Aerodyne 43
42.5' / 12.95m

Yacht Specifications

For information on new boats visit Aerodyne Yachts Ltd

THE DESIGN

The Aerodyne 43 has provided us with a great opportunity to develop a bigger sister to the very successful Aerodyne 38, and the spirit of that popular boat is maintained in one that has about 40% more volume and retains the simple, efficient low-load, non-overlapping sailplan, easily accessible performance with a much more spacious cruising interior styled & finished to complement a larger yacht.

Aesthetically, we tried to give this new, bigger Aerodyne a sleeker more sophisticated look (as befits a bigger sister!) and there is an ‘edge’ to the styling of the house with the defining crease and with careful attention to edges and radii throughout the boat. Aerodyne 43 was designed with the help of a sophisticated modeling program, SolidWorks, expertly run by John Fox, of FCS Design. This program has raised design accuracy & aesthetic control to a higher plane & allowed us to pass on the Aerodyne Marine plans that can be executed by numerically controlled (CNC) milling machines and routers, resulting in a very fair, accurately built boat.

This 43 has ‘legs’ and will cover ground fast and comfortably with her long waterline and fine ends. Her hull form is a development of the unrestricted design of the Aerodyne 38’s, though with more of an eye to fast, easy-motion passage-making, without compromising her ability to ‘break away’ and sail easily at speeds above her hull speed, even single- or short-handed, as well as around the buoys with a full crew. This type of hull-form combines reserve stability with low wetted surface; a boat that sails well, across the wind range. Her Limit of Positive Stability (LPS) is calculated to exceed both European Union requirements and those of U. S. offshore races such as the Newport-Bermuda race.

The chosen hull-form is the result of researching eighteen hulls in our Velocity Prediction Program. Looking for a fast all-rounder. The Aerodyne 43 is designed to be seaworthy and fast on her own terms; she is not compromised to meet ever-shifting artificial handicap rules.

Structural design improvements following Open Class (Globe 60s) practices have allowed for slimmer appendages with higher factors of safety, improving both upwind & downwind performance. Our keel-bulb designs benefit directly from intensive America’s Cup research and practice through our work on ACC campaigns.

Owners of the Aerodyne 38′ will recognize strong genes from their boats in the 43. Enthusiasm & feedback from these owners have been heard and acted on. At the dock or at anchor, the comfort of the interior will surprise those who see these Aerodynes only as ‘racers’.

THE SAILPLAN

The Aerodyne 43 has a well-proportioned fractional rig set well back in the boat to balance the full-triangle (non-overlapping) jib’s size with that of the main. We have now designed many boats with this rig, and can assure that it is easy to handle efficiently for a given size and much easier to tack than a rig with large, overlapping genoas, and works over a much wider wind range; between drifting and 24 knots true. It is not coincidental that BOC-type rigs have developed in this direction. The jib furling drum is recessed below the deck so it is as efficient for racing as it is for cruising, and the big mainsail, which features single-line reefing, has a long, radiused traveler to allow its power to be easily controlled.

Asymmetrical spinnakers can easily be flown from our highly developed, simply controlled retractable Carbon bowsprit. All control lines lead aft (under the foredeck) to housetop jammers and winches. With spinnaker sleeves, these sails can easily be flown by a couple & are standard practice for singlehanders. Unlike other boats with retractable sprits, ours is fully enclosed in a special, drained housing below so that the forward cabin is kept dry.

Shrouds are outboard at the hull for greater strength and better staying angles. This allows a lighter mast and rigging as well as keeping wide, clear side decks. The Aerodyne 43 will sail well under mainsail alone.

ON DECK

The Aerodyne 43 cockpit is nearly 12 feet (3.6m) long! And comfortably wide for both racing & cruising (it will easily accommodate an optional table) and has a footrest for bracing when the boat heels. The cockpit seats are wide and long enough to sleep on, and the backrests are high enough for comfort and raise the winches to a good height for good leverage.

The wheel is large to allow easy steering from the side-deck, and well-placed foot-cleats are provided for the helmsman when standing behind the wheel. There is also an optional helmsman’s seat, which can be raised on either side to allow access to the open transom. There is a big locker to port, aft, and cooking gas is in a dedicated locker to starboard, aft. A huge lazarette is reached through the port cockpit seat.

All sail controls lead aft to rope-clutches and winches on the cabin top. Main halyard, reefing, vang, spinnaker halyard, headsail furling, bowsprit and spinnaker controls are all handled from here. The bowsprit retracts into a waterproof housing, with service access down below.

Going forward, the side-decks are wide and unobstructed, helped by the outboard shrouds, and the anchor is stowed in its own flush locker, which also houses the recessed jib-furling drum and optional anchor windlass.

