MX-Ray

Description

The MX-Ray, a radical single-handed high-performance racing dinghy designed by Russian-born naval architect Vlad Murnikov and first produced by M-Yachts in 1998 with limited numbers—now built under license by FastBoatWorks—is celebrated for its windsurfer-inspired unstayed cat rig, ultralight 115-pound foam-sandwich fiberglass hull, and explosive skiff-class planing speeds downwind in moderate breezes, though its finicky upwind performance demands precise body weight shifts, constant sheet and rudder input, and athletic prowess to navigate waves effectively in winds up to 20 knots. At 12.92 feet LOA with a slim 5-foot beam, 2.67-foot maximum draft via drop-down centerboard, and 84 square feet of sail area (augmented by a 78 sq ft asymmetric spinnaker on a pre-bent two-piece Fibrespar mast that auto-de-powers in gusts), it offers beach-launch simplicity with a swinging rudder, minimal fittings, and dual buoyancy bags for capsize recovery, seating one agile sailor in a rounded open cockpit equipped with hiking straps and non-slip decks for an adrenaline-charged, wet ride ideal for club racers or thrill-seekers but less forgiving for novices compared to Lasers.