Dragonfly 40 has arrived in the UK, after we sailed the first British-based boat from Denmark in early November. This Ultimate version will now be based on the Hamble, so look out for it blasting around the Solent.

November wouldn’t be many sailors choice to cross the Baltic and North Sea, with low temperatures and long nights. However, we were keen for the boat to reach the UK as soon as possible, and this was a fantastic opportunity to experience our new flagship offshore.

After a day sailing with Jens Quorning to learn the systems including Mainfurl in-boom reefing, we set sail for the Kiel Canal on a cold but clear morning. In light of the temperatures, perhaps we were fortunate that much of the trip was in light winds. Even so, the performance amazed the crew who were new to trimaran sailing.

Sailing upwind at 10 knots was a new experience for the monohull sailors. However when this was achieved in just 13 knots true wind, one commented “I’m struggling to get my head around this”. Although we remained in delivery mode, our top speed was 19.0kts on a 2-sail reach.

After initially sailing upwind and then reaching past the Friesian Islands, the wind swung to a light NE tail wind for our North Sea crossing. The new cockpit layout proved excellent for short-handed sailing. The helm is always light and responsive too.

Gliding up into the Solent in a dying breeze, the Dragonfly 40 gave another impressive display of light air performance. In under 5 knots of wind, we held 6+ knots boat speed with the Code 0. How many other 40ft cruisers can achieve that?

We’ve now completed the handover of this stunning yacht to its owners. We wish them very happy sailing as they explore the joys of trimaran sailing.

The next available Dragonfly 40 is currently scheduled for completion in Autumn 2022. If you’d like to sail your own version of this ‘European Yacht of the year 2021’ in 2023, please contact us very soon.