I’ve never been a fan of the water and probably never will be, but it doesn’t stop me from making the occasional trip out into the lake or hanging out beach side. I see a lot of brave people out in the distance either swimming far from shore, kayaking, or enjoying their sailing. I don’t mind watercraft, but the one craft I never really understood is the sailing dinghy. It just seems like too much work, or perhaps it’s because I have yet to test it out.
For those of you who are into sailing, the Tiwal 3.2 craft is something to look into, especially if storage space is limited. The Tiwal is a performance inflatable sailing dinghy which comes in two separate bags for easy storage and can be assembled in as little as 20 minutes. The versatile design of the craft can be used for both high performance solo use, or leisure sailings with multiple people – two adults or one adult and two children.
Tiwal 3.2 in Action
The craft weighs in at 111 pounds and features a patented V-shaped under body which makes the inflatable dinghy stable and rigid. The Tiwal 3.2 is also reinforced with a tubular aluminum frame allowing it to perform in strong wind conditions. Once assembled, the Tiwal is 10.5-feet in length and has a 56 sq ft sail. If you want more performance, you can upgrade to a larger 75 sq ft version. Although dinghies have been on the market for decades now, many have limited sailing performance.
The longer saber-shaped dagger board of the Tiwal allows the craft to behave like a traditional dinghy but it also gives it excellent upwind and downwind sailing abilities. Users of the craft can expect to reach planning speeds of up to 12 knots (13mph). According to the company, “No other inflatable sailing dinghy comes close to half that speed”.
According to the company, first time users can learn to sail with the Tiwal 3.2 in about three hours in low wind speeds. Users also only need to handle the main sheet and tiller extension to steer the craft. The boomless sail and high clearance makes it safer and allows more mobility on deck.
The Tiwal has also received some recognition by winning Best Innovation award at the 2014 Boat of The Year contest by Sailing World magazine. The Tiwal 3.2 is priced at $5,950 while the 75 sq ft sail is a $1,200 option. For more details, check out Tiwal.
Tiwal 3.2 Picture Gallery
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