trimaran astus 22.5

Transportable trimaran expert

THE COASTAL CRUISER

After major successes of the Astus 16.5 and the Astus 20.5, we continue to expand our range, signed by VPLP Design with the launch at the end of the year 2020, a new model, the Astus 22.5, which will replace the Astus 22.1

True to the successful concept of Astus trimarans, the Astus 22.5 is transportable like others Astus. Modern and fast, with a length of 6.90 m, a width of 4.90 m and 4 beds possibility, it will be ideal for family outings.

It retains all the features which made the success of our trimarans :

- Easy to rig and handle

- Transportable on the specially adapted trailer

- Retractable floats offer limitless travel opportunities.

- Economical, maintenance is minimal and garage storage a real possibility

- Nomadic, movement between stretches of water has never been simpler

- Personalizable, with multiple options to suit every sailing style

- Stable, with 1150 litre floats

- Streamlined hull which enables the boat to glide through water and increases speed

- Tulipped hull for effective spray deflection.

- High-performance with modern, sporty lines

Two versions of the Astus 20.5 are available, each adapted to your style of navigation :

• A leisure model for gentle,family sailing
• A sports version to satisfy regatters (vaccum system central hull)

Nominations and awards

The Astus 22.5 is nominated for the election of the European Yacht of the Year2023 

How to sail a trimaran

Improvement : new rudder bar

Folding and unfolding floats

Test by Voile magazine

Test by Multicoques Mag

Astus 22.5 on water

Options available on the Astus 22.5

Astus 22.5 inside

Technical characteristics

• Length of central hull: 6.95 m
• Overall length 8.30 m
• Width unfolded: 4.90 m
• Width folded: 2.49 m
• Length of the mast: 9 m
• Draught: 1.40 m-0.34 m
• Weight: 650 kg
• Height under beam: 1.65 m
• Hull by vaccum infusion.
• Main sail: 21 sqm
• Gennaker: 26 sqm
• Spi: 43 sqm

Voiles et voiliers N°608 du 18/09/2021 Video trial vidéo

VIDÉO. Essai. Astus 22.5, un petit trimaran repliable et rapide signé VPLP (ouest-france.fr)

Voiles magazine N°Octobre 2021 Essai

Essai by Voile Magazine (French)

Multicoques magazine   Essai en Français (French) Essai par Multicoques magazine : Astus 22.5 - Pour l'amour de la glisse. Essai en Anglais- Test in English Test by Multihulls world - Astus 22.5 - If you love sliding across the water... 

Yacht magazine   Essai en Allemand - Mars 2022 Astus 22.5

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

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

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

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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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.

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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Test / Astus 22.5 : A trimaran with promising performance despite a light wind

3rd part of our test of the Astus 22.5. Pleasant sailing and promising performance, despite a light wind in Quiberon Bay. Upwind or under gennaker, feedback from our tacks on the latest Astus Boats trimaran.

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.

The major success of the Astus 16.5 and 20.5 has led to an extension of the model range signed by VPLP Design. As a result, the brand-new Astus 22.5 will be ready to sail summer of 2021.

True to the successful concept of Astus trimarans , the Astus 22.5 is also retractable and transportable, but this time with the option to install foils, a new thrilling feature on Astus trimarans. In addition, she is modern and fast, with a length of 6.95 m, a width of 4.90 m, and the possibility to sleep 4, which will be ideal for family outings.

The Astus 22.5 is road legal with a width of 2.52 m when folded on its road trailer. Changing the sailing area is no longer a problem thanks to the folding system of the floats without dismantlement. With the mast rising kit, you are independent of rigging your boat. With a weight of only 720kg, it can be towed by mid-sized vehicles.

If you choose the foils version, the mobile appendages in their wells will facilitate speed and glide for even sportier sailing; the foils relieve the floats limiting their drag, the central hull remaining in contact with the water.

Contact us for an appointment to see the new Astus 22.5

Teaser test:

The main features of Astus 22.5:

• transportable
• accommodation for 4 persons
• optional foils
• vacuum construction
• light, fast and fun!

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Jun 27, 2022

It comes with great pleasure that Red Beard Sailing is now the official US dealer for the brand new line of Astus Boats !

Design & History

In 2004 Jean Hubert-Pommois created Astus Boats. When they got started Astus was only making 7 of their first design the 20.1 in their first year. Now, 17 years later, there are over 400 Astus boats sailing all over the world!

Starting in 2015 Astus sought out a refresh in the model range. As a result, Astus hired world renowned naval architect firm, VPLP, to completely rethink and redesign the Astus range from the keel up!

