Boat Review: Dragonfly 32
The brainchild of veteran multihull maven Jens Quorning, managing director of the Danish boatbuilder Quorning Boats, the Dragonfly 32 is the latest in a long list of trimarans providing a combination of exciting performance and more-than-adequate accommodation space for cruising as well.
Like the rest of the line, the D32 includes the company’s unique SwingWing feature, which allows the amas to be quickly retracted when tying up to a dock or entering a slip. Also, the boat’s shallow draft with its centerboard up means it can be easily beached for swimming or stretching your legs.
[Not surprisingly, sailing the D32 in the flat seas and 13 to 15 knot breezes we had on the Chesapeake Bay was a total blast. Not only did the boat consistently hit speeds in excess of 8 knots when sailing on a beam or close reach, it tacked cleanly and without hesitation through the slight, but sharp chop—no mean feat for an unballasted multihull displacing all of 7,275lb with a 26ft 3in beam.
The amas carry some extra volume and extend slightly forward of the main hull to promote boat speed and prevent pitchpoling, creating a stable ride even in heavier weather. Unfortunately, we were not set up to fly a Code 0 off the boat’s fixed sprit. I can only imagine the wake the boat would leave then.
SAIL Plan: Dragonfly 32
The sparkling performance of our test boat was enhanced by its larger, more powerful “Supreme” rig (as opposed to the shorter “Touring” rig) and some very sharp-looking North 3Di sails. Spars are carbon, and the quartet of winches on the cabintop and cockpit coaming were from Andersen. Rigging hardware is by Seldén, with Lewmar clutches controlling the lines, all of which were led aft to the cockpit.
Of course, the downside to performance, especially aboard a smaller trimaran, can be cramped accommodations and deck layouts. However, thanks to careful engineering and close attention to ergonomics, the Dragonfly 32 has plenty of room both in the cockpit and below. Indeed, this is one of those boats where you’d never guess just how much volume there is inside simply looking at it from the dock. The saloon is narrow, but more than adequate, with room for eight close friends to sit around the folding table, which also houses the centerboard. The port-side settee doubles as a berth and can be folded out to create a generous double.
The V-berth forward contains another double—albeit a snug one—with an enclosed head immediately aft. The galley brackets the companionway, with the port-side counter doubling as a nav station. Aft of that is a truly spacious double below the cockpit. I’m still not sure how Quorning and company managed to create so much volume in such a small space.
Standard auxiliary power is a 30hp outboard, but a 20hp inboard diesel or an electric drive are available as options. The standard boat comes with a tiller, but there is room for an optional wheel. The maplewood joinery belowdecks was both warm and very well done—no surprise given the boat’s Scandanavian ancestry—capping off a boat that offers a heck of a lot to put smiles on the faces of plenty of different kinds of sailor within its 32ft LOA.
Photo courtesy of Dragonfly; illustrations by Pip Hurn
