GEAR FOCUS
Rig & Go
WANT SOME EASY, FUN SAILING THIS SUMMER? LAUNCHED FROM YOUR YACHT OR CAR, THE LATEST DINGHY IDEAS GIVE THAT INSTANT SAILING BUZZ. TOBY HODGES AND SAM FORTESCUE REPORT
While we all crave as much helming pleasure as possible from our cruising yachts, the reality is that after making realistic space, volume and budget compromises, they may not always be that exhilarating on the helm. But once you reach a destination or anchorage, what’s to stop you, your friends or kids getting your hands-on tiller-sailing fix if you can stow the right dinghy aboard?
You could argue that the development of lightweight, modular or inflatable dinghies in recent years has solved a headache for some yacht owners – now they can go for extra volume, or switch to a multihull perhaps, safe in the knowledge they can get the spray-inthe-face dinghy experience from a tender or toy once anchored.
Stowage space, whether on deck, on davits or in a locker, governs what options are available. In the past the choice has fallen into three categories: a rowing dinghy you can sail, a nesting dinghy, or a sailing inflatable (such as the Tinker Tramp). And while these categories haven’t necessarily changed, the design and technology lately has made the products immeasurably more appealing!
The ability to stow a quick-to-rig toy in the boot or on the roof
