Design and Construction
The SS22 is a solid fibreglass hull and deck built over a long-keel configuration, with the great majority produced as fixed-keel yachts and a smaller number as trailable swing-keel variants. At 2,650 pounds displacement with 900 pounds of iron ballast, the 34-percent ballast ratio and 144 displacement-length ratio place her firmly among what reviewers classify as light racers, while a 2.26 capsize screening value and 12.6 motion comfort ratio describe a stiff, responsive hull rather than a soft cruiser. The builder's own record notes the design has proved very durable, and over fifty examples still sailing in WA — concentrated at the South of Perth and Claremont yacht clubs — testify to that longevity. A class association maintains uniformity of hull, sails, rig and equipment through its rules, which is why a used one still resembles its sisters closely decades on.
Rig and Handling
She is a masthead sloop carrying a fully battened mainsail, up to three headsails and as many as two spinnakers, and the sail plan is generous for the length: one review observed the boat carries more rig than 92 percent of comparable sailboats. With a 222-square-foot reference sail area the SA/D sits at 18.6, rising to 22.2 under a 135-percent genoa, and the wetted surface of roughly 182 square feet keeps her light on her feet. Two adults can cruise her easily, but competitive racing demands four adults for optimum performance, and the class still runs state championship series on the Swan River each summer. A 4-foot draft lets her into shallow marinas, and an immersion rate near 550 pounds per inch means she holds her lines under crew weight without wallowing.
Accommodations
Most SS22s follow a standard production layout built around moulded fibreglass interior furniture, offering four berths including two spacious quarter berths and good stowage beneath them. A pop-top cabin roof lifts to give six-foot headroom over the main saloon, a sink and icebox module and a stove and cupboard module handle basic galley needs, and there is space in the bow for a chemical toilet. A large transom locker accessed through the rear cockpit seat rounds out the storage, making the boat an ideal husband-and-wife entry-level keelboat that still camps comfortably for a weekend afloat.
The Verdict
The Spacesailer 22 succeeds as a rare thing: a genuinely quick light-displacement racer that never forgot how to cruise. The class rules keep hull and rig uniform, the fixed and swing-keel options widen her appeal, and the durable fibreglass construction has put over fifty examples on the water in WA alone. She is small, but the sail plan and the pop-top cabin give her more reach than her length suggests.
Pros
- Light-racer performance with a 22.2 SA/D under genoa and a long-keel, durable fibreglass hull
- Spacious four-berth cabin with pop-top headroom and moulded galley modules
- Active one-design racing and a class association preserving uniformity
Cons
- Competitive racing needs a four-person crew, limiting solo or couple-only regatta use
- Swing-keel variants are a minority, so fixed-keel draft limits the most trailer-oriented buyers
