Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Briand's lines marry good looks with large interior volume, and the wide beam carries aft to a broad transom broken up by a swim platform and two seats rather than left as a single slab. Jeanneau built the solid fiberglass hull in the traditional hand-layup manner for its smaller models, spraying NPG gelcoat and laminating woven roving with vinylester before finishing the mat and roving layers with polyester resin. A laminated plywood grid bonded to the hull and glassed with biaxial or unidirectional cloth carries structural loads, while all cabinetry bases are molded into a single pan bonded with epoxy. The deck, uniquely for the period, was built with a closed-mold resin-infusion method that met regulatory standards. The headliner is screwed in place so it can be lifted to reach deck hardware, and a stainless steel holding tank aft of the head sits above the waterline for gravity drainage.

Rig and Handling

The 32 is a fractional sloop on a deck-stepped Sparcraft mast with stainless steel wire rigging and a single set of swept spreaders. The 135 percent genoa runs on a Profurl furler, and the mainsail carries 80 percent battens for shape retention. Jeanneau's lazy bag with lazy jacks simplifies stacking, though the mainsheet is led from mid-boom to coachroof blocks forward of the dodger, and headsail tracks sit low at the cabin base with no outboard sheeting track for spinnakers. A split backstay is standard, though the test boat's owner added a block-and-tackle for easier tuning. Test sailors found the semi-balanced rudder and tiller gave only slight weather helm at the upper wind range, and the 4-foot-11-inch fin keel with bulb tracked well and maneuvered easily in a tight marina. In 5 knots she close-reached at 3.5 to 4.5 knots; in 10 to 13 knots she made 5 to 6.3, and on a broad reach in 9 to 10 knots held steady near 6. At 15 degrees of heel she found a comfortable groove and tacked inside 90 degrees.

Accommodations

Below, the boat feels open thanks to a minimum 6-foot-1 headroom throughout, two hull portlights at seated eye level, and extensive teak and teak veneers on a white battens headliner. The port settee runs 5 feet 7 inches and seats three or four at the centerline table. The navigator faces a 28-by-20-inch chart table with 4-inch storage; the C-shaped galley has a two-burner stove-oven, single sink, dry locker, aft refrigerator, and a 31-inch working surface. The forward cabin encloses with a bi-fold door and offers 6-foot-2 headroom, though the berth is 6-foot-1 on centerline and narrows to a sharp V. The aft cabin is an almost-square, almost-queen area where athwartships sleeping beats fore-and-aft. Cockpit seats run nearly 7 feet long and 15 inches wide with 12-inch backrests, the centerline cockpit is 73 inches from tiller to companionway, and the helm seat drops into the sole for swim-step access. A 38-by-20-inch locker with false floor stows an inflatable, and a sealed anchor locker carries ground tackle on a standard Lofrans electric winch.

Engine and Power

A Yanmar diesel of 14 to 27 horsepower drives a shaft, with 19 gallons of fuel and 45 of water. The standard 18-horse Yanmar pushed the test boat quietly at 6 knots in calm water, though period testers noted a 27-horse 3GM would be the wiser choice in some areas. Practical Sailor's survey found the standard engine adequate in calm conditions but implied limits in stronger currents or chop.

The Verdict

The Sun Odyssey 32 is a thoughtfully packaged small cruiser: Briand gave her real volume and a modern hull, Jeanneau engineered a resin-infused deck and bonded grid structure, and the tiller-steered fractional rig behaves predictably from light air to a stiff breeze. She is best suited to coastal cruising and light charter where two cabins and standing headroom matter more than offshore payload.

Pros