Design and Construction
The hull carries continuous chines running aft into a rounded bow, a shape the builder describes as giving a narrow waterline for a small wetted surface with little wind and heel anchor, while the chines themselves are said to engage and stabilise the boat when she heels anchor. Structurally, the hull is a foam-cored GRP sandwich above the waterline with solid laminate in the keel area, and the deck is likewise foam sandwich with a clean inner liner that gives thermal and visual insulation anchor. The keel is a 230-kilogram cast-iron fin on a pivoting swing arrangement raised and lowered through a 4:1 centreboard-style tackle; when fully retracted the boat draws only 0.60 metres, extending to 1.40 metres when lowered. A further 200 kilograms of lead plate ballast sits between the centreboard trunk and the bow, and the centreboard folds up beneath the hull in the event of a grounding. The rudder is an attached, swivelling "bionic" blade whose fin shape mimics the pectoral fins of a baleen whale, carries three rounded knobs at its leading lower edge, and is held in position by two gas struts.
Rig and Handling
The 22.1 carries a self-trimming Bergström rig without a backstay; the upper shrouds lead straight to the mast without passing over spreaders, while diamond stays with spreaders manage mast bend and rig stability. The main is a square-top sail of about 17 square metres and the jib is slightly overlapping, sheeted to short 24-centimetre tracks on the coachroof, with headsheets and halyards led to large self-tailing Harken winches. Test sailors found the boat accelerates very well and reaches good speeds in light winds anchor, travelling at a decent height, though the narrow keel needs some way on to generate lift and will otherwise make leeway. The reefing threshold sits between 12 and 15 knots of wind. A retractable sprit with furling gennaker — or a conventional spinnaker — can be specified, and a furling gennaker of 35 square metres is listed among the sail-plan options.
Accommodations
Below, the open plan offers four berths, centred on a foredeck double measuring a full 2.12 metres long and 1.77 metres wide at the shoulders, tapering to about 50 centimetres at the foot. Saloon settees provide additional sleeping space once lockers are fitted. The companionway is wide, a large forward hatch brings in air, and two fixed superstructure windows add light though they do not open. Two-metre cockpit benches and 1.30-metre cockpit lockers — easily removed for regatta sailing — speak to the boat's dual cruising and league role in Austria.
Equipment and Propulsion
Standard equipment includes bow and stern rails, lifelines, a bathing ladder, and coachroof self-tailing winches. Propulsion is by outboard on a conventional or custom folding rail bracket that tucks the motor aft into a box, or by a factory E-Pod with a removable lithium battery. The swing keel is the only configuration offered.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam 22.1 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that trades absolute offwind bite for trailering ease and a genuinely roomy interior for its length. Its chined hull and swing keel make it a versatile lake-and-coast boat, while the Bergström rig keeps short-handed sailing simple.
Pros
- Narrow wetted surface and chine stabilisation aid light-air performance
- 0.60 m retracted draft enables shallow launching and grounding recovery
- Foredeck double berth rivals larger boats for length and width
- Removable cockpit lockers suit both cruising and one-design racing
Cons
- Narrow keel makes leeway until the boat builds speed
- Non-opening superstructure windows limit ventilation
- Reefing limit of 12–15 knots is modest for a coastal design
