Yacht Style – July 2019

J

eanneau’s Sun Odyssey range is characterised by highly functional

sailing yachts and recently there have been some major successes

for the eighth generation of this range, with the best-selling 349 a

firm favourite of mine because of its easily manageable sail plan

and slippery hull.

The new 410 builds on these characteristics while looking that little

bit sharper, I concluded, when I saw it at the Cannes Yachting Festival

last September and then returned to France this year to sea trial a model

that was crowned Best Sailing Yacht in Asia at this year’s Christofle Yacht

Style Awards in Phuket.

Long-time designer Marc Lombard has hardened the hull lines, given

it a reverse bow and twin rudders protruding at an angle to control the

ample volume. Another sensible design feature for a cruising yacht is an

L-shaped keel that won’t easily snag fishing nets while it also puts enough

ballast deep down to allow the yacht to carry the sail plan in stronger

winds.

For aspiring club racers, there’s also a performance rig, as Jeanneau

aims to maximise the appeal of this model. With several different

accommodation layouts, it’s a yacht to suit many tastes and budgets.

Making up the bulk of Jeanneau’s 16-model sailing range up to 64ft,

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410 continues the functional design of this well proven range and is an ideal size at 42 foot for cruising

Fore or aft, the Sun Odyssey 410 offers clean lines and a smooth ride, and like the 440, offers step-free side decks for ease of movement around the boat

the Sun Odyssey range comprises 10 models from the 319 to the 519

including the new-generation 440, 490 and most recently the 410, which I

took to sea off Cannes on a sparkling Mediterranean day.

WALKAROUND DECKS

The once-familiar tear-drop saloon profile is now less pronounced

on the 410 as the designers seek a more integrated-deck style silhouette

while allowing for plenty of headroom below because of the towering

topsides.

On the topsides, the most striking feature as I step aboard is the side

decks that flow down into the aft part of the cockpit, enabling easy access

and allowing water to run off the transom. This is a big feature taken from

its pioneering elder sister, the 440. This design also allows a high coaming

around the cockpit to ward off spray, as you don’t need to step over it.

Instead, you simply walk down into the transom area.

The cockpit also benefits from the wide beam to house a twin-leafed

teak table and deep side benches with integrated Raymarine instruments

and, most sensibly, the engine gauge at knee height on the starboard side

of the table.

The twin binnacles are integrated into the coaming which makes for a

REVIEW Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410