Design and Construction
Andrieu's priority list for the 3200 put stiffness, initial stability, and ultimate stability at the top, and the structure reflects that brief. The hull is vacuum-bagged with balsa coring and built through resin infusion, a laminating route Jeanneau was making standard across its models; the deck is infusion molded with a foam-sandwich core that keeps it stiff and resistant to delamination, while the main bulkhead and a forward crash bulkhead are likewise composite, the latter watertight infusion-molded, vacuum-bagged dream machine. Nearly 3,000 pounds of the 7,496-pound light displacement sits in an iron fin and lead keel bulb, epoxy coated, which lets the wide, beamy hull carry its ballast low. Interior weight is shed through a light but strong molded unit bonded with adhesives and soft fabric lockers and doors in place of wood cabinetry. A watertight hatch in the forward bulkhead and a sail locker all the way forward round out a structure aimed at offshore shorthand.
Rig and Handling
The 3200 carries a 19/20ths fractional, keel-stepped Sparcraft mast with a swept-spreader aluminum rig and a symmetric spinnaker setup, the latter a 893-square-foot kite flown off an aluminum pole. A short stainless sprit or bobstay allows a roller-furling reacher, and deck hardware is exclusively Harken. On the water, the boat is blunt about its temperament: Andrieu admits it suffers in zero to six knots but comes alive as the speedo climbs, and test sailors found her sticky in the light winds of an October Annapolis sail. Past that threshold she is very fast, easily carrying main and full genoa to 25 knots, and owners report she kept on her feet in gusts with crew on the rail. Twin high-aspect rudders provide steering authority when running in big seas and keep working at heel angles that would lift a single blade clear, while their wetted surface is the price paid for that control. Writing in Sailing World, test sailors found the twin rudders let any autopilot work well with a generous amount of sail twin rudders allow any autopilot to work well. Downwind volume forward lifts the bow in gusts that bothered bigger boats, and one owner logged 14.8 knots under spinnaker, unflustered.
Accommodations
Below, the 3200 offers two identical aft double cabins with removable fabric mattress covers, lee-clothed berths, and storage under them, while a bow section houses an athwartship head with sliding door, sink, and holding tank. The saloon centers on a table draping around the mast with long settee berths; to port is a nav station with a chart table sized for a laptop, to starboard a galley with lightweight laminate counter, single sink, two-burner stove, and 16-gallon icebox. The manufacturer's own line captures the intent: genuine cruising function inside a weight-conscious shell comfort not often found in boats of this class.
Refits and Ownership
The R2 generation succeeded the original 3200 with three major changes aimed at the high-end racer: an open cockpit, a carbon mast, and a straight keel, gains the builder cites as speed, fluidity, and ergonomics. Standard propulsion throughout is a 15-horsepower Yanmar diesel on a saildrive, accessed from both aft cabins and behind the companionway, with a well-insulated compartment. One-design class rules were in place from early on, and Andrieu himself bought a 3200 to race and cruise with family — a designer's endorsement of the dual mission.
The Verdict
The Sun Fast 3200 is a purpose-built shorthanded machine that delivers offshore capability and racing pace in a 33-foot footprint, asking only that its owners accept a sparse, fabric-paneled interior and sluggish light-air manners in return.
Pros
- Near-40 percent ballast ratio and balsa-cored infused hull for stiffness and low weight
- Twin rudders maintain steering at extreme heel and ease autopilot load
- Genuine two-cabin accommodation with nav station and galley uncommon at this size
- European Boat of the Year 2008 with one-design class structure
Cons
- Sticky and difficult in zero to six knots of breeze
- Twin-rudder wetted surface penalizes light-air performance
- Fabric doors and lockers trade cruising solidity for weight savings
