly has a long standing and unique tradition in making trimarans: The company started back in 1967 and has brought well over 1.000 units to the water. It´s a family business, still.
As I say Goodbye to the boat, roaming the galley, I wonder what a normal use-case for the Dragonfly 36 would like like. It´s fast sailing for sure, it´s also active sailing that demands certainly a high skill-set from its owners that is far ahead of your ordinary volume-displacement cruising-crew. Her shallow draft and completely retractable centerboard makes her also capable of beaching in sandy coves. Sounds about ideal for a leisure cruising trip, right?
That the Dragonfly is also perfectly capable of tackling even the worst heavy weather sailing conditions can be seen in a great video on YouTube: The flagship of the line, the Dragonfly 40, is beating upwind in heavy seas and high wind speeds during 2024-edition of „Round the Island“-race: Fully reefed this beast is dashing past the monohulls like it was nothing – all in big heavy seas! It is certainly absolutely exhilarating and fascinating watching this three-hulled boat taking off.
With a price tag well above 500.000 Euros exVAT for the base boat (which, on the other hand, has a pretty impressive standard-setup right to begin with) those Dragonflys are certainly no bargain. These are high-quality, highly demanding and specialized yachts for sailors who want the extra-kick in speed, who want something really outstanding and special. Would be so interesting to get to sail one of these? Yeah, that´s what I thought as well.
More articles on trimarans:
Aboard Rapido 40 trimaran
Class Ocean Fifty pro-sailing trimaran ARKEMA 4 in closeup
Trimaran TEIGNMOUTH ELECTRON and Donald Crowhurst´s tragic story