astus trimarans

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Astus 22.5 review: sporty little trimaran for the weekend?

• David Harding
• February 3, 2023

Adventurous sailors tend to be drawn to small multihulls but the new Astus 22.5 would suit the weekend and family user too

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Small multihulls like the Astus 22.5 can be remarkable boats in which you can do remarkable things. Like Richard and Lilian Woods: each sailing one of their own Woods-designed Strider 24 catamarans single-handed from Plymouth to Russia in a series of day-hops in 1989 – not long after glasnost and perestroika. Joined by Stuart Fisher in a third Strider, they regularly sailed up to 80 miles in a day and once covered the 70 miles between ports in seven hours.

Or Rory McDougall, who built a Wharram Tiki 21 and sailed it around the world singlehanded . A few years later, he finished a close second in the Jester Challenge before clocking up to 185 miles a day on the return Atlantic crossing .

Then there’s the Norwegian team that circumnavigated the globe in the Arctic Circle, taking in the north-east and north-west passages in one season. They chose a Corsair 31 because it had the necessary speed and could also be hauled up on to the ice if it threatened to crush them.

That’s going up the size range a little, but smaller and closer to home is another trimaran from the same stable, the Corsair Dash 750, that completed every race in a major UK regatta faster than a state-of-the-art 42ft racing monohull sailed by a professional crew. Then, while the 42-footer was still bashing her way back around the coast to her home port after the event, the Dash had been trailed home and parked in the owner’s drive.

Whether it has two hulls or three, whether it’s racing or cruising and whether it’s sailed locally or across oceans, there’s no doubt that small multihulls allow you to do remarkable things. It helps if you’re a remarkable person, of course. I have met and sailed with many of the people in these examples and none of them is your average weekend sailor – not that many weekend sailors aren’t also remarkable people, either as sailors or in different ways. They have simply chosen not to do what sensible people might regard as crazy things with their boats.

Steady as she goes: under gennaker we frequently exceeded 13 knots Photo: David Harding

So is it crazy to drive over to France, collect a 23ft trimaran fresh from the factory and spend two weeks cruising around the Golfe du Morbihan and southern Brittany before trailing it home? Hein Kuiper didn’t think so, and I agree. After all, Hein is the UK’s dealer for Astus Boats, and it was a brand new Astus 22.5 that he was collecting last summer to bring home as his demonstrator.

Time on the water

Some dealers spend little time sailing the boats they sell, but Hein takes a different view. If you do yourself what prospective buyers are likely to do with them, you’re in a much better position both to sell to them and to help them once they’ve bought.

So it was that Hein and his wife, Hilary, spent two weeks living aboard a sporty, slim-hulled trimaran in Brittany, sailing by day and spending the nights aboard too, usually on a mooring or at anchor. Given that trimaran of this nature will have less room below decks than a typical monohull of similar length, that takes some discipline and you need to accept that it’s camper-cruising.

Helming from the trampoline gives a good view forward, with space for three or four people in the cockpit. Photo: David Harding

The main hull of the Astus 22.5 is nearly 23ft (6.95m) long: unusually for a French boat, the designation understates the length. In sailing mode with the bowsprit rigged (so you can fly the gennaker), the total length is 8.3m. The sailing beam is 4.90m (16ft), but it takes only a few minutes, whether you’re ashore or afloat, to reduce the beam to 2.49m (8ft 2in) for trailing or to fit into a marina berth.

In many berths, such as the one in Mercury where I joined Hein for our test sail, you only need to slide in one float. There’s also a ‘marina position’ for the floats, giving a beam of 3m (9ft 10in) for greater stability than afforded by the trailing position.

On meeting the Astus 22.5 in the flesh I saw that, while looking as though she should still zip along nicely, she was distinctly chunkier than her little sister, the Astus 20.5 , that I tested in 2021. The knuckle low down in the main hull looks more pronounced, leading to relatively greater volume above the waterline, and the coachroof is significantly higher too.

