Hirondelle 22' 8"
Description
The Hirondelle Mk I is a compact, fiberglass cruising catamaran designed by British naval architect Chris Hammond in the late 1960s, based on his earlier 20-foot "Meon" plywood prototype from 1967-68. Acquired and modified by Brian Carvill in 1969, it was produced by Robert Ives Boatbuilders in Christchurch, England, starting in 1968, with many hulls sold as kits for home completion. Marketed as an affordable family weekender, it offers stability, shallow draft, and surprising sailing performance for its size, suitable for coastal cruising, lakes, or estuaries with 4-5 berths for adults. The Mk I features a tall rig for good light-air performance and a simple bridge deck cabin, emphasizing ease of handling for short-handed crews (1-3 people). Production was limited (likely under 100 units), but it's noted for seaworthiness and versatility, with optional outboard power. Later marks (Mk II with shorter rig, Mk III with fixed keels) addressed preferences for lower profiles or shallower drafts. 2500 lb., cruising/racing catamaran, 10 ft beam, 22 ft lwl.
Construction Details
| Designer | Chris Hammond |
|---|---|
| Builder | Robert Ives Boatbuilders |
| Length | 22.667 ft |
| LOA | 22.667 ft |
| LWL | 20.000 ft |
| Beam | 10.000 ft |
| Displacement | 2300 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.000 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.250 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 31 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 8 ft |
| p | 29 ft |
| e | 9 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 ft | 8 ft | 29 ft | 9 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Hirondelle 22' 8" - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.88 ft - (9107 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 30.06 ft - (9162 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 134.62 ft² |
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Hirondelle 22' 8" - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 106.5 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.52 ft - (2597 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.37 ° |
| Area | * 119.25 ft² |
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Hirondelle 22' 8" - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 29.5 ft - (8992 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Leech | 27.5 ft - (8382 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 145.38 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.63 ft - (3545 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 7.03 ° |
| Area | * 171.55 ft² |
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Hirondelle 22' 8" - GENOA
| Luff | * 30.41 ft - (9269 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.65 ft - (3856 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.01 ft - (8842 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.96 ° |
| Area | * 182.48 ft² |
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Hirondelle 22' 8" - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 31.41 ft - (9574 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.2 ft - (4023 mm) |
| Leech | 27.98 ft - (8528 mm) |
| Perc LP | 165 % |
| Area | * 311 ft² |
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Hirondelle 22' 8" - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 17.61 ft - (5368 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 5.75 ft - (1753 mm) |
| Leech | * 15.22 ft - (4639 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 4.8 ft - (1463 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.95 ° |
| Area | * 42.26 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.