A weight sensitive boat
It is at anchor that we board the Astus 22.5. So I could not tell you about the ease of launching or rigging. The manufacturer says that experienced owners can assemble their boat in less than an hour with the help of the goat. So we just send the gennaker, well rolled up on its furler, to the masthead. The boat is then ready to go. The current and the traffic in the channel of La Trinité sur Mer in this end of July invite to be careful. So we left with the engine. It is the occasion to notice that the small 5 HP Yamaha engine is not too much, especially that an error of length of the shaft (it is a short shaft instead of a long one) makes us not very maneuverable when a person is on the foredeck, placing the propeller at the level of water. Like all small boats, the Astus 22.5 is sensitive to the position of the weights.
Upwind : Faster with a windward angle close to a monohull
As soon as we passed the anchorages of the river of Crac'h, we hoisted the mainsail and unfurled the jib, using the furling line, cleverly positioned outside the cockpit coaming. Our test boat, the very first unit of the Astsus 22.5, was launched less than 3 weeks ago. A slight friction at the masthead, due to the positioning of the halyards, makes the maneuvering a little bit more delicate. This youthful error will be reviewed on the next trimarans. The boat accelerates quickly to reach 5 knots upwind, despite a light wind. Compared to a monohull of the same size, the speed is much higher and the angle of ascent to windward remains good. Well installed in the aft balcony to steer, we can see this by comparing ourselves to a Sun Fast 3200 training nearby. With the wind stabilizing around 10 knots, without exceeding 12/13 knots, the Astus 22.5 maintains a speed upwind between 6.5 and 7 knots.
A trimaran that glides downwind, despite a light wind
As we entered the bay of Quiberon, the sea was still light and only the wakes of the semi-rigid boats allowed us to confirm the good behavior of the boat in the chop. It is time to test the boat downwind. We lowered and unfurled the gennaker, whose furling line was returned outside the cockpit coaming, symmetrical to the jib. The sheets, returned on 2 winches at the back of the cockpit, are quickly tucked in. As the wind remains light, we will not reach double digit speeds and will not make long surfs. However, the meager 12-knot reefs allowed us to reach 9 knots with a crew of 3 adults. Installed on the trampoline with the steering stick in hand, driving the boat is pleasant, the boat remaining reasonably fiery in these windy conditions. We took the opportunity to play with the daggerboard height.
If the wind conditions did not allow us to see all that the Astus 22.5 had in its hull, this navigation allows us to glimpse the beautiful gliding sensations that the boat should offer. It also confirms that it will be perfectly suited to high performance sailing in light airs.
