The Astus 20.1, built by

Astusboats Astusboats is a French trimaran manufacturer based in Brech. The trimarans produced by this shipyard are designed by Stéphan Vallet, and have the characteristic of being trailerable due to the telescopic tubes in which the floats are mounted ( ...

, is a 20 ft (6.1m)

trimaran A trimaran (or double-outrigger) is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls (or "floats") which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Most modern trimarans are sailing yachts designed for recreati ...

dinghy aimed at family day sailing, though its cabin offers basic cruising capability. Its

multihull A multihull is a boat or ship with more than one hull, whereas a vessel with a single hull is a monohull. The most common multihulls are catamarans (with two hulls), and trimarans (with three hulls). There are other types, with four or more h ...

design offers speed and stability.

Construction

The Astus 20.1 is built in glass reinforced polyester (GRP) covered with white gelcoat. The cockpit floor has a honeycomb core, offering rigidity and durability. The floats are mounted on telescopic tubes and can be extended or folded on shore or on the water, making it possible to use narrow split ways or monohull marina berths. Cockpit:
The cockpit of the Astus 20.1 is large enough to accommodate 7 adults. The cockpit floor is flat and free from centreboard well or any other gear. The cockpit coamings offer good protection for children. Spars:
The Astus 20.1 mast has one pair of spreaders. The main sail attaches to a boom. Sails:
The Astus 20.1 is equipped with a dacron furling jib and dacron mainsail as standard. The mainsail is fully battened and has one reef as standard, and a second reef can be specified as a factory option. A Pentex jib and mainsail can be specified for enhanced performance. A furling

gennaker A gennaker is a sail that was developed around 1990. Used when sailing downwind, it is a cross between a genoa and a spinnaker. It is not symmetric like a true spinnaker but is asymmetric like a genoa, but the gennaker is not attached to the for ...

and an asymmetrical spinnaker are available as options. Trailer:
The trailer offered as an option with the Astus 20.1 has a split beam and tilting rollers and is fitted with a winch to facilitate launching and recovering. Trailer Sailers are boats small and light enough to be towed by ordinary cars. Their width (beam) is constrained by road regulations. In Europe, to be towable on the road the width of the boat and trailer must not exceed 2.55m. The maximum weight is determined by the towing capacity of the towing vehicle and by the type of driving license. Folding trimarans are particularly well suited as trailer sailers because their narrow width with folded floats makes them towable on the road whilst their wide beam with floats extended makes them stable and safe on the water. Furthermore, the absence of ballast makes them considerably lighter than a keelboat of similar size (375 kg for the Astus 20.1 compared to 1000 kg for a 20 ft keelboat). Heavier boats require a stronger and heavier road trailer, making the towing weight even greater.

Suitability for trekking

Pros

*Small cabin with good headroom *Ample storage capacity in cabin and cockpit *Possibility for portable chemical toilet *Vast cockpit with coamings offers good protection

Cons

*Narrow double berth

Specifications

{, class="wikitable" , - , Length overall , 6.13 m , - , Beam , 3.88 m (floats extended)
2.53 m (floats folded) , - , Weight , 375 kg , - , Draught , 0.30 m/1.10 m (swing centreboard and rudder) , - , Sail area , Main: 16.5 m²
Furling jib: 6.5 m²
Furling gennaker: 20 m²
Asymmetrical spinnaker: 24 m² , - , Max outboard size , 6 hp , - , Design Category , C: 5 people
D: 7 people , - , Cabin , 1 double berth 1.10 m x 2.20 m , - , Designer , Jean-Hubert Pommois

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