Trade a Boat Magazine - Jeanneau

SAILTestFacts& figuresJEANNEAU SUN ODYSSEY 409AT THE HELMA competent, safe cruising yachtthat’s easy for a small crew to handle,but with good club-racing potential.Homelike accommodation and plenty ofrelaxing space makes it an ideal familyyacht.CAPACITIESBERTHS: Two or three double-cabinberths; one or two headsFUEL: 200ltWATER: 530ltHOLDING TANK: 80ltFRIDGE-FREEZER: 180ltThe upside of mid-boom sheeting (above) is shorter mainsheet length meaning less line to handle on gybes.Lewmar chain/cable steeringand a balanced rudder meant thehelmsperson didn’t need to hurryacross to the windward wheel,because the 409 held coursebeautifully.Even with a traveller, mid-boomsheeting isn’t ideal for mainsailcontrol, but the upside is shortermainsheet length, meaningthere’s less line to handle whengybing. The test boat had abasic Dacron, partially-battenedstandard offering. In concert witha self-tacker it had reasonablewindward performance, but I’veseen this boat club-racing witha genoa and it does well in itsclass. We’d love to try a 409 withthe optional Performance sail kit:a fully-battened taffeta tri-radialmain and matching 140 per centheadsail.On the wind in club-race modethere would be more for the crewto do and jamming the leewardmainsheet frees that primarywinch for headsail control. Ifthe mainsheet hand needs toalter trim it can be done fromthe windward winch, while theleeward winch is being used forheadsail sheeting. I reckon you’dget away with some spinnakerhandling with the standardwinches, too, because the bracecould go on the windwardprimary and the sheet to theleeward cabin top winch, leavingthe leeward primary free formainsheet adjustment.We dropped the halyards downthe companionway during ourtest, but there are optional ropebins for the forward end of thecockpit. Rope tails from the aftwinches drop into a pair of liddedbins, so there are no lines to tanglefeet cruising or two-sail racing.We found tidying up the boatfor berthing easy enough, butbagging the mainsail would betricky with a dodger in place.Manoeuvring into a tight berthwas straightforward, thanks tothe large rudder and no evidenceof prop-walk. A bowthrusteris optional, but unless the boatneeds to negotiate a tricky berth itshouldn’t be necessary.PRICE AS TESTED$319,423OPTIONS FITTEDPremiere Pack (amidships cleats,electric windlass, LED nav lights,shower divider door, 220V shorepowerand charger, additional battery, ST-70,two-burner stove, second anchor roller,shades and flyscreens for hatches andports, and cockpit shower); PreferencePack (CD/MP3 player, interior andcockpit speakers, power winchon cabin top, folding cockpit table,starboard lifeline gate and indirectsaloon lighting); part Navigation Pack(spinnaker fittings, second cabintop winch and adjustable backstay);autopilot; bimini; and swivelling C90WGPS multifunction display on cockpittablePRICED FROM$263,414GENERALMATERIAL: FRP hulls and decks— balsa resin composite deck andmonolithic hullTYPE: KeelboatLENGTH OVERALL: 12.34mHULL LENGTH: 11.98mWATERLINE LENGTH: 11mBEAM: 3.99mDRAFT: 2.1m; 1.55m (shallow-draftoption)WEIGHT: 7450kgBALLAST: 2260kg (shallow draft keel2470kg)SAILSMAINSAIL: 42m² (optional 45m² fullybattened Performance)HEADSAIL: 28m² self-tacking jib(optional 35m² 106 per cent jib andPerformance 48m² 140 per cent genoa)SPINNAKER: 120m²ENGINEMAKE/MODEL: Yanmar 3JH5-CETYPE: DieselRATED HP: 40PROP: Saildrive with fixed three-bladepropeller (folding prop optional)SUPPLIED BYPerformance Boating Sales,Gibson Marina,1710 Pittwater Road,Bayview, NSW, 2104Phone: +61 (2) 9979 9755Fax: +61 (2) 9979 9780Email: info@performanceboating.com.auWebsite: www.performanceboating.com.auSAYS…Easy dock access, manoeuvrability,thoughtfully laid-out sail controls anda safe cockpit take much of the worryout of using the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey409. Below decks, it’s naturally lit andhas a choice of stylish yet practicallayouts. Performance options availablefor cruiser/racers include tri-radial-cutsails110 tradeaboat.com.au tradeaboat.com.au 111