VPLP is a premier naval architecture and yacht design firm based in France. The firm is well known for their pioneering sailboat designs that have broken numerous speed records. Successful racing sailboats from VPLP include Hugo Boss, Groupama 3, and America's Cup winner Oracle. Continuous innovations in hull forms and foil shapes have kept VPLP Design at the top of the leaderboard in the most challenging regattas in the world.

Performance

The new age of Astus Boats has ushered in a new definition of speed for these small portable trimarans. These boats offer exceptional handling and performance in a small and manageable package. These boats offer a few key design points that really make these  small trimarans exceptional:

Narrow Hulls: Skinny hulls slice through the water and waves with ease and provide better light wind performance as well as more comfort in poor and choppy conditions. Typically, narrower hulls means you have less buoyancy, but when used in conjunction with the inverted bows, these boats actually boast more buoyancy than your average production trimaran.

Inverted Bows: Hull speed is a mathematical calculation (speed in kn = 1.35 x square root of waterline length). Inverted bows maximize waterline length by making sure the longest part of the boat is the below waterline (BWL) length. This means the Astus boats will be faster in light winds and will get on plane in lower wind speeds than other boats with traditional overhanging bows. In conjunction with the narrow hulls, the Astus trimarans are very comfortable in a chop because they do not hobby horse as much as more common tri's.

Infusion Construction: The infusion method for constructing the Astus trimarans ensure that the hulls are as lightweight as possible. Less weight means that these boats are faster and can carry more weight, safely, than other similar sized trimarans.

Astus is famous for their telescopic carbon beams that allow their boats to be road trailerable. This style of beam offers a number of benefits over competitive folding and swinging style folding systems.

Less Weight: It doesn't take a big imagination to see this obvious advantage. Other folding / portable trimarans have overbuilt fiberglass beams in order to equal the rigidity of a simple carbon tube.

Fewer Moving Parts:   The Astus Telescopic Beams are a simple locking pin and slide, no special tools, parts or hardware are required to maintain or operate.  Complicated folding systems have many bushings and specific geometry that must be maintained. In addition to all of those extra parts comes lots of hardware that must be checked regularly. 

Easier Transport/Storage: Because the telescopic beams slide in a linear way, the bottom of all three hulls remain the bottoms. Unlike the Farrier designed boats, the Astus boats can easily be moored or docked in a monohull slip. This often means finding a slip is easy (shallow water monohull slips are hard to rent for marinas)! In addition to being easier to store in the water, getting a boat back on a trailer touches the bottom of the boat instead of beautiful painted sides gives you a little more wiggle room and less anxiety when launching and retrieving your boat. The beams also allow the boat to require much less height on a trailer which may make all the difference between indoor and outdoor trailer storage in the winter.

Less Intrusive: The Astus beams do not require beam boxes or mounting hardware that intrude on the interior cabin. This is a massive perk on trimarans under 30 feet where space comes at a premium. If you plan to do some weekend cruising with the family, you will very much appreciate the extra storage and sleeping space!

Manufacturing Process

Astus Boats is located in the Morbihan region in northwestern France , just near The Trinité-sur-Mer and the Gulf of Morbihan. It is no wonder they make such amazing sailboats!

Astus boats does everything they can to keep manufacturing and sourcing local, in France. They design and build the molds locally and even source sailmaking and other boat's components from other French manufacturers. In case you aren't aware, France is the sailing-est place on the planet. Keeping the whole boat French means that every Astus is imbued with the spirit and love that the French have for the sport of sailing!

Affordability

Astus has long prided itself in offering quality, performance sailboats at a price that will allow would-be adventure seekers all over the world, from all walks of life, to enjoy the passion and performance that you get with an Astus trimaran.

Without further ado, below are specs and base prices for each Astus model:

An ultra-portable personal Tacking Proa or Trimaran . You can choose to sail with two hulls or three with this exciting and affordable trimaran! Easy to car-top, this boat can go from car to water in just 5-10 minutes! 

A high octane beach trimaran that is easily portable but offers plenty of space and capacity to take the family out for a relaxing (or sometimes sporty ) daysail! This is a great boat for the family to enjoy and for Dad (or Mom) to race in local regattas.

The ultimate nomadic weekender. The 20.5 is a bit bigger still than the 16.5 and has a cabin! The addition of the cabin in the 6.0m category means that you get way more boat for your buck than other production trimarans on the market. You also benefit from the other features listed above that makes this the perfect family starter boat as well as being a great day / weekend charter boat!

