Helsen 22
Description
The Helsen 22, a compact and affordable trailerable cruiser designed by Dutch-American naval architect Johannes "Jopie" Helsen and first built in fiberglass by Helsen Yachts (later Universal Marine Corp.) in Saint Petersburg, Florida, starting in 1971, measures 22 feet LOA with an 8-foot beam, a lightweight 2,200-pound displacement, and a versatile swing centerboard that draws just 14 inches up for shallow-water exploration or 4 feet 6 inches down for stability on coastal passages. Featuring a fractional sloop rig with 197 square feet of sail area, a cozy cuddy cabin sleeping five via a V-berth forward, convertible dinette double amidships, and quarter berth aft, plus a minimal galley and head, she emphasizes practicality and ease of handling for weekend warriors or novice sailors, with jib roller reefing as standard; though production ceased after a few years (evolving into the Watkins 23 using the same tooling), surviving examples remain popular bargains for restoration, praised for their seaworthiness, low maintenance, and nimble performance in light to moderate winds.
Construction Details
| Designer | Johannes "Jopie" Helsen |
|---|---|
| Builder | Helsen Yachts |
| Length | 22.000 ft |
| LOA | 20.080 ft |
| LWL | 17.330 ft |
| Beam | 7.330 ft |
| Displacement | 2000 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.500 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.170 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 24 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9 ft |
| p | 21 ft |
| e | 9 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 ft | 9 ft | 21 ft | 9 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Helsen 22 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.37 ft - (6818 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 22.56 ft - (6876 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 97.52 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 19.75 ft - (6020 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 104.67 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.42 ft - (2871 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.67 ° |
| Area | * 103.61 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 21.5 ft - (6553 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | 18.5 ft - (5639 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 95.44 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.59 ft - (2618 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 10.22 ° |
| Area | * 92.36 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - GENOA
| Luff | 24.33 ft - (7416 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 14.83 ft - (4520 mm) |
| Leech | 22.67 ft - (6910 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.11 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.51 ft - (4118 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.83 ° |
| Area | * 164.31 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 24.35 ft - (7422 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.52 ft - (4730 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.47 ft - (6544 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9 ° |
| Area | * 164.37 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 24.35 ft - (7422 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.85 ft - (4526 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.4 ft - (6828 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 271 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 24.35 ft - (7422 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.2 ft - (4938 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 335 ft² |
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Helsen 22 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 14.1 ft - (4298 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 7 ft - (2134 mm) |
| Leech | * 11.05 ft - (3368 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 5.4 ft - (1646 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19 ° |
| Area | * 38.05 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.