TIGA BELAS

Operating Area: France, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Marseille, Monaco

TIGA BELAS is a very comfortable, easy to handle, safe and well performing sailing sloop. Designed by Bill Dixon Yacht Design Studio, built by Austral Yachts in 2001, the beautiful 24 metre deck-saloon sailing yacht TIGA BELAS features a classic appearance and beautiful sheer lines. The idea was to create an uncompromisingly comfortable, easy to handle, safe and well performing sloop of the highest standard in respect to construction, materials and equipment. Consequently an extremely rigid hull construction with a 45 mm red cedar core and multiple inner and outer layer of epoxy GRP was chosen. The outer layer was additionally fitted with 1.5 layers of Kevlar for improved impact resistance. Structural members such as keelson, engine beds and mast step were constructed in solid mahogany and epoxy GRP coated.

The vessel is easy to manoeuvre in marinas virtue of her variable controllable pitch propeller and the 45hp Bowthruster. Cruising speed at economical consumption is around 8 knots and 2,600 litres of fuel (in 4 tanks) give an approx. range under engine of about 1,000 nautical miles excluding generator consumption.

Sailing the yacht is pleasure. The mainsail, which is operated by the Leisure Furl patented carbon boom, can be hoisted hydraulically either by 24v battery power (in light conditions) or by a power take off connected to the main engine in a matter of 1.5 minutes only. The fully battened sail with a considerable roach gives an excellent shape even when reefed. Reefing is merely a matter of pushing a button.

The Genoa, (also furled by the push of a button), just like the self-tacking staysail, are efficient and easily managed sails.