The most awarded production yacht of 2018 the Sun Odyssey 440 does not disappoint, and it was no great surprise to have four sold in Australia before the yacht even went into production. The first two have been delivered with the next two arriving next month.
Being the first of the new generation designs to arrive we were very keen to sail them in a range of conditions to get a sense of how these new style of hulls behave, and we can tell you that they are outstanding across all conditions. The light hulls mean that even though the volume is high they are responsive, extremely light on the helm and the windier it gets the better they behave. The stability is astonishing, giving the ability to remain with full sail into a much higher wind range than the previous generation, and they were good! The result is an exceptionally forgiving yacht that is a delight to sail.
And all of that is even before we mention the sloping side deck. Once you use it you marvel at how it completely transforms how you move around a yacht and how secure it is to move forward, even when heeled at sea. This combined with the space between the cap shrouds and lowers makes movement onto the expansive foredeck a breeze.
Down below there is a real sense of light and a really surprising feeling of space, especially with the forward cabin double doors open. The finish is modern, yet retains lots of warm timber and finishes, notably with lots of large radiuses, so keeping with the Jeanneau tradition of a yacht that is intended to have the ability to sail offshore.
The owners cabin is expansive and the Queen sized rectangular bed a revelation on a yacht of this size, then you view the aft cabins to find that they are both Queens sized doubles as well, and that, perhaps surprisingly the sloping side deck doesn’t impinge into the cabin space at all.
The Sun Odyssey 440 has been a multiple award winner for good reason. The innovative combination of the sloping side deck, remarkable stability, secure cockpit, excellent sailing ability and the superb use of space below really needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
There is only one remaining SO440 available to Australia for summer delivery, so if this yacht may be of interest to you please contact PBS on (02)9979 9755 or email info@performanceboating.com.au