Set on an endless furling system, the jib has an integral halyard and is zipped around the forestay to simplify rigging. Photo: David Harding

When you look down below, it’s clear that the difference in internal space is greater than would be accounted for simply by the greater length, significant though that would be in itself.

With the 20.5, fitting in anything more than overnighting accommodation would have entailed unacceptable compromises in performance, so that wasn’t attempted. Given an extra couple of feet or so, the designers (VPLP) had the opportunity to turn the Astus 22.5 into a genuine weekender – or even a two-weeker – so they pushed out the volume while still keeping the boat sporty.

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When I got to Mercury I was anxious to get out and sailing sooner rather than later. Dark clouds were gathering and threatening rain and, in any event, I wanted to sail before exploring below decks.

Light and fresher

As was consistently the case in 2022 – adding to the challenges of arranging boat tests – the weather forecast was wildly inaccurate yet again. Instead of sunshine and brisk winds (thunderstorms being promised for later), we were met in the Solent by drizzle and barely 6 knots of breeze. Hoping conditions would improve, we delayed the photo boat by an hour or two and did what we could in the breeze we had. The Astus 22.5 made respectable progress in the light conditions, clocking 4-4.5 knots upwind in the slight Solent popple.

Moving forward is easy along the wide trampolines, which also provide plenty of space for in-harbour tents or for carrying inflatables or paddleboards. Photo: David Harding

Eventually the south-easterly breeze began to build before settling down at 12-14 knots with occasional fresher spells. With the tide running east, the waves were soon big enough to notice. At least we had enough wind to power through them as long as we kept the nose down a few degrees. With a boat like this it’s all about finding the right balance between speed and pointing.

We could sail along happily enough at 6 knots, but leaning on the jib a little more would soon take us to well over 7 knots in the flatter patches of water. Our tacking angle when we sailed slightly freer was typically around 100° by the compass so, on the basis of an average boat speed of 7 knots, our VMG was around 4.5 knots.

Pitching was minimal most of the time and our motion reasonably smooth given the sea state; just the occasional thud when we hit a trough behind one of the steeper waves.

As it happened, the Quarter Ton Cup fleet was also in the eastern Solent. Keeping our distance, we had no opportunity to pace ourselves directly against them upwind but it was clear that, as you would expect, we were sailing a little lower and significantly faster. Had we been racing in the fleet I suspect we would have reached the windward mark first.

A pronounced knuckle above the waterline and a higher coachroof leads to a roomier forward berth than on the Astus 20.5. Photo: David Harding

As for downwind – well, of course you don’t sail a boat like the Astus 22.5 deep downwind. In such wonderful sailing conditions we didn’t even try, other than briefly for statistical purposes. We couldn’t resist the temptation to reach across the Solent at whatever angle gave us the best speed, heading up in the lulls to maintain the apparent wind and diving down as necessary in the gusts. In the lighter patches we dropped down to 9-10 knots; roughly what we had seen when two-sail reaching in a bit more breeze.

In the fresher spells we maintained closer to 12 knots for good periods and peaked at 14.8. All the time the boat felt perfectly comfortable. With 1,150 litres of buoyancy in each float, together with all that beam and a relatively modest sail plan – even given the square-top mainsail and tri-radial sails on our test boat – we never felt the need to de-power.

When you need to work your way downwind, as we did eventually, it’s perfectly possible without spoiling the fun too much. Just sail a few degrees lower all round, soak away as far as you can in the gusts, and you’ll soon get there. It’s like sailing any performance multihull or dinghy with an asymmetric. I don’t think the Quarter Tonners would have stood much chance.

One in, one out: with the starboard float in its ‘marina position’ and the port float extended for sailing, the Astus still fits easily into a normal berth. Photo: David Harding

Sitting comfortably

The cockpit will accommodate three people without a crush, or four if you’re not being too active. With the traveller running across the full width of the aft end, there’s plenty of open space – and that’s before you take into account the trampolines.

You can helm from the cockpit or, for a better view and more power in a breeze, extend the tiller extension and move on to the windward trampoline. Here you can lean against the backstay and brace your feet against the main hull. You stay pretty dry out here most of the time. Very little spray found its way aft. It’s the leeward trampoline that gets wet, especially if you’re pushing on.

