With four Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440’s now delivered by PBS in Sydney their owners are really getting to know these revolutionary yachts and we continue to receive nothing but positive comments on this multi-award winning design.
“Whether sailing or spending a few days at anchor the 440 has the comfort and performance of a much larger yacht, overall the design features of the 440 make it surprisingly easy to sail” – Paul Lidbury SO440 “Sunrise”
And the first impressions from a new owner who took delivery last week:
“First sailing impressions;
- Acceleration was noticeable – while sailing to windward and true wind speed increased from 9 to 12 knots the boat speed increased from 5.75 knots to 7.00 knots at almost the same rate as the wind speed increase.
- The sales pitch for the SO440 is that they are stiff boats. That claim became evident in the same increase in wind speed as above. As the wind speed increased she heeled as expected, the chine dug in and the heel stopped, resulting in the acceleration as noted above. I’m looking forward to 15 knots true to windward. For a cruising orientated boat it should then really hit its straps.
- Off the breeze it just did its thing, very smooth and stable. I can now understand the polar chart claim of 12 knots boat speed in 30 knots true wind speed at 150 degrees.
All in all a great boat and very happy.” – Bill Davis SO440 “Wings 11”
“Having owned a 15.5 metre Yacht for 38 years I went to the boat show in Sydney to look at yachts around the same size. My wife and myself went down below on the Jeanneau SO440 and we were blown away. With the chine on most of the hull there is so much room down below and in the cockpit. We decided we did not want a larger yacht than the SO440. Being a smaller yacht it is much easier to handle as we have the roller furling jib on a self-tacking track and 3 reefs in
the main. When the yacht heals over a bit it locks on the chine and goes like it is on a rail track and is quite fast as it is also light weight for its size.
We also have a performance headsail and when we use this sail it really takes off. The motor that we have in it is a Yanmar 57 HP and at 2200 revs it sits around 7
Knots. I could not want for another Yacht as its suits us and our family so well – Tony Clapham SO440 “Matakana”.
“The 440 has exceeded our expectations in a number of areas.
It is an absolute delight to sail. It is surprisingly light on the helm, even in heavy winds, and gets along at a good speed even in light winds.
We have been happy with our choice of sails. While there is a performance cost with an un-battened, furling main, for the sort of cruisy sailing that we do (often with friends rather than experienced sailors) it is so easy to unfurl, reef and furl away at the end of the day, that it is a real winner.
The full sized jib, while requiring a little more attention than a self-tacker, performs exceptionally well, and is easy to tack when you have electric winches.
The Code 0 really lifts the boat along in lighter winds and is surprisingly easy to set up and pack away. I have not owned a Code 0 before but believe that it will prove to be a great asset, particularly on longer passages.
In a similar way, I have not had an on-mast spinnaker pole before, but have been really impressed with how easy it is to handle. Should also prove to be worthwhile investment.
The electric winches, while not a trivial investment, have been an absolute hit with the crew, particularly my wife. They make so many tasks, such as sheeting in the jib, so easy that I actually see crew members smiling when I talk about putting in another tack.
On a similar note, the bow thruster has to be one of the best investments that I have made. It can be a little more challenging docking a yacht of this size in a strong wind than it was the 349, but the bow thruster certainly helps to make this easier. Having this bow thruster fold up into the hull so that it doesn’t create drag when not in use is also a real plus.
The deck design feature, where you can walk from the cockpit to the bow, although it may appear not all that important at first glance, really does provide added convenience and is a real winner.
So far we have spent 5 nights onboard with a total compliment of 4 adults. Compared to other sailing yachts that I have stayed on, the standard of accommodation on the 440 is just first class. With a 4.3 metre beam, the saloon feels spacious, the galley is well set out and functional and the cabins, particularly the main cabin, are surprisingly comfortable.
The use of natural light in the saloon and in each of the cabins gives the whole yacht an open rather than enclosed feel and the provision of storage space is just first class.
We also appreciated the design and function of the two bathrooms. With the possible exception of the strange sucking noise made by the shower water evacuation system, they were great.
I have only used the anchor twice as yet but really appreciated the fact that the chain length counter is located in the cockpit and you can drop the anchor while still at the helm. Makes putting down the required chain as easy as it could be.
And to quote Forest Gump “and that’s all that I have to say about that”. Eugene Clewett SO440 “Way to Go”
PBS have our next stock order arriving during January for February availability, which is still available as we go to press. This is the last remaining Sun Odyssey 440 available to the Australian market before November 2019, such is the demand for the 440, so do contact us if this yacht may be of interest. It’s a 3-cabin twin head with grey cedar interior finish, standard sail-plan, teak cockpit floor, electric halyard winch, and Cruise Pack of electronics. Email info@performanceboating.com.au for further details.
