This is a coastal cruiser with echoes of Mini Transat design in her hull, not a stripped-out racer. Her engineering is focused on keeping life afloat simple.
Design and Construction
The hull has a near-vertical stem, fine entry, and broad stern. Twin rudders and a large cockpit reinforce the connection that reviewers drew with the Mini Transat designs of the day in their Jeanneau Sun 2500 review.
The lifting arrangement lies at the heart of the design. A glassfibre centreplate retracts into a cast iron ballast stub, reducing draught to just 2ft 3in. With support from the twin rudders, the boat can dry out unaided. The post carrying the deck-stepped loads also serves as a conduit for the centreplate’s lifting line, keeping the trunk out of the cabin.
Displacement is 4,579 lbs, including 1,481 lbs of ballast in the iron stub. The beam is a substantial 9ft 5in, creating space for the large cockpit and stern berth, though at the cost of a not insubstantial wetted area.
Rig and Handling
The rig is relatively small and conservative. Testers found that it lacks a little power in light airs, so the Sun 2500 is no flyer when the breeze is absent.
Once the wind fills in, the same sailors reported that she goes well. With new sails, they recorded around 4.5 knots upwind in 13–14 knots of apparent wind and more than 5 knots once the anemometer passed 20 knots. She remained well balanced, while the twin rudders provided plenty of grip. She spun out only when the leeward rail was deliberately driven well under and doesn’t seem to mind sailing upwind at 20–25° of heel.
Mainsail leech control is limited by the absence of a mainsheet traveller and the high boom. That’s a trade-off in favor of cockpit safety and space rather than fine sail control.
Accommodation
The Sun 2500 nominally sleeps four, but the more striking feature below is how effectively the design uses its beam. The double berth in the broad stern lies abaft the engine case and remains open to the galley.
Farther forward, the galley is to port and the chart table to starboard. Ahead of them, the sleeping area measures a full 8ft 9in long and 7ft 2in wide at its aft end when the table is used as an infill. Yachting Monthly judged the bow double to be one of the largest found on anything under 40ft.
The separate heads compartment is aft, abaft the chart table, and is pretty roomy for a boat of this size. The galley is straightforward coastal-cruising kit: a single-burner hob, a sink with a foot pump for fresh water, an opening port in the coachroof, a small work surface, and a modest amount of open-fronted stowage. Accessing the fridge requires hinging up the entire chart table. A cavernous cockpit locker provides additional storage.
Engine and Propulsion
Inboard propulsion comes from a single-cylinder Yanmar IGM driving a two-bladed folding propeller. A transom-mounted outboard was offered as an option for push-button simplicity with that arrangement.
Under the inboard, the boat will make around 5 knots in flat water and 3 to 3.5 knots into a 20-knot headwind with small chop. The engine sits forward of the stern double, allowing the berth to remain open to the galley. Once the boat is sailing, the folding prop reduces drag.
Verdict
The Sun 2500 is a clever small cruiser that trades light-air sparkle for shoal-draught freedom and a startling amount of room. Its lifting centreplate and twin-rudder dry-out capability open up creeks and drying moorings that a fixed-keel 25-footer can’t use. Meanwhile, the beamy hull provides a bow berth and aft cabin that put boats a decade larger to shame.
She’s happiest once the wind fills in. The limited mainsail control is the price of her open, safe cockpit.
Pros
- Lifts to 2ft 3in draught and can dry out unaided on its twin rudders
- Exceptional berth dimensions for her length, including a bow double that rivals those on sub-40ft boats
- Separate aft heads and a chart table in a 24ft hull
- Well balanced and grippy upwind in a breeze, thanks to the twin rudders
Cons
- Conservative rig is short on power in light airs
- No mainsheet traveller, limiting mainsail leech control
- Not insubstantial wetted area works against her in calm conditions