The largest boat in the current Astus lineup . This boat features a much larger cabin than the 20.5 and a bit more speed. Down the line, this boat will be offered with optional foils in the floats to allow for higher speeds in rougher conditions. This wouldn't make this boat a completely foiling boat, just foil assist in the leeward hull. Red Beard Sailing currently has one of these boats in production for our demo fleet. It is slated to arrive in Baltimore in May 2023, so keep an eye out for our un-crating and first sail videos!

To learn more or to discuss the next steps to purchase your new Astus boat, please email us at [email protected].

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Trimaran ASTUS 22.5 coastal cruising transportable

Characteristics

7.95 m (26'00" )

Description

No catalogs are available for this product.

Other Astusboats products

• Open sailboat
• Cruising sailboat
• Trailerable sailboat
• Coastal cruising sailboat

Astus 22.5 : Der ultimative Tummelplatz auf drei Rümpfen im YACHT-Test

Michael Good

 ·  01.02.2023

Das Angebot ist bescheiden und überschaubar: Kleine und trailerbare Trimarane, die zudem bewohnbar sind, gibt es nur wenige. Aber das Angebot wächst. Neben den schon lange etablierten Marken wie Corsair Marine und Dragonfly drängen die jüngeren französischen Hersteller Tricat und Astus in die Nische. Der Platz scheint da zu sein: Alle freuen sich über eine stetig steigende Nachfrage. Verstehbar, denn die handlichen Dreirumpfer haben viel zu bieten: gute Leistungen, großes Spaßpotenzial, hohe Flexibilität. Und sie sind meist obendrein noch touren- und sogar familientauglich – ein Mix aus Sportboot und Kleinkreuzer auf drei Rümpfen sozusagen.

Anders als bei den Wettbewerbern, die das Trimaran-Thema in ihrem Programm auch größer umsetzen (Dragonfly bis 40 Fuß), beschränkt sich das Angebot von Astusboats ausschließlich auf das kompakte Format. Das größte Boot der französischen Werft ist der gut verkaufte Astus 24 mit 7,40 Meter Rumpflänge (Test YACHT 13/2014). Als jüngstes Modell soll jetzt der Astus 22.5 mit einer Rumpflänge von 6,90 Metern ähnliche Verkaufserfolge bringen.

Platzsparendes Schwimmerkonzept

Jedes Jahr verlassen etwa 25 Boote die 2004 von Jean-Hubert Pommois in der Bretagne aufgebaute Produktion. Er hat sich auch das technische Konzept von Astus ausgedacht und seither für alle Modelle daran festgehalten. Markentypisch ist der Mechanismus für weniger Breite im Hafen oder für den Transport auf der Straße. Bei einem Astus-Tri werden die Außenschwimmer verschoben. Das Prinzip ist denkbar simpel: Die Beams bestehen aus soliden waagerechten Aluminium-Rohren, die versetzt angeordnet sind und in entsprechend größer dimensionierten Passrohren stecken, die im Rumpf integriert sind. An Land werden die Schwimmer also ganz einfach parallel dicht an den Mittelrumpf geschoben oder auf dem Wasser über einen Schotzug und mit Hilfe der Winsch eingezogen.

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Dieses einfache und auch günstige Patent hat Astus innerhalb des Wettbewerbs exklusiv. Bei den Trimaranen der anderen Anbieter werden die Schwimmer entweder eingeklappt (Corsair) oder nach hinten weggeschwenkt (Dragonfly, Tricat). Dazu sind allerdings stabile Scharniere oder Gelenke nötig, die aufwändig zu produzieren sowie anzubringen und daher auch teuer sind; und die Rumpfkonstruktionen müssen entsprechend verstärkt sein. Der Nachteil beim System von Astus: Die Trampoline müssen zum Ein- und Ausfahren der Schwimmer gelockert und zum Segeln wieder neu gespannt werden, damit der Vorgang reibungslos klappt. Für eine regelmäßige Anwendung, zum Beispiel für Hafenlieger, ist das Astus-Prinzip deshalb etwas beschwerlicher als die Anwendungen der Konkurrenz.

Der Astus 22.5 ist ein VPLP-Design

Die Konstruktion für den neuen Astus 22.5 kommt aus dem renommierten Büro von VPLP Design. Mit Dreirumpfbooten kennt man sich dort bekanntermaßen bestens aus. Viele der aktuell erfolgreichsten Hochsee-Trimarane stammen aus derselben Quelle. Die auffällig schlanken Seitenschwimmer zeigen ein markantes Wavepiercer-Design und sind vor allem im vorderen Bereich höher gebaut, um im Wellengang immer noch genügend Auftrieb zu bieten. Ebenso markant ist die ausgeprägte Aufkimmung im fülligen Mittelrumpf über die ganze Länge. Damit bleibt die Wasserlinie schlank, während dennoch genügend Volumen für einen tourentauglichen Innenausbau zur Verfügung steht.

