Thrills without the Spills! Test sailing the VX Air on Portland Harbour

The VX Air is a high performance two-person, single-trapeze dinghy designed by Brian Bennett, Ross Weene, and Mackay Boats. The hull is 4.78 metres long, that’s 15 foot 8 inches, and has a beam of 1.74 metres, or 5 foot 9 inches. The main sail is just over 10 metres squared, with a 4.61 metres squared jib and a 15.75 metres squared asymmetric spinnaker, which provides exceptional lift downwind. The asymmetric hoist system is via a soft chute, which exits around 30 centimetres from the bow and runs all the way back to the central controls, allowing a wet sail to drain. The main is sheeted off the boom and taken by the crew upwind and the helm downwind, while the jib is a self-tacker a track, making manoeuvres simplicity itself. The spars and asymmetric pole are carbon, with a mast height of 6.75 metres, while the foils consist of a daggerboard with a 1.11 metre draft and a kick-up rudder, combined with a carbon one-piece rudder stock and tiller. The boat is incredibly stable upwind, and the pitching was minimal sailing on Portland Harbour in a short chop and around 12-16 knots of wind, making for an easy ride for the crew on the trapeze. With the efficient hull form it was only when you looked at the pace of the chase RIB we had out that you realised just how quickly we were travelling. The ideal crew weight is between 125 and 150 kilograms, but Sam Pascoe and I had a good 20 kilos over this and the boat in no way felt sluggish or weighed down, as you can see, so I would put the weight range at wider than this suggestion. With the centrally led control lines the rig felt easy to depower, and downwind if you’re light you can simply go a little deeper. Where does the VX Air sit in amongst the range of dinghies already on the market? I think it’ll appeal to those who sail high-performance dinghies but want something with lighter sheet loads and a simple deck layout, while it will also appeal to youth sailors who are coming out of boats like the 29er and want to sail fast, but aren’t going into an Olympic class like the 49er or 49er FX. The VX Air certainly makes high-performance dinghy sailing more accessible, due to its stability. I remember many years ago being blown away by the VX One’s speed when I sailed it for a day at Cowes Week, and the Air has that same vibe, just without the keel and in a much smaller package. It’s the kind of boat I’d love to sail in a winter series event, as you’d be quick round the course and I had the feeling that I’d really have to mess up to capsize, which during the colder months when I’m out on the water less is a big plus. To find out more about the VX Air contact Ovington Boats: Email rob.richardson@ovingtonboats.co.uk or Phone 0191 2576011. #sailing #dinghysailing #dinghy