Like most performance trimarans, the Astus 22.5 sails at a few degrees of heel so the windward hull is always clear of the water and the heel naturally increases as the wind builds.

The centreboard’s case is offset to port to minimise intrusion into the cabin. It also provides a handy step. Two decent-sized quarter berths extend aft with stowage between and below them. Photo: David Harding

If we got a gust when already at full power under gennaker, the rudder blade occasionally lost bite. That was mildly disconcerting, though laminar flow could quickly be restored with a brief wiggle to leeward first. It was the same blade as used on the 20.5. More area was clearly needed and I would have liked more balance too, so I was pleased to hear that Hein had commissioned a deeper, more balanced blade as a trial and, later, that Astus had also decided to offer their own alternative. It will be supplied with the Sport rig in the UK.

On the whole, the balance of boat and rudder were both fine. We carried a bit of weather helm when powered up on a reach, which we might have been able to reduce by partially raising the centreboard. As on the 20.5, it’s a hinging board, with the up/down control lines in the cockpit and the case offset to port to open up space in the cabin.

There’s space beneath the forward berth for a chemical toilet. Photo: David Harding

In terms of rig and hardware, it’s all pretty straightforward. The standard rig is aluminium and you can upgrade to carbon. Fixed bullseyes on the coachroof for the jib are standard too, though I would pay a little extra for tracks. You don’t need to winch the main halyard – just sweating it is enough, then use the cunningham to tension the luff. Spinlock clutches and Harken winches handle the lines. You need lots of backstay and mainsheet tension to get the best from a boat like this upwind. Both have 8:1 purchases, which are fine as long as you’re not too cautious when using them.

Wider beam and more headroom than on the Astus 20.5 make the forward berth into a proper double. Photo: David Harding

Sleeping and stowing

Space to sit down and stretch out in the cabin can be tight on a slim-hulled trimaran. So too can space to stow your kit, inside or out. Stowage is surprisingly good: there’s an open-fronted locker each side aft in the cockpit and a generously sized locker beneath a hatch in the sole. Then you have hatches in the middle of each float, the modest apertures opening into spaces that will swallow more warps and fenders than you’re likely to carry. Built into the forward end of the coachroof is the anchor locker, with space for a couple of fenders too.

Below decks is a 2m (6ft 7in) double berth in the bow (with a small hatch overhead and space for a chemical loo underneath), mouldings each side for a basic galley, two quarter berths and plenty of sitting headroom (1.6m/5ft 3in in total).

There’s a lot more room than on the 20.5 and even a little timber trim, but thankfully still no hullside or deckhead linings to minimise weight and allow easy access to the fastenings for the deck hardware.

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The Astus 22.5 is great fun to sail. You could spend all day reaching under gennaker for the sheer fun of it, but she’s pretty capable upwind too. If you like speed while still feeling fully in control and not remotely on the edge in most conditions, you will like this boat. I have always thought that monohull sailors are likely to find it easier to adapt to a trimaran than to a catamaran, and I think the Astus will appeal to many who are used to one hull. She comes with a vacuum-infused, foam-cored main hull as standard to keep the weight down to 650kg (just over 1,400lb) so she can be trailed behind an ordinary family car. Construction looks pretty solid, with stiffening members inside the hull where you would expect to find them, and the folding mechanism for the floats works well.

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The Next Generation of Performance Trimarans. 

ASTUS BOATS

Designed by Legendary Yacht Designer VPLP

- ASTUS - HIGH PERFORMANCE SAILING TRIMARANS OF THE FUTURE

Astus boats are proudly designed and manufactured exclusively in France.

The Astus yard has been building high quality performance fiberglass and carbon fiber sail and power boats since 2004. Concieved by Jean-Hubert Pommois, a passionate sailor and yachtsman, the Astus brand has carved out a large niche of the small trimaran even during the peak of the Corsair empire! The modern Astus trimarans bring key features that are not offered, at a reasonable price point, by any other brands! From telescoping beams to vacuum infusion construction, these boats are at the top of the heap of small performance trimaran sailboats!

