The Aira 22 is a wonderful boat to sail in Friesland. Want something different from a Polyvalk or Randmeer then the Aira 22 comes highly recommended! Why? Because it is a modern, comfortable, spacious and not to mention fast boat. The Aira 22 is eminently suitable for sailing together. With friends, family, parents and children, from two to six people, it fits all. For clubs and sailing schools, the boat is a godsend thanks to its combination of comfortable seating and sporty sailing.
In this blog, we will take a closer look at this boat which we will launch from 2e mid-April 2020 from Heeg in rental.
The boat was developed by Airaboats, the company of Jos Snijders Blok. A well-known name in the Frisian sailing world. Among other things, as owner of the Vinea sailing school in Sneek, he knows exactly what a successor to the Polyvalk has to meet. Because that is what his vision is: building a boat according to the new techniques and insights that will eventually replace the falcon (a boat that is, after all, already more than 75 years old) on Frisian waters.
The specifications are as follows:
Length 6.50 m
Width 2.20 m
Shallow keel 0.90 m
Weight 700 kg
Ballast weight 250 kg
Mainsail 14 m2Fock 8 m2
Gennaker25 m2
Air draught 8.60 m
CE category D - 6 pers
Design Simonis - Voogd
Especially for hire, we have equipped our Aira 22s with a furler for the gennaker that is lined on the retractable bowsprit. This makes the boat easy to handle even with gennaker. More on this later in the blog.
Furthermore, we opted for a traditional Yamaha outboard engine for ample range.
First just a video of a sailing test by the magazine Sailing to get an impression.
What stands out, of course, are the benches. Whereas in a Valk you sit on the bottom of the boat and only the helmsman or woman has a bench, in the Aira 22 everyone sits comfortably on the cockpit bench with cushions.
Its modern lines and long waterline ensure optimal sailing characteristics. The boat sails high upwind due to the inward-lined, not too large jib. The stern is wide for good broad-wind sailing characteristics. The keel is specially designed and has a lead bulb and profiled shaft. The rudder blade is also profiled.
Unlike a polyvalk, the Aira 22 has a gennaker for wider courses. Important note: when the gennaker is set, you cannot tack but must jibe.
But the furler gives you an alternative! Before you tack you furl the gennaker and after the manoeuvre you furl it again. Ideal right?
The boat is a huge success in Europe (several hundred boats have now been sold) and we believe it will also conquer the Frisian lakes in the coming years. We therefore expect our fleet of Aira 22s to continue growing in the coming years. So if you want to give the Aira 22 a try come to Heeg for boat rental in Friesland! Also for renting a sloop, sailing yacht or Tiny Houseboat.