Der Test mit dem neuen Astus 22.5 findet vor La Rochelle statt, bei sehr anspruchsvollen Bedingungen. Es weht zwischen 20 und 25 Knoten, dazu schiebt der zugige Südwestwind eine stattliche Welle von mindestens 1,5 Meter Höhe in die Bucht. Damit hat der kleine Trimaran zwar zu kämpfen, schlägt sich aber im Test dennoch wacker. Im durchgelatteten und im Topp weit ausgestellten Großsegel ist schnell ein Reff eingebunden, dazu bleibt die kurz überlappende Genua stehen. Den Astus 22.5 hart an den Wind zu führen, ist bei viel Wind und hohen Wellen schwierig. Schnell stampfen sich die drei kurzen Rümpfe in den Wellen fest.

Wenden werden zur Herausforderung

Öffnet man die Segel dagegen nur etwas und lässt das Boot laufen, überrascht das Dreibein mit gutem Speed, segelt steif und kommt auch problemlos durch die Wellen. Auf einem Winkel von 50 Grad zum wahren Wind registriert die Logge 7,1 Knoten im Mittel. Ein rollbarer Gennaker gehört zwar zur Garderobe des Testschiffs, bleibt aber angesichts der delikaten Bedingungen im Sack. Trotzdem erreicht der Astus auf der Raumwindstrecke fast durchgehend zweistellige Speedwerte. Der Rekord am Testtag: 14,2 Knoten, was für einen kleinen Tourentrimaran schon recht beachtlich ist.

In den hohen Wellen wird das Wenden zur Herausforderung. Erst nach mehreren Versuchen mit back gehaltener Fock klappt das Überstaggehen. Werftchef Jean-Hubert Pommois sagt, dass die Manöver bei weniger Wind und flachem Wasser problemlos ablaufen, was andere Modelle von Astus in früheren YACHT-Tests auch schon bewiesen haben. Unangenehm ist der sehr hohe Ruderdruck beim Testboot. Dies, weil die Pinne der hinten angehängten Ruderanlage deutlich zu kurz ist, was der Führung der Großschottalje geschuldet ist. Die Werft kennt den Umstand und will prüfen, ob die Travellerschiene für die Serie nicht weiter vorn auf das Deck gebaut werden und damit die Pinne länger sein kann. Zudem wird der Schwertkasten künftig um fünf Zentimeter nach achtern versetzt, was den Ruderdruck zusätzlich mindern sollte.

Handling und Wohnraum

Ansonsten gestaltet sich das Handling übersichtlich. Großschottalje, Traveller und Genuaschot sind unterwegs die wichtigen und auch einzigen Trimmeinrichtungen. Die Genuaschot wird lediglich durch eine Öse auf dem Kajütdach direkt auf die Winsch geführt. Hier fehlt auf jeden Fall eine kurze Holepunktschiene oder zumindest ein Beiholer-System, damit die Schotwinkel eingestellt werden können. Der Astus 22.5 ist in der Version Sport auch mit einem Bugspriet für Gennaker oder Code Zero ausgestattet. Das Alurohr ist dabei in einer Mulde auf dem Vordeck verankert und wird mit einem Wasserstag fixiert. Ein ausziehbarer Rüssel ist nicht vorgesehen, weil die Werft auf Rumpfdurchführungen verzichten will, damit kein Wasser ins Boot gelangen kann. Aus dem gleichen Grund sind übrigens auch die Rohre für das Einschub-System der Schwimmer über Deck in entsprechenden Rezessen geführt.

Das Wohnangebot unter Deck reicht für den kurzen und anspruchslosen Törn mit der Familie. Vier Personen können innen übernachten, dazu werden als Option von der Werft zwei Pantry-Module angeboten, mit kleinem Herd und Spüle. Auch für ein portables WC bleibt noch Platz. Die Liegefläche im Vorschiff ist mit einer Breite von 1,36 Metern auf Schulterhöhe nicht üppig, reicht aber für zwei Personen, um schlafen zu können. Und sie ist größer als die Kojen der Boote von Dragonfly oder Corsair. Die beiden weit nach hinten gebauten Sofakojen sind dagegen maximal 47 Zentimeter breit und bieten Erwachsenen nicht genügend Komfort.

