Design and Construction
The Sun Fizz 40 has a solid, hand-laid fiberglass hull and a fiberglass sandwich deck. The sandwich construction was intended to moderate the cabin’s thermal and acoustic environment.
Below the waterline, the wetted surface measures about 44 square meters. She is built with a fin keel carrying 6,610 pounds of iron ballast. On a displacement of 16,100 pounds, that gives her a ballast ratio of 41 percent.
Her length-to-beam ratio is 3.19, while the displacement-length ratio of 192 places her among boats that period analysis categorized as moderate racers rather than heavy-displacement cruisers. The capsize screening value is 2.0, below the threshold accepted for ocean racing. That is simply what the metric indicates, rather than a condemnation of the boat’s aptitude for coastal or trade-wind cruising.
Draft ranges from 1.90 to 2.00 meters, limiting access to some marinas and anchorages.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Briand gave the Sun Fizz 40 more than one rig option; a masthead rig and an alternative masthead rig are both documented. The standard masthead arrangement uses 35.6-meter halyards for the mainsail, genoa, and spinnaker, a 30.8-meter mainsheet, and 12.3-meter jib or genoa sheets. Those dimensions point to a sizable foretriangle and a powerful mainsheet-traveler run.
The sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.8 with the ISO reference sail and rises to 19.9 with a 135 percent genoa, indicating lively performance potential under sail.
Under the Perkins diesel, the boat makes 8.0 knots, compared with a theoretical displacement hull speed of 7.8 knots. The immersion rate is about 263 kg per centimeter, so she settles heavily as load is added. The documented diesel speed exceeding the theoretical hull speed also suggests limited reserve under power.
Accommodations
The interior is finished in teak, in keeping with widespread production-boat practice at the time. Together, the teak joinery and the deck construction intended to moderate the cabin climate describe a boat aimed at extended living for a cruising couple or family rather than a regatta crew.
Verdict
The Sun Fizz 40 combines a Philippe Briand moderate-racer hull with cruising-oriented deck construction and interior choices. Her documented rig flexibility, strong sail plan with a 135 percent genoa, and substantial iron-ballasted fin keel make her a competent offshore-capable cruiser within the limits indicated by her metrics. However, the capsize screening value keeps her outside accepted ocean-racing criteria, while her draft restricts access to many shallow anchorages.
Pros
- Solid, hand-laid fiberglass hull
- Sandwich deck intended to improve cabin comfort
- Two documented masthead-rig options
- Generous sail plan, with an SA/D of 19.9 using a 135 percent genoa
- Iron fin keel and a 41 percent ballast ratio
- Moderate-racer displacement-length ratio of 192
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.0 excludes ocean-race acceptance
- Draft of 1.90–2.00 meters limits marina and anchorage access
- Theoretical hull speed of 7.8 knots, below the documented diesel speed of 8.0 knots, suggests limited reserve under power
