on 19 Mar 2019
Jeanneau’s recent sailboat addition, the Sun Odyssey 410, combines enviable performance details with comfort.
Forty feet (12.2 metres) is an ideal size if you want a long-legged cruising yacht to swallow the miles, but Jeanneau has arguably gone one step further with this new Sun Odyssey 410. The Sun Odyssey (SO) range is characterised by highly functional sailing yachts and the modern era has seen some major successes for the eighth generation of this range, with the bestselling 349 a firm favourite of mine because of its easily manageable sail plan and slippery hull. The new 410 very much builds on these characteristics while looking just a little bit sharper, I concluded, when I first saw it at September’s Cannes show.
Long-time designer Marc Lombard hardened the hull lines, gave it a reverse bow and twin rudders that protrude at an angle to control the ample volume. Another sensible design feature for a cruising yacht is its L-shaped cast-iron keel that won’t snag fishing nets easily, while putting enough ballast deep down to allow the SO 410 to carry the sail plan in stronger winds. For aspiring club racers there’s a performance rig as well, so like parent company Beneteau’s Oceanis range, Jeanneau aims to maximise the appeal of this model. Add to that several different accommodation layouts and you have a yacht to suit many tastes and budgets. The SO 410 is part of an extensive sailing range from Jeanneau that has 16 models – from 31 to 64 feet (9.4 to 19.5 metres) – and impressive sales of 17,000 throughout the range. The SO range itself comprises of 10 models, starting at the 319 and topping out at the 519. In between are several recent models that include the 440, 490 and for late 2018 the 410 launched at Cannes, where I enjoyed my walk-through in the historic surrounds of the ancient Vieux Port on a sparkling Mediterranean day.
To read all of this article, pick up a copy of the March/April issue of Asia-Pacific Boating magazine, or buy it online from www.magzter.com. Also available for download from the App Store and Google Play.