Andrieu combined performance-oriented hull thinking with comfortable accommodation for two cruising couples. The boat is 40 feet overall, with a 33-foot-4-inch waterline and a generous but not exaggerated 13-foot beam. Displacement is 15,875 pounds, including 5,292 pounds of iron ballast in a deep fin. Above that relatively conventional hull and interior plan sits a much less conventional raised-saloon deck.
Design and Construction
The 40 DS has a very quick hull with a distinctly fast appearance. It combines minimal bow overhang with the broad stern typical of French designs, while enough counter aft keeps the transom from dragging at low speeds. One review described it as having a fast look to it with minimal bow overhang.
The fin keel is relatively high aspect, with a long, flattened, low-VCG bulb. Steering comes from a bladelike spade rudder.
Above the waterline, the deck is beautifully tooled and sculpted in the Jeanneau tradition, with an unsurpassed quality of finish and a modern treatment. The large, raised cabinhouse is a wraparound, glass-type structure. Some find it stocky, and its appearance won’t appeal to everyone, but the trade-off is plenty of light and good visibility below. Numerous hatches provide ventilation, though there are few opening ports.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The 40 DS carries a standard two-spreader masthead sloop rig. The spreaders have a slight sweep, and the rig includes forward lowers. Sail area is roughly 683 square feet, giving a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.29. Period design reviews judged that just fine for a cruising boat.
The mainsheet is attached at midboom and runs to a very short traveler mounted well forward—about as far forward as one reviewer would accept.
Twin helm stations distinguish the aft cockpit, an original idea for a 40-footer. Buyers could choose either a pedestal wheel in the center of the cockpit or a bulkhead-mounted wheel on the aft face of the cabintrunk. With the forward-mounted wheel, the rest of the cockpit remains wide open, while the raised cabinhouse gives the helmsman some protection.
Accommodation
Below, the raised saloon provides exceptional space and volume, along with abundant natural light. The interior combines fine teak woodwork with a new satin varnish in Jeanneau’s finest style.
The basic plan is conventional, with a double berth forward, a double quarter berth aft, and two heads. A single quarter berth to starboard, just aft of the galley, was optional. There’s no dedicated chart table, although small seats and a table to port can serve as a navigation station.
Jeanneau offered three interior arrangements:
- A 2-cabin owner’s layout with a huge U-shaped galley
- A 3-cabin, 1-head version with a separate shower area
- A 3-cabin, 2-head arrangement
All three layouts are considered exceptional for long-range cruising. The boat was designed around two-couple cruising, though the three-cabin arrangements also give two families room to cruise in volume.
Engine and Specifications
The 40 DS was available with either a 40-horsepower or a 78-horsepower diesel auxiliary. Both were direct-drive singles.
Its D/L ratio is 191.6, while the ballast-to-displacement ratio is near 33 percent. Those figures place the boat firmly in the moderate-displacement cruiser range.
Published sources disagree on fuel and water capacities, so buyers should verify the tankage aboard any individual boat. The builder listed water capacity as 112 gallons.
Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 40 DS is an interesting combination of performance and comfort. Andrieu’s hull is genuinely quick for a 40-foot cruiser, while the raised-saloon deck brings remarkable light into the interior despite its polarizing appearance.
Twin helms and the open cockpit created by the bulkhead-wheel layout make the boat easy to handle and sociable. Three interior plans give a cruising couple or two families useful flexibility and plenty of room. The main compromises are the lack of a proper chart table and the small number of opening ports.
Pros
- Very quick, low-displacement hull with a high-aspect fin and low-VCG bulb
- Exceptional interior volume and three flexible layouts suited to long-range cruising
- Twin helm stations, with an optional bulkhead wheel that leaves the cockpit open and gives the helmsman some protection
- Beautifully tooled deck with an unsurpassed quality of finish in the Jeanneau tradition
Cons
- No dedicated chart table; navigation relies on the seats and table to port
- Few opening ports despite the numerous hatches
- Polarizing wraparound cabinhouse styling
- Conflicting published tankage figures require verification aboard individual boats
