The Sirius 20, 21 and 22 are a family of Canadian trailerable sailboats that was designed by Hubert Vandestadt for cruising and first built in 1976.[1][2][3][4][5]

Sirius 22
Sirius 21
Development
DesignerHubert Vandestadt
LocationCanada
Yearcirca 1981
No. built600
Builder(s)Vandestadt and McGruer
RoleCruiser
NameSirius 22
Boat
Displacement2,000 lb (907 kg)
Draft5.00 ft (1.52 m) with keel down
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFibreglass
LOA21.00 ft (6.40 m)
LWL18.75 ft (5.72 m)
Beam7.92 ft (2.41 m)
Engine typeOutboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board typelifting keel
Ballast525 lb (238 kg)
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I foretriangle height25.00 ft (7.62 m)
J foretriangle base8.50 ft (2.59 m)
P mainsail luff22.00 ft (6.71 m)
E mainsail foot9.00 ft (2.74 m)
Sails
SailplanMasthead sloop
Mainsail area99.00 sq ft (9.197 m2)
Jib/genoa area106.25 sq ft (9.871 m2)
Total sail area205.25 sq ft (19.068 m2)
Racing
PHRF258

Production

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The series of boats was built by Vandestadt and McGruer Limited in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, from 1976 until 1987 when the company went out of business. More than 600 boats were completed.[1][4][5][6]

Design

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Sirius 21

The designs are all recreational keelboats, built predominantly of fibreglass, with wood trim and aluminum spars. They all have transom-hung, kick-up rudders controlled by a tiller and iron swing keels that can be locked down. A fixed, lead, fin keel was an option on the 21 and 22. All models displace 2,000 lb (907 kg), carry 525 lb (238 kg) of iron ballast and are normally fitted with a small outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring.[1][2][4][5]

All the swing keel-equipped models have drafts of 5.00 ft (1.52 m) with the keel down and 1.33 ft (0.41 m) with it retracted.[1][2][4][5]

The design has sleeping accommodations for five people, plus a dinette table and a galley. A sink, fresh water tank with a capacity of 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) and a water pump were factory options. The interior is finished in teak trim. Cabin headroom is 57 in (145 cm).[4][5]

For sailing the boat is equipped with a boom vang, topping lift and jiffy reefing. The cabin is equipped with a pop-up top as standard equipment, which necessitates a high boom position.[4]

The boat is normally fitted with a small 3 to 6 hp (2 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and manoeuvring.[5]

The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 258 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h).[5]

Variants

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Sirius 20
This model was introduced in 1976. It has a length overall of 21.17 ft (6.5 m), a waterline length of 18.75 ft (5.7 m), a fractional rig, a raked stem and a plumb transom.[2][4]
Sirius 21
This model was introduced in 1977 and includes positive flotation in the form of closed-cell foam injected into some interior compartments as well as in-between the hull and liner. This innovation increased costs, but increased safety. The Sirius 21 has a length overall of 21.00 ft (6.4 m), a waterline length of 18.75 ft (5.7 m), a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a plumb transom and a pop-up top.[1][5]
Sirius 22
This model was introduced in the early 1980s and produced until the manufacturer closed down in 1987. It has a length overall of 21.00 ft (6.4 m), a waterline length of 18.75 ft (5.7 m), a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a pop-up top and introduced a reverse transom.[1][5]

Operational history

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Cockpit of a Sirius 21
 
Sirius 21

In a 1994 review, Richard Sherwood wrote: "The Sirius is built in Ontario and is mostly found on the Great Lakes. Sirius has a wide beam; and this, combined with the hard bilge and a retractable cast-iron keel, gives good stability. She is unsinkable and, if the keel is locked down, self-righting."[4]

In a 2002 review Paul Howard wrote, "one gem is the Sirius 21/22 built by Vandestadt and McGruer Ltd. of Owen Sound, Ont. a company which had a strong 25-year history before finally closing its doors in 1987. Designed at Vandestadt, the Sirius 21/22 was an innovative boat and indeed is said to be the first North American production-built, ballasted cruising boat with positive flotation. In a more expensive procedure, closed-cell foam was injected into some compartments, then into the gap between the inner and outer hull the full length and up to the deck level. The foam stiffened the hull, provided sound and head insulation as well as buoyancy. Of course, with foam-injection construction, there is some loss of space in the interior as well as in stowage lockers."[7]

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel described the Sirius 21 as, "a wholesome and respectable-looking trailer- able sailboat for short cruises". He noted of the Sirius 22, "this good-looking vessel and her near sistership both have more space down below than her narrower peers. Her PHRF may be higher than her speed potential indicates from her stats, given her low D/L. Her draft (in the swing-keel version) should make her fairly easy to launch and retrieve at a ramp. Worst features: A cast-iron keel can be a maintenance nuisance."[5]

See also

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Similar sailboats

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Sirius 21/22 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Sirius 20 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  3. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Hubert Vandestadt". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 112-113. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN 0-395-65239-1
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 138-139. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
  6. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Vandestadt and McGruer Ltd. (CAN)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  7. ^ Howard, Paul (11 August 2002). "Sirius 21/22: Sailing Down the Highway". boats.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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