Design and Construction
Andrieu gave the 40 DS a very quick hull with a fast look: minimal bow overhang and a broad stern typical of French designs, with enough counter aft to keep the transom from dragging at low speeds a fast look to it with minimal bow overhang. The fin keel is relatively high aspect with a long, low-VCG flattened bulb, and the rudder is a bladelike spade. Above the waterline the deck is beautifully tooled and sculpted in the Jeanneau tradition, with an unsurpassed quality of finish and a modern deck treatment. The large, raised cabinhouse is a wraparound, glass-type structure that some find stocky in appearance, yet the light and visibility below compensate for the challenging aesthetics. Ventilation comes from lots of hatches but few opening ports.
Rig and Handling
The 40 DS carries a standard two-spreader masthead sloop rig with a slight sweep to the spreaders and forward lowers. Sail area sits at roughly 683 square feet, yielding a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.29, which period design reviews judged just fine for a cruising boat. Sheeting is midboom with a very short traveler mounted far forward, about as far forward as one reviewer would accept. Twin helm stations distinguish the aft cockpit — an original idea for a 40-footer — and buyers could choose between a pedestal wheel in the cockpit center or a bulkhead-mounted wheel on the aft face of the cabintrunk. The forward-mounted wheel leaves the rest of the cockpit wide open and gives the helmsman some protection from the raised cabinhouse.
Accommodations
Inside, the 40 DS is a raised-saloon boat with exceptional space and volume, combining fine teak woodwork with a new satin varnish in Jeanneau's finest style. The plan form is conventional: a double berth forward, a double quarter berth aft, and two heads, with the option of a single quarter berth to starboard just aft of the galley. There is no dedicated chart table, though small seats with a table to port can serve as a nav station. Jeanneau offered a 2-cabin owner's layout with a huge U-shaped galley, a 3-cabin 1-head version with a separate shower area, and a 3-cabin 2-head arrangement; all layouts are considered exceptional for long-range cruising and the boat was designed for two-couple cruising.
Engine and Specifications
The 40 DS came with the option of a 40-horsepower or a 78-horsepower diesel auxiliary, both direct-drive singles. Her D/L ratio of 191.6 and ballast-to-displacement ratio near 33 percent place her firmly in the moderate-displacement cruiser band. Sources differ on fuel and water capacity figures, so buyers should verify tankage on individual boats; the builder's listed water capacity is 112 gallons.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 40 DS is an interesting combination of performance and comfort features. Andrieu's hull is genuinely quick for a 40-foot cruiser, and the raised-saloon deck delivers remarkable light below despite its polarizing looks. Twin helms and the open cockpit of the bulkhead-wheel layout make her easy to handle and social, while three interior plans let a couple or two families cruise in volume. The lack of a real chart table and the paucity of opening ports are the main compromises.
Pros
- Very quick, low-displacement hull with high-aspect fin and low-VCG bulb
- Exceptional interior volume with three flexible layouts for long-range cruising
- Twin helm stations and optional bulkhead wheel for open, protected cockpit
- Beautifully tooled deck with unsurpassed finish in the Jeanneau tradition
Cons
- No dedicated chart table; reliance on port-side seat for navigation
- Few opening ports despite abundant hatches
- Polarizing wraparound cabinhouse aesthetics
- Conflicting published tankage figures require on-board verification
