Dragonfly 36 debut

John_Silver

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One for @Chiara’s slave to drool over?
Have to wait until Düsseldorf, to find out whether it creates the saloon space that those of us with monos, in the low 30’ range, have become accustomed to. But looks like it might.
Even designed to be single handed friendly. With (if I’ve understood correctly) both main and jib sheet winches within reach of the helm. Like a JPK.
Certainly the only craft moving under sail, coming through the eastern Solent today were……Dragonfly’s.
Imagine that it’d be wise to adopt a seated position, before asking the price. In case of a swoon.
 
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Chiara’s slave

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One for @Chiara’s slave to drool over?
Have to wait until Düsseldorf, to find out whether it creates the saloon space that those of us with monos, in the low 30’ range, have become accustomed to. But looks like it might.
Even designed to be single handed friendly. With (if I’ve understood correctly) both main and jib sheet winches within reach of the helm. Like a JPK.
Certainly the only craft moving under sail, coming through the eastern Solent today were……Dragonfly’s.
Imagine that it’d be wise to adopt a seated position, before asking the price. In case of a swoon.
I have the email from Quorning. The 40 has the space below of a 36+ft mono, so if ypu’ve got a hankering for a fast sailboat, and have 750k+ to spend…. It’ll be like a decent 33 down below. And as fast as a TP52 upstairs. However, I regret to say, we won’t be putting our names down. The finance director has vetoed it. Not really in the market for a 28 either. If a 32 came up at the right price though , the finance director might find herself overruled.
 
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John_Silver

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Yes, those 32's do have a real 'looks right' appeal to them. From the outside, anyway. Have yet to get below decks. Don't think that the ‘nearly new’ brokerage one is 'on' with Al directly. Otherwise, whilst I'm in Northney for the next few days, I'd ask him for a peep. I have, however, e mailed Al (on receit of his DF36 flyer) to ask how Quorning have engineered the sheet leads, to enable the jib sheet winches to be within reach of the helm, on the DF36. And whether that approach could be applied to a DF32. (A cockpit layout suitable for solo sailing being a prerequisite for me).
 
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Chiara’s slave

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Yes, those 32's do have a real 'looks right' appeal to them. From the outside, anyway. Have yet to get below decks. Don't think that the ‘nearly new’ brokerage one is 'on' with Al directly. Otherwise, whilst I'm in Northney for the next few days, I'd ask him for a peep. I have, however, e mailed Al (on receit of his DF36 flyer) to ask how Quorning have engineered the sheet leads, to enable the jib sheet winches to be within reach of the helm, on the DF36. And whether that approach could be applied to a DF32. (A cockpit layout suitable for solo sailing being a prerequisite for me).
Drink and the devil have done for the rest, presumably.
 

doris

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I'd love to see the polars of a DF 32 and 36 v JPK39. Certainly an 11.80 might push the DF.
Either last year or the previous, at SIBS, I looked at the DF40, got v excited and then asked the approx price. Yes I was sitting down, as the reply of maybe £750k, probably nearer 800 had me gasping. I was thinking half a million, maybe a tad more but not by much. At hald a bar I would very likely had conversations but at £800k, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Chiara’s slave

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I'd love to see the polars of a DF 32 and 36 v JPK39. Certainly an 11.80 might push the DF.
Either last year or the previous, at SIBS, I looked at the DF40, got v excited and then asked the approx price. Yes I was sitting down, as the reply of maybe £750k, probably nearer 800 had me gasping. I was thinking half a million, maybe a tad more but not by much. At hald a bar I would very likely had conversations but at £800k, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The nearest to a comparison is the NHC numbers. The 32 is about 1.32, I wouldn’t expect the 36 to be more than a few% quicker. We race off 1.288 for the odd club event we do, currently.
 

doris

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The nearest to a comparison is the NHC numbers. The 32 is about 1.32, I wouldn’t expect the 36 to be more than a few% quicker. We race off 1.288 for the odd club event we do, currently.
I’m not sure I understand what that means in real time, apart from that DFs are insanely quick!!!!!!
But watching the vid of Sunrise doing 27kts was a tad buttock clenching too.
 

dunedin

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Yes, those 32's do have a real 'looks right' appeal to them. From the outside, anyway. Have yet to get below decks. Don't think that the ‘nearly new’ brokerage one is 'on' with Al directly. Otherwise, whilst I'm in Northney for the next few days, I'd ask him for a peep. I have, however, e mailed Al (on receit of his DF36 flyer) to ask how Quorning have engineered the sheet leads, to enable the jib sheet winches to be within reach of the helm, on the DF36. And whether that approach could be applied to a DF32. (A cockpit layout suitable for solo sailing being a prerequisite for me).
Do they have a good integrated autopilot (with permanently fitted ram)? In which case jib sheet winch position much less important, as flip on a/p for a moment after every tack.
 

