Design and Construction
The Sun Fast 30 OD is built entirely in France at the Groupe Beneteau site near Nantes, using vacuum-infused GRP sandwich construction with Arkema's Elium thermoplastic resin. That resin is made with 20 percent recycled content and can be dismantled and recycled at the end of the boat's life, making this the first production sailboat built from a recyclable composite material. Hull, deck, and bulkheads share the infusion method, and small repairs can still be carried out with conventional resins. The shape is radical for the size: a pronounced scow bow, continuous chine, and a very wide, flat forward underwater hull intended to promote planing downwind. Underwater sections carry pronounced fore-and-aft rocker that lifts the transom at low speed, and the semi-scow bow with marked flare above the waterline keeps a balanced waterline when heeled. Fore and aft watertight bulkheads add an offshore safety factor, though the forward one is not a full crash box. The keel is cast iron carrying a lead ballast bomb, with a spade rudder and tiller steering in an open cockpit.
Rig and Handling
The one-design specification calls for a Sparcraft all-carbon rig set well aft, with a square-top mainsail, Dyform spreaders and shrouds, and no permanent backstay. Flying backstays serve only as trim instruments to tension the headstay rather than stabilise the mast, which the builder and Multiplast say makes gybes easier and less stressful in strong wind. On the water, the design target of minimising frictional resistance pays off: writing in Yachting World, testers found that in 2–4 knots of true wind off La Rochelle the boat ran rings around others, and reaching with a Code 0 at 100 degrees it held 90 percent of true wind speed. Upwind in 4.5 knots it made 2.9 knots at 42 degrees, and with the J3 in 8–15 knots it sustained 6.5 knots at 40–42 degrees. The chine digs in near 15 degrees of heel and form stability then builds rapidly without weather helm accumulating, while straight chines yield flat waterlines that minimise drag and ease surfing off the wind. Testers writing in Yachting World found the helm precise with good feedback, the boat quick to accelerate and responsive to weight placement, and almost impossible to broach.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is purely functional, unadorned, and well planned rather than luxurious. Proportionately more length is given to the cockpit than is typical, so it does not feel cramped with a crew of four or five. Inside there are bunks each side, stern tubular berths for rest on long passages, and pipecots for sail stacking. A large navigation station sits against the main bulkhead, and a tiny galley provides a sink and space for a Jetboil. Forward of that bulkhead is a heads area with a full marine toilet, holding tank, and a fabric privacy door; maximum headroom is 1.75 metres. No shelter is provided on deck, which is a trade-off for the open racing layout.
Equipment and Ownership
Standard electronics are built around the B&G H5000 package with autopilot, GPS, radio, AIS, compass, and wind display, while class rules also specify a Raymarine Type 1 ram in a watertight compartment reachable from deck or interior. A Nanni 10 hp two-cylinder diesel with saildrive and folding prop is standard, and an optional Bell Marine pod electric motor is offered. Sails are not in the base price, and class rules ban membrane sails and limit the seven-sail inventory to a three-year replacement cycle. The boat is easy to maintain and integrates durability criteria from racing class rules, with deck details like a Spinlock Diablo tiller joint, 3D jib leads, and rope bags showing the offshore intent.
The Verdict
The Sun Fast 30 OD is a purpose-built one-design that brings recyclable composite construction and a light-air-focused scow hull to accessible offshore racing. It rewards a crew with predictable handling, stiff performance, and a serious safety envelope, yet asks owners to accept bare accommodations and tight class-control costs.
Pros
- Recyclable Elium resin construction with conventional-resin repair compatibility
- Scow bow and chine hull deliver strong light-air speed and stable helm when heeled
- Strict one-design rule controls long-term racing expense
- Watertight bulkheads and specified autopilot ram enhance offshore safety
Cons
- No deck shelter and purely functional interior limit cruising comfort
- Sails excluded from base price and class-bound replacement rules add cost
- Forward bulkhead not a full crash box despite offshore framing
