Design and Construction
The 22.1 shows a deliberate break from its predecessor's shape: the new hull is round at the front and carries pronounced chines running into the bow, with continuous chines on the hull along the sides as well. Schöchl built the hull as a GRP sandwich laminate with foam core, reverting to solid laminate only in the keel area, while the deck is foam sandwich with a clean inner shell that gives thermal and visual insulation below. The swing-keel configuration is the only one offered. The keel itself is a 230-kilogram cast-iron fin that reaches 1.40 metres down when fully extended and draws just 0.60 metres raised; it folds under the hull if needed or on grounding. A further 200 kilograms of lead plate ballast sits between the centreboard box and the bow, and the keel is worked up and down through a centreboard-style pendant with a 4:1 reduction. The attached rudder swings up too, held by two gas-pressure springs, and its narrow bionic fin — modelled on baleen-whale flippers and fitted with three tennis-ball-sized knobs at the lower leading edge — was developed with J&J Design as a retractable pre-balanced unit.
Rig and Handling
The defining rig choice is the backstay-free self-trimming Bergström setup, which the yard achieved by routing the upper shrouds without spreaders and using diamonds with spreaders to control mast bend and rig stability. The main is a square-top sail of about 17 square metres, and the slightly overlapping jib of 11 square metres sheets to short 24-centimetre tracks on the coachroof; headsheets and halyards run to large self-tailing Harken winches. The builder claims the narrow waterline keeps wetted area small in light wind and heel, and that the hull then grabs onto its chines to gain stability as it heels. Test sailors found the boat accelerates very well, makes good speed in light airs, and holds a decent course upwind, though the narrow keel needs some way on to generate lift or leeway grows. The reefing limit sits between 12 and 15 knots. A retractable sprit with furling gennaker — or a conventional spinnaker — can be added.
Accommodations
Below, the special bow hull form gives a forward double berth that runs a full 2.12 metres long and spreads 1.77 metres across at the shoulders, tapering to about 50 centimetres at the foot, and the open layout extends to four berths with saloon settees 1.93 metres long once lockers are fitted. The companionway is wide, a large forward hatch brings air, and two fixed superstructure windows add light but do not open. Cockpit benches run a generous two metres, and the cockpit itself carries large stowage boxes 1.30 metres long that lift out to clear the sole for regatta sailing — a configuration seen when the boat is campaigned in the Austrian sailing league.
Equipment and Propulsion
Standard equipment leans practical: bow and stern rails, lifelines, a bathing ladder, and coachroof self-tailing winches are all included. For propulsion the owner can specify a conventional outboard bracket, a customised rail bracket that folds the motor up and slides it aft into a box, a foldable outboard bracket, or a permanent E-Pod with a removable lithium battery.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam 22.1 is a thoughtfully engineered small cruiser that trades traditional keel-and-rudder simplicity for a sophisticated swing-keel and bionic rudder package wrapped around a chined hull and a spreader-light Bergström rig. It is launched behind a car yet sleeps four with a genuinely large forward double, and its removable cockpit boxes show a dual cruiser-racer character. The narrow keel demands sailing with speed to limit leeway, and the non-opening side windows are a minor concession.
Pros
- Pivoting 230 kg iron keel with 200 kg internal lead ballast gives 1.40 m draft afloat, 0.60 m trailered
- Backstay-free Bergström rig with diamond-controlled mast bend simplifies the deck
- Foredeck double berth 2.12 m long and 1.77 m wide at shoulder height
- Removable cockpit boxes free the sole for racing; used in Austrian sailing league
Cons
- Narrow keel produces marked leeway until way is built
- Superstructure windows are fixed and do not open
- Reefing limit reached at only 12–15 knots