John_Silver

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Fair point @dunedin , although I do hate to be reliant of a 'gadget.' Being a closet luddite. And remembering those (2) times (in thirty odd years) when (an admittedly cockpit mounted) ram has gone on the blink.
Reading the DF36 blurb more attentively (and less excitedly) this morning. The 'Touring' version has a self tacker. Which is another way to resolve the sheet handling problem. The loss of power (v's an overlapping headsail) probably less of an issue on a DF than on most boats. The boat not being short of upwind power in the first place. And with furling asymetrics, perhaps, easier to fly (than on a mono) with the aid (on the DF36 & DF40) of both an integrated 'sprit and the broad sheeting base, out to the amas. Which. I'd imagine, renders larger off wind sails more manageable than on a mono. (Would be interested on your, experience based, view there @Chiara’s slave or @AngusMcDoon)
 
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Chiara’s slave

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You need to sail a Dragonfly, I think. Handicap wise, it means we are theoretically 25% faster than a 1010, and NHC is results based rather than measurement based. We don’t often race against monos though, results are even more random than normal handicap racing. I took our sailmaker out for a spin the other day, he won the ‘fastest sustained GPS speed’ contest, at 18.3kn in flattish water. Hard on the wind, 8-9kn in similar conditions, ie 15-20kn of wind. We’d have put a reef in if we were just going somewhere, and settled for 14-16kn. That is a routine cruising speed. I think there’s not a vast difference in speed across the range, but the new designs have a lot more internal volume. All the big ones are wheel steered, the 36 might have 2, as the 40 does with the same layout. We use a Code 0 more than our asymetric kite, as it’s on a furler. You might lose out going very deep, and in light airs, but we are lazy. Even with just the jib, you have barber haulers to get it in shape, they sheet it out to the amas. I have been on a 40, the sheets are right there at the helm, it is properly designed for singlehanding, or 1 on watch of course.
 

Christopher877

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One for @Chiara’s slave to drool over?
Have to wait until Düsseldorf, to find out whether it creates the saloon space that those of us with monos, in the low 30’ range, have become accustomed to. But looks like it might.
Even designed to be single handed friendly. With (if I’ve understood correctly) both main and jib sheet winches within reach of the helm. Like a JPK.
Certainly the only craft moving under sail, coming through the eastern Solent today were……Dragonfly’s.
Imagine that it’d be wise to adopt a seated position, before asking the price. In case of a swoon.
that sounds like something from another planet, but you know what, probably worth waiting for Düsseldorf because it might actually be worth it. if it really has everything within reach and steering like JPK, that’ll be something! as for the price, well, that’s another story—probably sky-high, as usual.
 

John_Silver

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A CGI render of the DF36 cockpit layout is out (on the main Quorning site) here (YBW won't let me upload the pic directly). Showing a rather different approach from JPK. Twin wheels, helmsman aft, for the DF, v's twin tillers, helmsman further forward, for JPK. Sheet winches on a plinth, forward of the wheels, for the DF. (Like a mini DF40). Sheet winches fore and aft of the helm seat, on the coaming, for the JPK.
Speaking to Al (UK agent today): He's working on getting some CGI's of the interior out. Also said that headroom, on the DF36, is greater than on the DF40. With (even) more creative use of available space, for stowage.
 
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Chiara’s slave

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A CGI render of the DF36 cockpit layout is out (on the main Quorning site) here (YBW won't let me upload the pic directly). Showing a rather different approach from JPK. Twin wheels, helmsman aft, for the DF, v's twin tillers, helmsman further forward, for JPK. Sheet winches on a plinth, forward of the wheels, for the DF. (Like a mini DF40). Sheet winches fore and aft of the helm seat, on the coaming, for the JPK.
Speaking to Al (UK agent today): He's working on getting some CGI's of the interior out. Also said that headroom, on the DF36, is greater than on the DF40. With (even) more creative use of available space, for stowage.
I have no doubt it’ll be a fantastic boat, as it ought to be with the price it’ll have. It can only be up to you if you feel it’s worth it. If I had the money going begging, I would definitely buy a new generation DF, is all I can say. Probably a 32, but we are not clones…. I have sailed 4 different Dragonfly models, owned 2. All broadly similar. They are boats for sailors. Responsive helm, and sail trim. Really nice to steer, especially compared to a cat cruiser of equivalent size. Blisteringly fast in the right conditions, merely satisfyingly fast if it’s not perfect. It’s a little disappointing not to see 15kn on a sail, but sometimes the wind just doesn’t blow. And they do that solo, 2 up, or taking a few mates out to lunch. You don’t need a row of white socks on the side, like the boats you’ll be overtaking. Unbelievers should have a test sail, Al will be delighted I am sure.
 

Lucky Duck

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I could well be missing something here but the additional 10 foot or so when folded is going to translate into greater costs and likely limited availability anywhere near a marina?
 

Chiara’s slave

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I could well be missing something here but the additional 10 foot or so when folded is going to translate into greater costs and likely limited availability anywhere near a marina?
Er, you’re missing something. We increase in length about a metre,3ft when folded. The difference is proportionately less on newer boats, they carry their amas further forwards. In fact the increase in length just protects the rudder if you moor with it retracted. Here we are pre refit, excuse the filth. We’d not paid for her here.
IMG_1746.jpeg
 
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