Sometimes, a boater just wants to get back to the basics. With the right daysailor, the complexities and noise of engines, beeping screens of electronics, and upkeep costs melt away in a matter of minutes while peacefully underway. The one design Alerion Express 20 (AE20) is built to be such a daysailor.
Probably the first thing you’ll notice is the AE20, despite its diminutive size, looks like an Alerion. The Rhode Island-based company is well known for making yachtsman yachts with elegant lines and emphasis on easy, comfortable sailing. The AE20 retains that philosophy with a simple sail plan that consists of the main and self-tacking boomed jib. Alerion embraces this in its literature, dismissing “spinnakers, asymmetrics or funny business.” The tiller sits in a deep, sheltered cockpit to keep all aboard dry. Bottom line is that the crew won’t be hiking out of the AE20 regularly.
A few other features are made with convenience in mind. A custom bronze outboard bracket attaches to the side of the boat and can be easily stored with the motor inside the boat while underway. Why make it bronze? It’s an Alerion, that’s why. The easy deployment and removal of the bracket and outboard add to the underway elegance of the experience. The AE20 is also easily trailerable, even with its solid fin keel.
When the world gets complicated, sometimes all a boater needs is the simplicity of a few sails and a wood tiller in-hand. The Alerion Express 20 is a classy daysailor and yacht hybrid that’s less about squeezing a soaked crew for that race-winning, half-a-knot and more about having a pleasant, carefree day on the water. If interested, you can contact local dealer Sail Northwest for more information and pricing.
