Sunbeam 29.1: A shipyard finds its way - new daysailer is one of the trade fair magnets
Fridtjof Gunkel
· 21.01.2024
Perhaps she will be one of the premiere stars at boot 2024. Conveniently located on the main aisle of Hall 16 and, above all, in a good environment, shipyard boss Andreas Schöchl is delighted: "There are only white boats all around, so we really stand out with our bright green." This should apply to the boat even without the striking colour. Sleek lines, chines that taper towards the bow, a deck that protrudes forward and merges seamlessly into the fixed bowsprit. A large, open cockpit with curves that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the ergonomics. Halyards and outhauls running aft are concealed. The backstayless rig is equipped with a square top mainsail and a self-tacking jib.
The sail area can be configured up to 47 square metres. On rough courses, a code zero or a gennaker is attached to the fixed bowsprit. A carbon mast is optionally available. There are two winches on the coaming, which the crew uses to operate all the sheets and the halyards and spreaders led aft on deck. The winches can be operated electrically on request. Below deck, the seating height in the one-room flat, in which a wet cell module can be installed as an option. There is also a GRP block opposite, which can be retrofitted with a cooker, cooling compressor and water supply for an additional charge. These are the first impressions on board.
Generation change and a new Sunbeam
Waves ran high when the shipyard from Mattsee near Salzburg presented a new product with a generational change in the shipyard's management, thereby moving away from the traditional, conservative corner it had previously successfully occupied. The Sunbeam 32.1 came across as downright provocative with a negative bow, the so-called flight deck protruding far above the fuselage and a cover over the superstructure. The calculation worked out, the radical design language, to which Industrial designer Gerald Kiska The launch of the new shipyard, which had inspired the new shipyard boss Andreas Schöchl, caused a stir and a certain change in image. And indeed for a well-filled order book: the shipyard has already sold 30 units.
Daysailer with swivelling keel for shallow waters
Now the second product from the fruitful Schöchl/Kiska collaboration is on its way. Once again, the technical design comes from the Slovenian designers Jakopin & Jakopin. The Sunbeam 29.1 adopts stylistic elements from the 32.1, which was also on show at boot Düsseldorf, but these have been toned down somewhat. And so the new daysailer comes across as a modern, visually equally independent yacht. The electrically extendable cockpit extension has been omitted, but the huge cockpit and the twin rudder system, which is controlled by a tiller on the 29.1, have remained. New under water: the swing keel enables draughts of 1.85 to 0.85 centimetres. The shipyard wants to respond to the occasionally lower water levels on the lakes and offer owners more flexibility in their choice of sailing areas. The keel is raised hydraulically, which can optionally be done by an electric motor.
Various drives
The daysailer is equipped with an electric motor as standard. Tropical wood is not used. As an alternative to the teak deck, the shipyard has been using Resysta. The natural product consists of rice husks and mineral salts and is made from unused materials from the food industry. A defined area for a large solar panel is provided in the deck superstructure. A 4-kilowatt electric motor powered by 8.2-kilowatt-hour lithium batteries is configured as the secondary drive. An optional 16 kilowatt hours are available. A combustion engine from Vetus with 12 hp can also be ordered.
The starting price is 148,631 euros including electric motor, lithium batteries, sails and Resysta in the cockpit. The daysailer celebrates its world premiere at boot Düsseldorf.
Technical data Sunbeam 29.1
- Hull length 8.99 m
- Width 2.49 m
- Draught 0.85-1.85 m
- Mainsail 30.0 m²
- Genoa 17.0 m²
- Gennaker 60.0 m²
- Weight 2.0 tonnes
- Electric motor 4 kW; diesel optional
