Design and Construction
The Sun Odyssey 34 is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim. She has a raked stem and reverse transom, displaces 10,362 lb, and carries 3,351 lb of ballast.
Her waterline length is 26.38 ft, and her 11.48 ft beam makes her broad for a mid-30s hull. The standard keel has a draught of 1.90 m; an optional shoal-draft keel draws 4.92 ft. The keel is a fixed fin with a weighted bulb. The spade rudder is mounted internally.
Rig and Handling
Andrieu gave the Sun Odyssey 34 a fractional Bermuda sloop rig. Its 471.57 sq ft sailplan comprises a 234.60 sq ft mainsail and a 236.96 sq ft jib/genoa.
The manufacturer described her as easy on the water for a fast boat and also noted that she is easy to steer. The builder highlighted the fractional rig’s ability to make her very steep to the canvas. With her spade rudder and moderate displacement, the boat has a hull speed of 6.88 kn. The original specifications emphasized a responsive rather than sluggish feel as part of her character.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
The Sun Odyssey 34 sleeps six across two cabins. The bow cabin has a double V-berth, while the aft cabin to starboard contains another double berth. In the main cabin, a U-shaped settee faces a straight settee.
The L-shaped galley is to port, just aft of the companionway ladder. It includes a two-burner stove, an ice box, and a double sink. The navigation station is forward of the galley, also on the port side.
Two heads serve the accommodation. One is on the starboard side, just aft of the bow cabin; the other is also to starboard, just forward of the aft cabin.
On deck, Jeanneau pointed to an ingenious integration of maneuvering equipment that creates large spaces for relaxing and makes it easier to move around the boat.
Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 34 is an Andrieu cruiser that punches above her length, pairing a responsive fractional rig with a beamy, six-berth interior. She is an approachable fast cruiser with a well-separated two-cabin layout and a practical port-side galley and navigation area. However, her three-year production run means fewer examples exist than of longer-running sister models.
Pros
- Easy to steer and forgiving under way for a quick hull
- Beam-forward interior with two cabins and two heads for six
- Fractional sloop rig that stands steep to the canvas
Cons
- Built only from 1991 to 1993, limiting available supply
- Optional shoal keel trades the standard 6.25 ft draft for less bite