With four unique models in the lineup, there’s an Astus for every sailor’s next adventure!

Astus Boats - Where Value and Quality Meet

Astus boats share a designer and in turn share a number of key features that set them apart from the crowd!

Fast and Stable Sailing Fun

Astus boats are exclusively trimaran sailboats. Trimaran sailboats are widely regarded as the most stable sailing boat. This stability allows VPLP, the naval architect behind the whole line of Astus designs, to equip these boats with aggressive and efficient sail plans that make these Astus trimarans some of the fastest sailboats available on the market!

Keep your boat in the water, where it belongs!

Astus has chosen to embrace the telescoping beams (known as Akas) design and this work very much in their favor! The idea behind a telescoping beam is to do away with heavy and bulky armatures as well as over-built fiberglass beams and go with lightweight, simple and reliable aluminum or carbon fiber beams that provide a lot of rigidity but keep complexity and weight low. In addition to the performance advantages of a simple telescoping beam, Astus are easy to keep in the water in a monohull slip. Because the beams slide laterally, the bottom of the Amas (the two little hulls) remain the bottom for navigating a marina and even dock in a monohull slip! Other boats that have folding systems fold their Amas under the main hull (Vaka) and this can result in a very ugly scum line on the sides and decks of the boat after only a day or two in the water!

Vacuum Infusion construction keeps everything lightweight

Astus boats are made with vacuum infusion methods of fiberglass layup. This simply means that when manufacturing the boat, they end up using exactly the right amount of epoxy to create the strongest fiberglass possible while also keeping excess weight low. A low weight boat offers a number of benefits, from faster sailing on the water, more carry capacity for crew and gear as well as an easier to tow boat. The Astus 20.5 with vacuum infusion construction can be towed by the family sedan!

Smart Designs for Easy and Relaxing Fun on the Water

Astus boats are designed by the legendary French VPLP design firm. This is the same firm that has designed every Lagoon catamaran boat ever built, as well as a huge swath of other boats ranging from foiling passenger ferries to military applications. This means that VPLP has put a LOT of time and thought into the boats they design and they also won't just slap their name on any old design, since their reputation is on the line! Astus boats have many "makes sense" features such as an external anchor locker built into that part of the cabon that is typically either eaten up by large folding beams on other trimarans or otherwise unused space on other small sailboats. They have also taken special care to make the cockpit comfortable and safe, even for youngsters on board!

There aren't many production trimarans on the market, but the ones that are out there are either purpose built racing boats that struggle to do much more than race or are very expensive and complex fast cruisers. This is where the Astus range comes in. With affordable pricing and designs that embrace the demand for a fast weekend cruising boat, Astus is the perfect boat for anyone that wants to coastal cruise, weekend race, or a mix of uses that the whole family can enjoy!

Find the Astus that fits you!

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With this model, Astus Boats has completed the update of its range. All the models - the 14.5, the 16.5, the 20.5 and now the 22.5 - carry the prestigious VPLP signature. The Astus 22, which has been around for 12 years, has unsurprisingly slipped from the catalog. As for the 24, it is still in there for now, but is soon to bow out. The positioning of the shipyard is therefore more than ever the small, transportable, simple and accessible multihull.

Practical info

• Builder : Astusboats

• Finance your Astus 22.5
• Articles about the Astus 22.5
• Available in issue # 179

Boat Test price 5.00 € Inc. tax

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and get an extra discount!

Test location: La Trinité-sur-Mer, France Conditions: Wind - west 12 to 16 knots, Sea state - slight

The timing was very tight for us to publish this test in this issue: in fact, Jean-Hubert Pommois, founder and manager of Astus Boats, welcomed us aboard his brand new Astus after only one day of testing... A risky gamble, but one that paid off, since this 22.5 turns out to be particularly welldesigned. To begin with, we were lucky with the weather; this July in Brittany has been cool, wet and very windy... but for one day, we were able to enjoy clear sunshine and an ideal breeze of force 3 to 4.

