Trade a Boat Magazine - Jeanneau

SAILTestHomelike accommodation andplenty of relaxing space makesit an ideal family yachtJeanneau’s BriandDesign team resistedthe temptation to turnthe new 40-footer into a50-footer, or a catamaranstyleentertainer, so the SunOdyssey 409 doesn’t exhibita big, fat bum, high freeboardand lumpy coach house. Thefreeboard is there in sufficientheight to give full headroomthroughout the interior, but it’sbroken up by four longitudinalhull ports and slimming striping.A long, unbroken band of coachhouse glazing focuses the eyelengthways along the boat andthe coach house sides are convex,so cabin height isn’t accented.Hull shape isn’t radical, withan almost plumb bow, slightlyhollow forward sections, a flattishmid-section profile and nowmandatoryaft chines that taperoff into the forward two-thirds ofhull length. Current hydrodynamicthinking is that aft chines helpwith sailing performance and theydon’t do interior space any harm,either.HULL TALKConstruction is a monolithic,handlaid FRP hull with a PrismaProcess balsa-cored deck laminateand both are ISO gelcoat finished.A new FRP grid system withre-laminated high-load areas isemployed as a hull stiffener andthere’s an emergency repair zoneadjacent to the keel attachment.There is a dip in the pan belowthe floors that allows enoughspace to re-laminate shouldThe swivelling GPS multifunction display (aboveleft) on the cockpit table is included in theNavigation Pack option. Helm seats (above)face inward and forward. On three-cabin 409s,chairs flank a chart table opposite the U-shapeddinette (left).that be required after a heavygrounding.A cast iron keel with a choice ofshoal or standard draft is fitted,and the design has a verticalleading edge and aft-taperingbulb that won’t catch weed. AnFRP rudder blade almost matcheskeel depth and between the twois a saildrive. Jeanneau must be atad shy about this departure fromits traditional shaftdrive, becausethere’s no illustration of the legin the brochure illustrations, butJeanneau needs saildrives to offerjoystick control system options.(See our Dock & Go report inTrade-a-Boat issue 415).The standard mast is a constantsectionextrusion with twin,swept-back spreaders, wirerigging, fixed backstay andpoly running rigging. Optionsare Dyform rigging, a tackleadjustablebackstay and Dyneemarunning rigging and sheets.AWARD-WINNING DECKBriand Design was conservativeabout cockpit capacity and theresult is a space that’s comfortablefor eight during a day sail, butnot so large that the crew feelsexposed when conditions aren’t sorelaxed. The forward- and inwardfacinghelm seats feel secure andthe crew has well-positioned footbracingbars integrated into thecockpit table.Ease of sailing was a primaryfocus in the 409’s design andthat starts with twin wheels thathave forward-facing and coaminghelm seats, with bevelled solerecesses for foot bracing. Harken46.2 mainsheet/jib sheet winchesare positioned just in front of thewheels, with clutches adjacent tothe winch bases. A combinationof German mainsheet systemand adjacent clutches means theprimary winches can alternate asmainsheet and jib sheet winchesquite easily. Their proximity tothe wheels means that sheets canbe controlled by the helmspersonwhen cruising.The standard arrangementis for a slightly overlappingheadsail, sheeted via inboarddeck tracks and adjustable carsto the primaries, but a self-tackerand a 140 per cent overlappingheadsail are optional. The testboat had all these sail choices,so it’s cruised using the selftackingjib and raced with theoverlapping headies. The 409 hasa proper mainsheet traveller, infront of the spray dodger basebut, surprisingly, a rigid vang isan optional replacement for thestandard tackle.Running rigging is controlled bya portside cabin-top winch thatcan be swapped for a poweredHarken Rewind winch, whichpowers in and out. The test boatwas fitted with this option and asecond cabin-top winch.The central section of thetransom drops down to form ateak-faced swimming platformand is light enough to be manuallyhandled. It’s flanked by twolazarettes — the starboard onebeing a gas locker with room fortwo LPG bottles — and a floor binthat will hold a tender outboard.An emergency tiller cover spinsoff with a winch handle.AWARD-WINNINGINTERIORThe Sun Odyssey 409 comes witha choice of three layouts: threecabinwith one head; three-cabinwith two heads; and two-cabinwith one head. The test boathad a three-cabin, one-headlayout, finished in standard teak,with teak/ash-strip flooring. Awalkthrough saloon layout makeshead access easy from the dinetteas well as providing ample floorspace when handling spinnakers.The forward cabin is the samesize in all three layouts, but inthe two-head configuration acombined shower and toilet fitsbetween the bulkhead and thedouble vee-berth bed. In thecase of the test boat this spacewas clear, but there’s an optionalvanity/desk and chair availablefor single-head boats. Jeanneaupersists in having unusedbulkhead flanges in its cabininteriors, even when the forwardcabin head option isn’t takenup. Surely there’s a tidier wayof finishing off than leaving anunsightly protrusion into such abeautiful cabin.On the starboard side of thesaloon is a four-place — six withremovable stools — U-shapeddinette with centre table andaft of that an L-shaped galley.Opposite the dinette on threecabinboats is a pair of loungechairs flanking a chart table; adesign that allows the chart tabletop to function as a coffee tablewhen not needed for nav work.On two-cabin boats the charttable and one lounge chair moveaft, allowing a two-seat loungeopposite the dinette. The standarddinette table is a centre-pedestaltype, but an optional fold-over-toptable is available. This modulehas a wine storage cabinet andpushes down to create a doublebed base.Two hull ports on each side helplighten the saloon, but privacy isgained by sliding curtains acrossthem. The curtains fold invisiblyinto recesses when not required.In the forward and aft cabins thehull ports can be covered by solidsliding shutters that disappearinto recesses when not in use.There’s a stainless steel handrailat the base of the companionway,fiddles on the galley tops thatThe forward cabin (top) is the same size on allthree SO 409 variants, but on two-head models,the en suite fits between the bulkhead and veeberth,otherwise it’s clear space as per the testboat. The L-shaped galley (above) is ready toserve being immediately aft of the dinette.106 tradeaboat.com.au tradeaboat.com.au 107