Design and Construction
The Aira 22 carries a lead bulb on a profiled shaft keel, with a similarly profiled rudder blade, and the hull is built of solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck. Ballast of 250 kilograms sits in that lead bulb, and the wide stern is a deliberate choice for good broad-wind sailing characteristics while the inward-lined, not too large jib lets the boat sail high upwind. Three versions were developed: the ClubSailer for clubs, schools, and rental fleets; the DaySailer for relaxed family sailing; and the MatchRacer, stripped of engine and tuned for racing with a 25 square-meter gennaker system. The ClubSailer can be had with a robust rubber boat strake and rubberized nose for training abuse, and stores gear under cockpit seats and in the forward cabin.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries a 14 square-meter mainsail and an 8 square-meter jib, with a 25 square-meter gennaker available for wider courses and a total sail area near 237 square feet. Modern lines and the long waterline produce optimal sailing characteristics, and the boat is very stable even upwind and quick to respond like a boat of today. One handling note attaches to the gennaker: when it is set, you cannot tack but must jibe, a limitation the rental fleet answers with a furler on the retractable bowsprit that lets you furl the gennaker before the maneuver and reset after. The MatchRacer version comes without engine but with that gennaker system; the DaySailer can be ordered with a 1.5 kW electric drive that deploys in seven seconds.
Accommodations
In the cockpit everyone sits comfortably on the bench with cushions, and the DaySailer adds padded backrests and a swivel table. On request the DaySailer takes a cockpit tarpaulin, a slatted frame for the cabin, and a 2 x 1.40 meter air mattress, turning a day-boat into a modest overnighter for in-between pleasure. The boat is rated CE category D for six persons and is eminently suitable for sailing with friends, family, parents, and children from two to six. At 6.50 meters and easy to trailer, it folds small-boat convenience around genuine room for a crew.
Known Issues
The only documented handling constraint is the gennaker set: with that sail flying you cannot tack and must jibe, which the bowsprit furler is meant to manage.
The Verdict
The Aira 22 is a clever new Dutch boat that compresses daysailer, sport boat, and trainer into one trailerable hull with a lead-bulb keel and profiled rudder. Simonis-Voogd gave it a long waterline and wide stern that read as modern and stable, and the three-version strategy lets clubs, families, and racers each find a fit. Its limits are few and specific: the gennaker demands jibing rather than tacking, and the smallest details of range depend on version and power choice.
Pros
- Versatile three-in-one role as daysailer, sport boat, and training vessel
- Stable upwind with modern lines and long waterline
- Lead bulb keel and profiled rudder on a solid fiberglass hull
- Trailerable at 6.50 m with comfortable cockpit for up to six
Cons
- Gennaker set prevents tacking; jibing required
- MatchRacer version omits engine entirely