Modern design

We discovered the Astus 22.5 on its mooring, almost under the famous white Kérisper Bridge. The steeply inverted bows, the marked chines and the plunging topsides at the front immediately evoke performance - the VPLP touch is at work here. The mast is slender (the profile is 30 feet / 9 meters in length) and the platform remains stable thanks to a slight dihedral form. The central hull manages to reconcile a narrow waterline with decent beam at deck level. The floats, with over 40 cubic feet (1,150 liters), have a remarkable volume of 160% compared to the light displ...

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Astus 14.1 Review

Jeremy Evans takes the Astus 14.1 trimaran for a ride to discover if it lives up to the claims of monohull pointing ability, multihull stability and skiffstyle planing…

Astus boats build a range of small trimarans in Brittany. Their largest Astus 20.1 is billed as the ‘ultimate family boat’ with room for as many as seven adults to enjoy sailing in the cockpit, plus a small cabin with just about enough space for an intimate couple to stay overnight. The Astus 16.1 is billed as the ‘ultimate dayboat’ for as many as five adults, but unlike the 20.1 has skegs rather than a centreboard to prevent leeway. Both these trimarans have floats mounted on telescopic beams for easy trailer-sailing, and are fitted with multihull-style rigs, including a large furling gennaker to ile on the power and give them speed.

The newest 14.1 is the baby of the group, which was first launched in the autumn of last year, and also aims to provide skiff-style sensations with floats — like stabilisers — allowing a much easier learning curve.

The Trailer Sailer Centre at Northney Marina on Hayling Island is south coast agent for Ex Aqua trimarans, so that’s where I met up with Pascal and Claire Guignabaudet who are importing the Astus range into the UK. My first impression of the Astus 14.1 is that it’s surprisingly petite for a 14ft boat. The main hull is only 1.10 metres (3ft 7in) wide at the maximum point, but the beam extends to 2.5m with its floats, each providing 80 litres of buoyancy. The curved aluminium beams have a simple pin system, so it only takes a few seconds to connect or disconnect each float, which can be stored inside the cockpit. However only long-term use would show how this connection stands up to the rigours of salt, sand and flexing when the boat is powered up.

Removing the floats is really useful — not only can the Astus fit in a Topper-sized space in a dinghy park but, like the Topper, it can also be carried on car roof-rack with the sleeved mast split into two and all the bits stowed inside the cockpit. Alternatively, you can carry the Astus 14.1 on a standard combination trailer, with the option of being able to tow this mini trimaran with both its floats connected.

Rigging and launching

A catamaran can be cumbersome to pull around on a trolley, but the Astus 14.1 feels much more like a dinghy for launching or landing. The only downside is that with no side support you may get problems with the Astus rocking around on its trolley in a stiff breeze, when a second pair of hands would certainly be useful to hang onto a float. Whilst the cockpit floor has a honeycomb sandwich construction, the hull and deck are constructed in straight glass reinforced polyester, hence the Astus tri weighs about 80kgs — about one-third heavier than a similar length, similarly built Laser, taking into account the extra weight of the floats — though it’s still an easy boat for one person to push or pull around.

Rigging is very straightforward and can easily be done singlehanded. The two-part mast drops into a slot in the foredeck like a Laser, but unlike a Laser there’s a furling jib which provides a forestay, as well as shrouds led down to the beams. Both these shrouds have adjustable downhauls, though you would be hard pressed to tweak shroud tension with the rig powered up. Pascal explained that the shrouds really just provide back-up stability by acting as runners for the rig, with downhauls making it easy to pull down tension on dry land.

The fully battened mainsail, furling jib and furling gennaker (an optional but highly desirable extra) all have straightforward halyard hoists — just pull ‘em up, pull ‘em tight and cleat ‘em off. On some beach cats it can be a real grunt job to hoist the mainsail, due to luff curve trying to find its way up a straight mast. No problem on the Astus — hoisting and dropping the mainsail was a doddle, and with no boom and the simplest possible mainsheet system you could probably get the whole boat from roof rack (or trailer) to water in less than 20 minutes.

