Reverso's compact sailing dinghy

Having first been unveiled at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, the Reverso Project has already made headway in the superyacht industry. The Reverso concept is essentially a revolutionary sailing dingy that utilises compact technology and a design that draws influence from sports cars, offshore racing and aviation.

Reverso Project’s CEO, Antoine Simon, comes from a background of sailing and a 14-year career as an airline pilot. Now, as an entrepreneur, he is pouring all of his enthusiasm into this new sailing project. “With the Reverso Project, I had the vision of a compact, stylish and agile sail boat that can fit anywhere and removes all the hassle that surrounds sailing and stops people from buying a boat,” he explains.

While the product is targeted at anyone with an interest in sailing, Simon believes that a Reverso dinghy is particularly suited for the superyacht industry, mainly because of its compact design and ease of assembly. When being shipped, the compact arrangement fits on a one cubic metre pallet and, when in storage, the dimensions have been designed to fit into the back of an SUV or estate car. The quick assembly time, which claims to be under two minutes, is also incredibly appealing to crew.

“The feedback we have had from captains is that space is always an issue and, no matter how big the yacht is, the toy garage is always full,” says Simon. He adds that the dinghy’s stylish design is also a big selling point: “When you look at the design of other dinghies, such as Lasers and Picos, it doesn’t make you want to go sailing – our mission is to bring more style to sailing for the guests.”

Reverso’s first superyacht client was MY Tatoosh, who allegedly put in an order for the dinghy before the mould had been built. It has since also been purchased for 72ft SY Kamana and 60ft SY SUD – a real testament to the design’s space saving ability.

The dinghy is well adapted for beginners – as it has space for two people and a large transom that provides stability – but also performs well in high winds with its ability to plane. The current top speed has been recorded as 14 knots. Simon also reassures of the vessel's waterproofness: each of the four sections is a closed element, waterproof and floats by itself. The assembly provides a self-bailing cockpit, with the floor always above the waterline.

Simon predicts that the concept will gain more momentum in the superyacht industry, as yachts want to offer charter guests the experience of learning a new skill such as sailing, but with an easy and practical product to store and set up on board to do it with.

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