Design and Construction
The 350 rides on an all-new hull with a distinctive, contemporary silhouette boasting an all-new hull. The beam is carried both all the way aft and much further forward than on its predecessor, producing a fuller bow and a hull that is more muscular and beamier by about 15 centimetres, while full-length hull chines keep the waterline narrow. A raked negative bow entry, a prominent chine running nearly the length of the waterline, an open transom, a slightly reversed sheerline, a pair of hull windows, and a low coachroof with a single long window give the boat its modern profile. The bow stands clear of the waterline, which the builder cites as an aid to docking and to handling in light wind. Hull construction is hand-laid fibreglass, and the deck is injection moulded to reduce weight above the waterline. Three keel options exist: the standard deep-fin, a 1.49-metre shoal-draught wing keel, and a lifting keel whose 2.54-metre lowered draught and lighter weight give the best performance while letting the boat stay afloat in 1.2 metres of water.
Rig and Handling
The 350 uses a backstayless 9/10 fractional deck-stepped rig from Selden, supported by two spreaders swept well aft, with a mast that is deck-stepped to open the belowdecks floor plan. Walkaround sidedecks and a walk-through aft of the wheels with a ramp give stepless access from cockpit to foredeck, and the guardrails sit at waist height for much of the way forward, making deck movement more secure than on most boats. Twin off-centred aft helms with twin wheels give the helmsperson better forward visibility and comfort enhanced comfort and better forward visibility due to off-centred aft helms with twin steering wheels. Cruising World found the boat high-performance and responsive, with twin rudders that developed steerage quickly at low speeds and kept their grip when bearing away with sails pinned in; she remained remarkably well balanced for such a beamy boat, tracking obediently to windward even when heeled to 20 degrees with the chine dug in. Period testing recorded 5-plus knots upwind in 12 to 14 knots of breeze with bursts into the 6s, and better than 7 knots on a beam reach.
Accommodations
Below, the saloon and cabins are bathed in light from wide hull and coachroof windows, with indirect evening lighting for a warm atmosphere. The boat has standing headroom of over 1.85 metres throughout, and owners may choose teak or grey cedar joinery with light or dark oak floorboards. The central drop-leaf table sits between long settees, and the portside head/shower compartment is sized more like that of a 45- or 50-foot yacht. A workable L-shaped galley lies to starboard opposite a compact chart table. Two- or three-cabin layouts are offered; the twin-stateroom version has a forward V-berth behind swinging double doors, a large aft double to starboard, and a generous locker to port accessible from cockpit or head. In the two-cabin layout that port space becomes a vast cockpit locker, while the three-cabin version gets a shallow sole-depth locker instead. All berths are 2 metres long, the forward V-berth 180 centimetres wide at the head, and the aft berth 160 centimetres wide.
Known Issues
Test sailors in Yachting Monthly noted that the Alpi-wood veneers felt thin and that corners without solid-wood mouldings could be vulnerable to wear. On the same trial the mainsheet strops used in place of a traveler were a little too long to allow enough leach tension to fully power up the main. The stainless steel wheels made the helm a little heavy, though optional composite wheels would lighten it; as with all twin-rudder boats there is slightly less helm feedback than from a single rudder.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 350 distills the eighth-generation Jeanneau deck philosophy into a 35-foot cruiser that is easy to handle, bright below, and thoughtfully laid out for short-handed sailing. Its narrow-waterline chined hull and multiple keel options broaden where it can cruise, and the walk-around side decks set a real benchmark for secure movement forward. The thin veneers and long mainsheet strops are minor caveats against an otherwise well-resolved package.
Pros
- Walk-around sidedecks with stepless foredeck access and waist-high guardrails
- Three keel choices including a lifting keel for shallow drying
- Bright, roomy interior with over-1.85-metre headroom and large head compartment
- Balanced, responsive twin-rudder handling under fractional rig
Cons
- Thin Alpi-wood veneers and unmoulded corners vulnerable to wear
- Mainsheet strops too long for full main leach tension in testing
- Steel wheels heavy at the helm; reduced feedback versus single rudder
