Design and Construction
The Sun Kiss 47 measures 47 feet 5 inches overall, with a 37-foot 3-inch waterline and a 14-foot 5-inch beam. She displaces 25,353 pounds and carries 9,039 pounds of ballast.
A solid fiberglass hull, fin keel, and spade rudder form the basis of the standard design. The 40 percent ballast-displacement ratio gives her a stiff platform that stands up well to the wind, while a displacement-length ratio of 219 places her in the moderate-displacement category.
Her comfort ratio of 27.9 suggests the somewhat lively motion expected of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability. A capsize screening value of 2.0 puts her at the threshold for bluewater capability. She was designed as a capable, comfortable cruiser for coastal and moderate bluewater sailing.
Jeanneau also offered a centerboard version. It draws 8 feet 8 inches with the board down and 5 feet 0 inches with it raised, compared with the standard fin keel’s 8-foot 10-inch draft. This gives the centerboard boat access to shallower cruising grounds.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig is central to the Sun Kiss 47’s character. Its dimensions are 53 feet 5 inches for I and 17 feet 5 inches for J. The sail plan includes a 700-square-foot genoa and a 391-square-foot mainsail, giving 1,090 square feet of upwind sail area and 1,956 square feet downwind.
A sail-area-displacement ratio of 15.1 makes her slightly underpowered beside high-performance designs. She performs reasonably well, but wants a steadier breeze before showing her best.
The mainsheet traveler is mounted in the cockpit. This period-typical arrangement keeps the loads aft, though it also takes up seating space. It is one of the features that distinguishes the Sun Kiss 47 from her later successor, the Sun Odyssey 47, which moved the mainsheet track to the cabin top.
Accommodations
Buyers could choose between two- and three-cabin layouts. The two-cabin version has a spacious owner’s cabin forward, while the three-cabin arrangement divides the bow into two smaller cabins.
Both layouts include a large saloon, a well-equipped galley, and ample storage. The emphasis reflects the boat’s charter-adjacent pedigree: she was conceived as a comfortable liveaboard or family cruiser rather than a minimalist passage-maker.
Lineage and Successor
The later Sun Odyssey 47 succeeded the Sun Kiss 47. It typically used a sloop rig rather than the cutter and introduced more modern deck geometry. Updated interior layouts brought contemporary finishes and made better use of the available space.
These are distinct generations. The Sun Kiss retains its cutter configuration and cockpit traveler, while the Sun Odyssey modernized both the rig and the flow of the deck.
Verdict
The Sun Kiss 47 is a well-founded Philippe Briand design from Jeanneau’s mid-1980s cruising range. Its stiff, moderate-displacement hull is paired with genuine two- or three-cabin flexibility, while the cutter rig is well suited to managing sail on offshore reaches.
The ratios describe a boat that rewards a decent breeze rather than delivering sparkling light-air performance. With 315 built, she is recognizable without being ubiquitous in the used fleet. The centerboard option broadens her cruising ground, and the successor model’s existence confirms the platform’s relevance into the next decade.
Pros
- Stiff 40 percent ballast ratio
- Solid fiberglass hull with fin keel and spade rudder
- Choice of two- or three-cabin interiors
- Large saloon and ample storage
- Cutter rig, plus a centerboard variant for greater draft flexibility
- Threshold bluewater capability according to the capsize screening value
Cons
- Sail-area-displacement ratio of 15.1 means she wants a good breeze to perform
- Comfort ratio predicts livelier motion than on heavier cruisers
- Cockpit traveler reduces aft seating compared with a cabin-top arrangement