On the water

The Astus 14.1 certainly looks unusual on the water, powering along with its stylish scarlet gennaker. It slipped along very nicely in a light Force 2-3 breeze. In that amount of breeze, I found it very easy and forgiving, endorsing Ex Aqua’s claim that: ‘Beginners will enjoy a boat capable of picking up speed in light winds whilst being stable and easy to control.’ The cockpit has loads of space for one medium-sized adult, with enough room left over for a child to also enjoy the ride. Or it would maybe suit two young teenagers out for a blast, with the added bonus of a very big watertight locker in the forepeak if you want to carry extra clothes or a picnic. With that narrow hull, the foam filled floats act as stabilisers which Ex Aqua claim provide the same righting moment as an adult going out on a trapeze. Indeed, Ex Aqua say that the 14.1 is a skiff rather than a trimaran, but a skiff without hassles since it won’t fall over and instead will simply provide instant fun. For sure it’s pretty simple to control. Just pull in the sheets and the boat will heel over onto its leeward float, accelerating smoothly ahead with the simple marine ply daggerboard preventing sideslip and providing lift. But 80 litres of buoyancy will only achieve so much and if you push too hard the float will submarine, slowing the boat right down.

Like any skiff, there’s no doubt that the flatbottomed central hull of the 14.1 will plane quickly if you can hold it flat. The obvious solution is to get weight out to windward on the mini trampoline, but it seemed difficult to find a stable or comfortable position on a slippery tramp with nothing to brace against, particularly when you need to get well back to lift the bows. It felt like I should have been hiking for maximum effect, but this was not possible and any lack of security would surely get worse in stronger winds. Ex Aqua say that problem can be solved by attaching webbing straps on either side between the two beams, providing optional footrests or footstraps.

In light winds, the Astus 14.1 slipped along quietly with its standard mainsail and small jib, but unsurprisingly felt a lot more powered up with the much bigger gennaker. Sail controls are simple, but could be improved by leading both furling lines further aft, so the helmsman doesn’t have to reach forward which may drive the bows down. In addition, continuous sheets for both jib and gennaker would have been easier, instead of having to grasp loose ends. The mainsail has no boom, which is a great bonus for protecting vulnerable heads.

But nor does the mainsheet have a traveller, which means it can only be sheeted to a fixed point on the rear beam. If the mainsheet is out you lose leech and foot tension, limiting control over camber (fullness) and the amount of twist so you cannot fine tune power to suit stronger or lighter winds.

With that trimaran setup, the Astus 14.1 tacks easily and quick, but you need to ease the mainsheet while turning the boat and lift the leeward float. You can even tack with the gennaker (which proved almost as close-winded and a lot quicker than the jib in light winds), but need to beware of wraps which makes gybing with the gennaker more reliable. Gybing a skiff with a maximum beam of 1.10 metres would no doubt be a nightmare, but in light winds those stabilisers made it a doddle on the 14.1 with the gennaker fully powered. Just like a kiddy’s bike, you simply can’t go wrong.

Capsize drill

Of course, all dinghies get more challenging in stronger winds and it would be fascinating to give the 14.1 a real white horses blast. The next question has to be what’s it like in a capsize? Pascal sportingly obliged (he was wearing the drysuit) by wiping-out with all guns blazing. He  easily flicked the 14.1 from upside-down to rightside-  up within a couple of minutes — not much  slower than a dinghy, and much more stable and  low in the water for climbing back on board, and  the whole exercise was successfully completed  with the gennaker unfurled! I was impressed,  having assumed that righting the 14.1 would be a  real hassle.