The Aerodyne 43 has an innovative recessed toerail running around the perimeter of the entire deck giving a secure footing, and making it comfortable for hiking out.

An optional dodger protects the forward part of the cockpit.

DOWN BELOW

The Aerodyne 43 has a highly-styled, well-lit, very spacious and comfortable interior with excellent ventilation and a relaxed use of space. Zimbabwe teak, a beautiful renewable African hardwood has been used sparingly but effectively in what is a lightweight ergonomically designed space. The drawings show the layout, with double cabins forward and aft, each with their own hanging lockers, shelves and generous stowage areas. The forward cabin has a washbasin, vanity area and comfortable seat to starboard. To port there is a hanging locker & chest of drawers.

The saloon has settee-berths either side, with lockers and shelves outboard, large storage behind the seatbacks and water, fuel and storage under the seats. Six can sit around the drop-leaf table, which has bottle storage in the centre section.

At the base of the companionway, to port, the head has a generous, well-ventilated shower stall with a seat, as well as a sink, lockers and foul-weather gear stowage. To starboard there is a well-ventilated, comfortable aft cabin with generous changing space, hanging locker, drawers in the chest and under the berth, and lockers over a shelf, outboard. There are also bins inboard of the berth, near the centreline. And long term storage under the berth.

This is a both a sailor’s and a cook’s galley. There is a centreline peninsular with an underfitted double sink over the engine. It has a built-in chopping board and trash bin hatch. Double and split drawers fill the section joining the peninsular to the outboard fridge and freezer, which have both top and front face doors. There are lockers outboard above the two-burner propane stove/oven, which has pot-and-pan storage beneath it.

The nav. station is opposite the galley and has a comfortable seagoing seat with storage under it, plenty of instrument space as well as space for a laptop computer, nav. books and the electrical panel. Tools are kept under the companionway steps.

CONSTRUCTION

The Aerodyne 43 is very accurately constructed with the use of computer-sculpted tooling. The hull and structure are heat-cured, vacuum-bagged Epoxy resin, (the best material for composite hull construction) load-directional E-glass fabrics and high quality Core-Cell core. Vinyl-Ester resin is used for the deck and for its own structural advantages (it also allows deck-mould detail and colour to be transferred)

The Aerodyne 43’s hull is painted with Awlcraft 2000 paint, which gives the best protection for the hull. Interior bulkheads and ‘furniture’ are, in most instances, used as structural members and are placed strategically. This gives these boats a monocoque structure and makes them feel as strong as they are. This is custom race boat structure in a fine production boat.

Rudderstock is Carbon-fibre, as is the optional Carbon, Hall spar.

SYSTEMS

The Aerodyne 43’s engine is a Yanmar 3JH3, 40 bhp Sail Drive, positioned in the middle of the boat, beneath the galley sink-island for best weight distribution and excellent service access on all four sides! Fuel is under the starboard settee, aft, with one fresh water tank ahead of it, and another to port, forward of the batteries. Standard capacities are: 35 gallons (130 litres) of fuel; 80 gallons (300 litres) of water. An optional, additional, long-range fuel tank is available under the saloon berth, and an optional long-range water tank can also be ordered, located under the forward double berth. The holding tank is abaft the head compartment. There is a dedicated ‘Systems Space’ for pumps, through-hulls, exhaust water-trap, extra batteries, etc. at the foot of the companionway steps, for easy access and convenient serviceability. As with the engine, convenient serviceability for engine and systems translates directly to reliable, trouble-free sailing.

PERFORMANCE

The Aerodyne 43 is a mile eater! Just take a look at her polar diagram! It translates to high-performance sailing at all wind angles, and her unstressed sailplan and rig allow fast sailing without the necessity to ‘tweak,’ for cruisers; and the rewards of tweaking for racers. Her highly efficient rudder and fine keel make for a proven combination that is strong in directional stability (and easy on autopilots.) The efficiency of these appendages, combined with a carefully-balanced hull-form also make for a boat that is a pleasure to steer & control.

Aerodyne 43 has high form-stability, a high power-to-weight ratio, a long waterline, fine entry for wave penetration, and ‘planing’ sections aft for easy surfing. The Aerodyne 43 is fast, stable, easy and fun to sail for singlehanders, couples or racing crews, and has a great cockpit and interior for cruising and racing. Handsome, sophisticated looks, inside and out, add to the appeal! A true cruiser/racer.

Aerodyne 43 Sailplan

Aerodyne 43 Composite Plan

Aerodyne 43 Polars

Aerodyne 43 Ockam Data