From America comes a new dinghy that once again aims to strike a balance between action-packed gliding and the comfort and safety of a keelboat.
The concept is not new; it was already implemented in the Streamline or the Breeze 6.0 a few years ago, for example. The idea of equipping a single-handed dinghy with a keel is also not entirely new, as demonstrated by the Monas. What is new with the Bongo, however, is equipping a single-handed dinghy with a modern rig with a gennaker and a keel.
Designer Paul Cronin comes from the kayak industry, and the parallels with the Bongo are unmistakable. With a waterline length of 4.57 metres, the waterline width is only 0.91 metres - which is very much in the direction of a canoe. Above the waterline, the hull widens to 1.98 metres. As a result, the sailor sits very far outboard and, together with the 45-kilogram keel, achieves a high righting moment - even without excessive riding. As a result, both older people and, thanks to the increased safety, young sailors should enjoy this dinghy. At a price of 13,000 US dollars, which is not exactly low, this should also be the case, which is ensured by the gennaker, under which 23 knots have reportedly already been measured on the beam.
Technical data:
Length: 4.63 m
LWL: 4.57 m
Width: 1.98 m
Width WL: 0.91 m
Draught: 1.19 m
Gennaker pole: 1.07 m
Weight: 159 kg
Ballast: 45 kg
Mainsail: 10.4 square metres
1st reef: 8.1 square metres
2nd reef: 6.7 square metres
Gennaker: 13.7 square metres
Gennaker (small): 9.7 square metres
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
