Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

What comes after good?

by John Curnow, Global Editor, SailWorldCruising.com 17 Sep 2024 08:00 BST
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 slipping along easily © Gilles Martin-Raget

Well if you get it right, then it's usually, great. Miss the mark, and the slide down and out the other side is not so glorious. Often leaves everyone with a, 'Well. That didn't work, now did it?' kind of feeling. Good thing then that Jeanneau's new Sun Odyssey 350 is all about the former, and none of the latter.

For my money, the new Sun Odyssey 350, which is penned by the ML Yacht Design Group (founded by the late Marc Lombard) hasn't suffered from what the last 10 years have delivered. Namely, cruising boats that just look big, everywhere. This boat looks slender. Lee Condell from Performance Boating added, "Yes. I've looked at it sitting on a mooring from all the different angles, trying to work out what it is they've done, how they've managed to achieve it, and I just can't quite pick it, but it looks great. It looks really, really smart."

The Lombard office have done the entire package - naval architecture, exterior and interior design - and the consistency is noteworthy. This is ever more so in a smaller vessel, where you just do not have the real estate to be too cute. In the Sun Odyssey 350 you have something that is svelte, despite a hefty chine and slab topsides. Short version? Contemporary without being ultra-modernist, purposeful without being overtly aggressive.

"What really got my attention when sailing her was just how easily driven the hull is," added Condell. "Yes, you can go to town with performance sails, and I for one would love to see the Sun Odyssey 350 with a deck sweeper jib, and a fat head main (on cars). The power of the latter, especially off the breeze, would be demonstrable. I think it is fair to say one of the first owners may well carry out this exact transformation, especially if they want to upset the racing fraternity."

"In October we'll take her on a trip around the clubs in Sydney and do the twilight races. We did this with her predecessor, the 349, and it really allowed people to see how well they sail. This new 350 is really going to turn heads," added Condell.

"Whether you're downsizing to it; whether you're new to sailing; whether you want to twilight it; or whether you just want to cruise with your family, the 349 proved that it's a great do-anything yacht, which is part of its appeal. And the 350 is no different, you know."

"There were two paths to choose from. One was to go with something completely radical and different, or the second option was to take the things that made the 349 such a popular boat (like 1200 of them sold), and make them better, which is the direction Jeanneau took."

The embodiment of advancement;

One.

Jeanneau's brilliant sloping side deck arrives with the 350. As a result, the coaming is slightly higher, as you don't have to climb over them to get on the side deck. Basically, the cockpit dimensions are the same, which is incredible, as it means Jeanneau incorporated the side deck without compromising the internal cockpit dimensions.

Two.

Bigger and better access from the cockpit into the even larger storage lazarette that is part of the two-cabin version, which was the most ordered format of the 349. Upshot is that you can actually get large cushions, sails, and all of those sorts of things straight through the hatch without having to take them through the interior.

Three.

Separate bathroom and wet room carries over, and then the extra beam across much more of the vessel translates directly into floor space in the main saloon. In combination with even more light coming in, it means the actuality and the feel are of a larger craft.

The beam treatment is also carried forward, and so there is over 70mm of extra space in both the for'ard and aft ends of the V-berth. The primary water tank does reside under said berth, but there is an optional one aft (under starboard rear berth), which is great for performance under way as you can empty the for'ard one, and you also get to carry more water than before for cruising, which is a direct result of where it is now stored.

Four.

Larger cabin top electric winches available. New option makes for even easier sailing if so desired. No more five-minute-rule on sail changes to avoid a mutiny, just don't go bare headed unless you have to... As a cruiser, with a lot of these boats doing significant coastal hops, this aids the amenity immeasurably. Good stability, and balance with twin rudders makes for one very forgiving and seaworthy package.

Five.

Horsepower. Elect to choose the boat that sails in 12 knots apparent when fully loaded in the Trade Winds, as this is what you will be doing in cruising mode. There is NO need to be out in anything heinous these days with the weather routing and comms that are on offer. Not using the smelly is always advantageous. The 350 does this and delivers that all important smile-on-the-dial aspect at the same time. After all, it is what you are there for...

The 350 will sail as well as an old 50-foot cruiser, and scare many an Etchells on the way to the weather mark, too.

Six.

Integrated bowsprit with anchor ready to deploy (as opposed to being stored in the anchor locker), as well as tack points for code sails and A-bags. i.e. Practicality and performance. Thank you very much...

Seven.

Mod cons. Options now include electric fans and heads, along with other treats, and this goes some way to highlighting how much these boats are used for both sides of the sailing equation.

Eight.

