Jantar 21: A trailerable hot box in a used boat test (2024)

Older people will remember: having just got your driving licence, you had to get your first car. But not just any car - it had to be cool. On the other hand, it had to be inexpensive. So the choice fell on a fast small car, which was usually a bit worn out. It didn't matter, the main thing was that it had wide tyres, a shiny chrome tailpipe at the back and plenty of horsepower under the bonnet. You could then drive to a festival with friends, tent and sleeping bags in the boot, and sometimes annoy an established family man in his limousine at the traffic lights or on the motorway. In short, you had a vehicle that was a lot of fun.

The Jantar 21 is just such a boat, with enough space below deck for two, and if they can stand each other, even for a holiday. On top of that is a rig that can really give this vessel, which weighs just under a tonne, a run for its money. With the large genoa, the small yacht achieves a sail carrying capacity of a whopping 5.1, which is performance cruiser territory.

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Coupled with just 26 per cent ballast and a narrow waterline, this provides the crew with challenging sailing. This is demonstrated during a trial run on the Rursee to the south-west of Cologne. The area is known for its changeable winds. And so the Jantar initially bobs along slowly after casting off. However, when some, albeit quite weak, gusts come in, she lays on her cheek and runs like hell.

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The owner couple on board are busy from then on: holding on, climbing to windward, steering, trimming the main - all at the same time if possible. Eventually, however, the small yacht lies on its side in its wave system, the water drains away, the sails are raised and the crew sits contentedly on the high edge. But not for long; the Rursee would not be the Rursee if such a gust lasted for more than a minute. So it's back to dinghy mode without tumbling off the boat to windward.

Together with his girlfriend, Mario Holzportz has the ship firmly under control. He knows it inside out by now. "The low initial stability isn't for everyone, of course. But we've got used to it, we like it that way." He then adds: "It also means that we don't have to sail around with a lot of wetted surface and little ballast in light winds. That's ideal here on the lake. On holiday, for example in Holland, we have to reef earlier," says the experienced sailor.

Easy to move

Keyword holiday: getting there is easy thanks to the lifting keel, trailering is no problem and, given the low weight of the boat, can even be done with a VW Golf. A crane is also not required, a slip ramp is sufficient. A jib boom is available as an option for rigging, so that the mast can be raised and lowered quickly by two people.

The lifting keel was initially made of steel, but the shipyard used more expensive and equally durable stainless steel for later examples. When looking for a used boat, the second version is to be preferred, as the keel leans on a tubular mask at the lower hull outlet. It moves slightly from one side to the other with each turn. As a result of this friction, any attempt at permanent rust protection is in vain.

When buying this tubular mask, you should inspect it carefully. Is it firmly attached to the hull? Are there any cracks around it? To do this, lift the keel completely and look into the keel box. If there has been grounding, the consequences are visible there, which can later cause leaks. Sometimes they only become apparent when sailing hard.

The issue of leakage is a major one: because of the many fittings and the deflection of the halyards into the co*ckpit, there are several places where moisture can penetrate into the deck. However, this may then show up somewhere else entirely. It is also important to protect the foam in the boat from moisture. Careful inspection of the fittings is therefore important. Another point concerns the rudder. When the keel is raised, it is the lowest point in the water. It is therefore essential to check the underside of the blade for damage.

Otherwise, the Jantar 21 hardly raises any questions. The keel mechanism is well dimensioned and robust, its 1:10 ratio is sufficient and is operated via a Magic Wheel.

The shipyard itself no longer exists, so spare parts are not available from there. However, as around 500 Jantar 21s were built, it is well worth taking a closer look at the ship. The FSA shipyard in Mardorf on the Steinhuder Meer thought so too and has made a name for itself in the Jantar owner scene with its specialised service.

Designed for sailing

On the test day, some wind finally sets in - time to go out on the water again. The sports version in which the boat was delivered by Mario Holzportz, recognisable by the large cut-outs in the boom, shows what it can do. Another positive aspect is the good ergonomics of the co*ckpit.

The coaming is just the right height and angled just right, the seating position is great both on the dents and on the edge. The tiller is easy to handle, and the mainsheet, backstay and traveller are within easy reach of the helmsman. This makes it easy to parry gusts and steer the boat to the windward edge. That's fun. With one or two strong co-sailors on the edge, even higher wind speeds should not be a problem.

Whether they all want to sleep on board is another question. The side berths are long enough, but only 60 centimetres wide. At the front, the berth ends at 1.90 metres in length, so you shouldn't be too tall to sleep there. Nevertheless, the upholstery is good, the fabric looks high quality and the ventilation works perfectly. In cruising mode, you wish you had a sprayhood so that you could at least stand in the companionway, but this would get in the way when operating the halyards. Otherwise, the small galley offers some comfort and also conceals the keel box. However, the main focus is obviously on sailing.

Large selection

Of course, there are a lot of boats on the second-hand market around 22 feet. And as the Jantars are not yet that old and therefore still rather expensive, the question of alternatives arises. For around 10,000 euros, which you should invest in a good 21-footer, you can sometimes get a yacht with headroom and an inboard engine, although this is often associated with a greater risk in terms of upcoming repairs. And with less flexibility, as the larger yacht can no longer be easily trailered.

So if you are looking for a sporty boat with challenging sailing characteristics that is also suitable for two people to live on, the Jantar 21 is a recommendable choice. What's more, you'll be able to annoy the odd cruising sailor with this nimble little boat - just for fun, of course.

The Jantar 21 in detail

Conventional. The interior design is similar to that of most lift keel yachts | Drawing: YACHT/N. Campe

Technical data of the Jantar 21

Hull and deck construction

Polyester resin, hand lay-up method, Airex foam between the shells

Price and shipyard

Status 05/2024

Shipyard

Former Jantar Yachting GmbH in Gelsenkirchen; shipyard in Poland

YACHT review of the Jantar 21

Light, sleek, sporty: anyone looking for such attributes will find a well-built small cruiser - in later construction numbers - with a wide range of possible uses

Design and concept

Sailing performance and trim

Living and finishing quality

Equipment and technology

The article first appeared in YACHT 20/2019 and has been updated for the online version.