The Astus Boats shipyard in Brittany has been building small tri-hull boats with remarkable conceptual consistency since 2004. The Astus models have always remained comparatively small, up to a maximum of 24 feet, easy to handle and easy to transport on a trailer thanks to a flexible boom system. At least the slightly larger models of the brand with a slip cabin are also suitable for touring and families.
The latest creation from the French trimaran specialists is the Astus 22.5, a design from the renowned VPLP studio with modern wave-piercer-style hull shapes, a sporty rig and a swivelling centreboard in the central hull. The beams connecting the central hull to the side floats are made of telescopic aluminium tubes. In this way, the outriggers can easily be pushed close to the hull with little effort. This works just as well in port as on the trailer and reduces the maximum width of 4.70 metres to an outreach of just 2.52 metres, which is suitable for port and road use. Incidentally, the Astus 22.5 is available in two versions as a daysailer and touring boat or as a high-performance sports version with foils in the side hulls, more sail area and reduced interior fittings.
YACHT tested the new Astus 22.5 in the bay off La Rochelle in a lot of wind and quite high waves. The small tripod passed the demanding test with flying colours and made a very good overall impression under sail. The full test report will be published in an upcoming issue of YACHT. Until then, the first photos of the lively test run and the details on and below deck are available in advance in the following photo gallery.
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Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