Not so much new, as it is worth highlighting, given Jeanneau must have had them for the best part of a decade now. The L-shaped shoal draft keel has wings. Once heeled over you must pick up at least 300mm of now vertical foil, which will really assist with slip. A shoal draft keel equipped Jeanneau even won its division at the 2024 Hamilton Island Race Week (Peter Barry's Sun Odyssey 389, Shearwater, in Orange Division). Add in the form stability from the chine and the twin rudders and the equation with the 350 sounds good! "There is no compromise in getting a shoal draft boat, which is staggering compared to where it was 10 years ago," added Condell.

Over the last decade or so, cruiser/racer boats have had to be stiffer to handle the horsepower, and offer copious amounts of room on board. Often wetted surface area was on the larger side of the equation. Having steps above the chine, static overhang at both ends, and the least amount of rocker possible all helped swing the pendulum back to being able to sail better, more often, in a wider range of breeze.

The 350 achieves this with no backstay and sweptback spreaders, which really is a mark of the total achievement. It does not preclude the use of a fat head main, either, just a nod to the prevailing conditions in which you elect to sail. Of course, the other thing it all means is that you can go short-handed at the drop of the proverbial hat, and there will be a lot of people for whom that resonates!

Simplicity and fun coexist and operate in harmony with the Sun Odyssey 350, and that all means more time on the water for all involved. When that happens, the bar room stories go from how hard we got smashed, to how much fun we had. Seems like the latter is winning favour each and every day.

If you want to see what is happening in the other Hemisphere, go to the top of the SailWorldCruising home page and the drag down menu on the right, select the other half of the globe and, voila, it's all there for you.

Finally, stay safe, and let's see where it all goes now.

John Curnow
Global Editor, SailWorldCruising.com

Related Articles

The Proving Ground
Why the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by FERGUS is such an important regatta The end of an Olympic quadrennial cycle often brings sailing campaigns to an end. Some partnerships in doublehanded classes split, with helm and crew going their separate ways, while others use the time to reflect on their future. Posted on 1 Apr
The most important job in sailing
How Nick Scott is delivering radical change to competitive sailing pathways in the UK I am putting forward that falls to Nick Scott and his team. Namely to secure its competitive future by addressing challenges and delivering radical change while bringing people on that journey with him. Posted on 31 Mar
Revealing the Secrets of the 'Impossible' XR 41
An out and out race yacht, but also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior The XR 41 from X-Yachts was quite a departure from what they'd been doing for the last 15 years: concentrating on high-end Performance Racing Cruisers. This is an out and out race yacht, but it's also a sporty cruiser, thanks to its modular interior. Posted on 27 Mar
Going to publish the 'F' word – Again!
Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing Now we published the first one back in June last year. It did really well, thank you. Very much appreciated. Clearly, there are lots of young sailors out there looking to add a load of fun to their sailing, and are keen to get into the foiling world. Posted on 23 Mar
RYA influences MCA's changes to regulations
Interview with Niall McLeod to see how Sport and Pleasure Code of Practice affects us The RYA have been working closely with the the government to make sure that new regulations for leisure vessels are not too restrictive. It seems that any group which operates a "coded" vessel should be thankful. Posted on 18 Mar
No more excuses
2025 is all about the club sailors, the weekend warriors, the open meeting stalwarts I was wondering if things were going to slow down in sailing after the huge events of 2024, namely the Olympics, America's Cup and Vendée Globe but, if anything, they've speeded up. Posted on 17 Mar
The oldest video footage of sailing in Ireland
A look back into our video archive, from 1926 to 1980 As we prepare for St Patrick's Day tomorrow, let us direct our exploration of the video archive towards anything Irish. We have discovered several videos from Ireland, starting as early as the 1920s! Posted on 16 Mar
Two boats. Same Direction.
You know the deal… It means there's a race on. You know the deal… It means there's a race on. So, the second South Pacific Superyacht Rendezvous is set for August 26 to 29, 2025. If it is even half as much fun and interesting as the first one, then it will bolster its burgeoning reputation. Posted on 9 Mar
The 600 Sweet Spot
The world of offshore racing is booming around the world The world of offshore racing is booming around the world. Record entries, some of the world's fastest yachts and highest profile campaigns, and a plethora of Corinthian teams have the 'classics' on their bucket list. Posted on 4 Mar
Inaugural Fast Women's Switch Training Camp
Some of the best sailors in the world gathered in Thailand The first ever Fast Women's Switch Training Camp took place at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Thailand, attracting some of the best sailors in the world, fresh from competing in the Australia Sail Grand Prix. Posted on 4 Mar