As of this writing, Dragonfly 36 #1 has just rolled over 6,000 nautical miles. It’s an extraordinary boat that seems to be able to go anywhere, fit in any slip, handle offshore sailing conditions, and do it very fast and efficiently. This boat, yes it is number one, started its life as a celebrity, starring at boat shows, part of media interviews and videos, and competing for multiple awards. It’s been a privilege to own such a recognizable boat, that draws every eye and just stops everyone walking down the dock. There are two things I’ve always wanted in a boat; it must be exceptionally fast, and it needs to be visually elegant in the water. The Dragonfly 36 delivers!
I took my delivery on October 16, 2025 in the water in Skaerbaek, Denmark with Carsten Steenberg and my best sailing friend Rick. We provisioned and equipped the boat with just enough of the basics and departed on a 3-day sail to the Netherlands. On day one, heading to the Kiel Canal we hit 20 kts broad reaching with the spinnaker. Next day we brought the boat 100 nm through the Kiel Canal to the Elbe River and the exit into the North Sea. The third day we left the Elbe into the North Sea in good weather and overnighted the boat all the way to a marina in Delfzijl, Netherlands. A week later I loaded and transported the boat with the mast up from the Netherlands to the US Virgin Islands on Seven Star boat transportation. I met the boat in St. Thomas to unload and recommission it and located at a slip in the USVI. I spent most of the winter living aboard the boat, cruising the Virgin Islands and took the boat to Antigua to cruise and race. In April I made the 2000 nm trip from St. Thomas back through Fort Lauderdale, Charleston and Annapolis, then all the way up to Cape Cod for the summer.
We have experienced all kinds of wind and weather conditions. We’ve had zero to 40+ knots of wind in squalls, seas to as much as 4 meters and the Dragonfly handles it all extremely well. We have hit 20 kts of speed whenever we have enough wind and the right conditions and the right angles to sail. Honestly, we usually slow the boat down when it gets like this depending on the sea state and the risk. On a good day offshore, we track along “off the wind” with winds in the low 20’s sailing speeds in the middle teens usually covering around 250 or more miles of distance over 24 hours. The boat is “no drama” onboard only heeled over at 6 or 7 degrees and will sail comfortably under the autopilot, allowing us to sleep and cook dinner when a monohull would be rolling a possibly broaching while being hand steered. In light air, the Dragonfly is efficient, moving near or at wind speed, and able to generate very efficient motor sailing numbers in almost no wind and a little engine ticking over.
Living aboard is reasonable, but not spacious or luxurious. The living space is well organized and very functional. I lived aboard the boat 90% of the time in the Caribbean and found that I could reasonably share the space with as many as 3 or maybe 4 others. The storage space in the floats (amas) gets extra gear out of the living space, but you must still be thoughtful and deliberate about what you bring on the boat where space and weight are considerations. This boat is a complex piece of design engineering and is sophisticated for its size and you must understand and pay attention to all the systems. Folding and unfolding are a convenience, but also extra steps to be carefully executed. Managing and organizing the control lines is essential. We’ve had some learning and new boat problems, but we’ve figured them out and have a reliable, functional, and seaworthy boat.
The performance of the boat is exceptional even though I elected to have the Touring Rig installed on my boat because of my intent to do ocean passages and also a desire to be able to use the inland water way in the US. Despite the somewhat smaller rig, we outperform almost everything we encounter on the water. The performance seems to come almost effortlessly without the feeling of being on the edge of control that you get from most performance boats. It’s worth mentioning that the Dragonfly outperforms most other multihulls upwind, but not deep keel monohulls, partly because of speed and apparent wind effects from the higher speed of the Dragonfly. It will also sail very deep angles downwind either with the Code Zero winged or with the spinnaker pulled out to the windward ama. The Dragonfly prefers reaching angles and if you choose the right weather window, you will get there with comfortable speed and efficiency!
The flexibility of this boat is extraordinary. The folding feature is easy, and it allows me into marinas that would otherwise not have space for me or charge me double. The lifting centerboard and rudder allow access to beaches and shallow areas that would not be available to keel boats.
The Dragonfly 36 has been a sailing dream boat for me. It is different, sophisticated, and it has a very significant learning curve, but I have enjoyed the challenge. After owning three offshore monohulls, I’ve had to learn a new set of multihull sailing skills. In the coming year I will be doing another lap of the Caribbean with more experience and learning under my belt.
Scott Bearse
“Slide Rule”
The Dragonfly 36 has been a sailing dream boat for me… It’s an extraordinary boat that seems to be able to go anywhere, fit in any slip, handle offshore sailing conditions, and do it very fast and efficiently.
– Scott Bearse