So viel kostet der neue Astus

Mit einem Grundpreis von 52.360 Euro kostet der Astus 22.5 etwa so viel wie der ebenfalls neue Tricat 6.90, der auch gleich groß ist. Damit stehen die beiden Franzosen in einem direkteren Wettbewerb zueinander als zu den etwas größeren Trimaranen von Corsair Marine oder Dragonfly, die zudem deutlich teurer sind.

Man muss nicht zwingend bei Windstärke sechs durch eine aufgewühlte See hämmern, um mit dem neuen Trimaran von Astusboats viel Spaß zu haben. Zweifellos kann er auch bei moderateren Bedingungen überzeugen. Das Konzept ist einfach, gut und kommt ohne Schnickschnack aus. Das schlägt sich letztlich auch in einem attraktiven Preis nieder.

Der Astus 22.5 im Detail

Technische Daten

• CE-Entwurfskategorie: C
• Rumpflänge: 6,90 m
• Gesamtlänge: 8,30 m
• Wasserlinienlänge: 6,85 m
• Breite: 4,70 m
• Breite reduziert: 2,52 m
• Tiefgang / Schwert aufgeh.: 1,40 m / 0,34 m
• Masthöhe über WL: 9,00 m
• Theor. Rumpfgeschwindigkeit: 6,4 kn
• Gewicht: 720 kg
• Großsegel: 21,0 m²
• Fock: 9,0 m²
• Gennaker: 32,0 m²
• Motorisierung: Außenborder bis 9 PS

Segelleistungen (ohne Abdrift/Strom)

Windgeschwindigkeit: 20–25 kn (5–6 Bft), Wellenhöhe: ca. 1,5 m

• 50°: 7,1 kn
• 60° : 7,9 kn
• 90° *: 8,7 kn
• 120° *: 11,7 kn
• 150° *: 8,4 kn

Sportlicher Charakter. Der Astus 22.5 ist im Vergleich leicht gebaut und trägt dazu viel Segelfläche.

Rumpf- u. Decks­bauweise

• Mittelrumpf gebaut als GFK-Sandwich-Konstruktion im Vakuum-Infusionsverfahren mit Schaumkern
• Seitenschwimmer im GFK-Sandwich handlaminiert
• Die Beams bestehen aus Alu-Rohren

Rigg und Segel

Aluminium-Rigg von Seldén mit konventioneller Trimaran-Verstagung. Das Rigg lässt sich über ein Scharnier am Mastfuß von Hand stellen und legen. Einfache Dacronsegel sind im Lieferumfang ent­halten, einen Gennaker oder Code Zero gibt es als Option dazu

Zusätzliche Foils

Aufholbare, profilierte C-Foils in den Seitenrümpfen bietet Astusboats als Extraausstattung an. Sie sollen für mehr Auftrieb, weniger Widerstand und damit für eine merkliche Leistungssteigerung sorgen

Ausstattung und Preise

• Grundpreis ab Werft: 52.360 €
• Preis segelfertig: 60.010 €
• Garantie/gegen Osmose: 2/2 Jahre
• Astusboats, F-56400 Brech
• astusboats.com
• Sport Mohr e. K., 23858 Reinfeld
• sportmohr.de

YACHT-Bewertung

Konstruktion und konzept.

• + Simples Einschubsystem
• + Ordentliche Bauausführung
• + Trailertauglich und slipbar

Segelleistung und Trimm

• + Starke Leistungen am Wind
• + Übersichtliches Handling
• - Kurze Pinne, viel Ruderdruck

Wohnen und Ausbauqualität

• + Tourentauglichkeit in Modulen
• + Große Liegefläche im Vorschiff
• - Sehr schmale Kojen achtern

Ausrüstung und Technik

• + Aufgesetzter Ankerkasten
• + Foils als Option
• - Fehlende Holepunktverstellung

Alternativen auf dem Markt:

• CORSAIR 760: Neuer Klappläufer aus Vietnam
• TEST-VIDEO: Dänische Spaßkiste: Dragonfly 25
• TRICAT 6.90: Kleiner Spaßmacher für schnelle Törns

Dazu passende Downloads:

• Astus 22.5 (pdf)
• Dragonfly 25 (pdf)
• Dragonfly 25 im Trimaran-Vergleich (pdf)
• Dragonfly 28: Generationenvergleich (pdf)
• Dragonfly 28 (pdf)
• Corsair Pulse 600 (pdf)
• Corsair Sprint 750 (pdf)
• Corsair 760 (pdf)
• Astus 20.2 (pdf)
• Astus 24 (pdf)
• Astus 16.5 Sport (pdf)
• Astus 18.2 (pdf)
• Weta 4.4 (pdf)

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