Astus 14.1 Review: Verdict

The Astus 14.1 is certainly different! With the  possible exception of the New Zealand-built Weta  4.4, you won’t find anything like it on the water. We found sailing the 14.1 was fun and easy in light  winds, but would love to try it in 15 knots plus, when we suspect it could become tricky to handle.  My main concerns are centred on the lack of  precise control over mainsail shape and inability  to get your weight out over the windward float to  hold the boat flat.  Only sea trials will tell if the Astus 14.1 lives up  to its promise in a stronger breeze, but for  innovation it’s great to see such a novel approach  to providing performance that falls somewhere  between a skiff and a catamaran. Have a trial sail  if you fancy one, preferably in a good breeze.

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Astus 26.5, a new flagship for Astus Boats trimarans

Astus Boats announces the arrival of the Astus 26.5. This 7.90 m trimaran will be the biggest in the range, while remaining foldable and transportable. A small unit for fast family cruising.

We'll have to be patient to discover the future Astus. The Astus 26.5 will be available for the 2025 season. The prototype will be presented in the summer of 2024, with sales starting in September 2024. This trimaran remains in the shipyard's DNA. It's a folding trimaran , lightweight and therefore easy to transport. And yet, the performance should be top-notch. Indeed, its lightness and the design by VPLP augur well for its user.

The flagship

The Astus 26.5, with a hull length of 7.90 m, will be the largest yacht built by the shipyard . Previously, the Astus 24, launched in 2013 and now out of production, held this flagship position. The Astus 26.5 will enable cruising with 4 berths, and even the possibility of standing at the cabin entrance. The forward cabin can be separated with its own toilet area. In the saloon, there's a galley and an icebox. Everything you need for short cruises. The cockpit is fitted with coamings for added protection when sailing.

Available in 3 versions

The Astus 26.5 will be available at ?90,000 with mainsail and jib. A wide range of options will also be available, allowing you to customize your trimaran to suit your sailing schedule. These will be offered in the form of packs:

• A leisure version for quiet family cruising.
• A cruise version, to see further afield.
• A sporty version to satisfy racers.

Spécialiste du trimaran transportable

LEISURE OR SPORT VERSION

The Astus concept responds to a real demand thoughout the boating world. Since the launch of Astus 24, two years ago, we are continuing to expand our trimaran range, surfing the wave of popularity of sport multihulls. We have therefore decided to present a recreational, accessible multihull for the 2016 season, in our first partnership with the naval architects at VPLP :

 The Astus 16.5

This new model will be shown at the Paris Boat Show next December and at the 2016 Düsseldorf Boat Show. With the Astus 16.5, Astusboats enters a new era. Working with the architectural firm, VPLP (which specializes in multihulls) promises to produce a high-performance, efficient boat..

True to the Astus, concept, the 16.5 offers :

- Standardization of the product to ensure continuity throughout the life of the model and the boat. The concept is preserved in its entirety: easy handling, portability, performance. - Telescopic floats which make transport possible without any dismantling. Once the floats are retracted, Astus 16.5 meets the all road gauge requirements. - Applying the thoroughly tried and tested Astus concept, this new improved model has a more modern shape and a sportier line, with harmonious curves and narrow water entry. - Simplified and standard maintenance of the polyester in either contact or infusion structures. - A sabre board allowing ease of use. - Limited weight for dinghy-style use. - An outboard motor can be mounted for coastal trips. - Large storage locker. - Club or sports version 

First sailing of the 16.5

The Astus 16.5

Technical datas

Specification

• Central hull length: 4.94m
• Float length:4.40m
• Unfolded width: 3.8m
• Folded width: 2.5m
• Platform surface area: 8m²
• Weight: 210kg/contact
• Float volume: 500L
• Draft: 0.2/1.1m
• Mast length recreation/sport:7.06 m

Sail surface area

Recreation model :

• Mainsail 10m²
• Gennaker 15m²

Sport model:

• Mainsail: 11.5m²
• Gennaker: 20m²
• C for 3 people
• D for 5 people

Maximum engine power 2.5ch

Designer : VPLP design

Concept : Jean-Hubert Pommois

• Yes you can keep any of these boats on a mooring.
• Yes you can easily trail these lightweight boats.
• Yes you can easily double the distance you cover in a day's sailing compared to conventional day boats with keels.