Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, while the deck is injection-molded — the very feature that earns the "i" in the model name. The builder claimed this process delivers less weight, a lower center of gravity, and better structural properties because the resin is more evenly distributed. Deck construction uses discontinuous balsa block coring with solid mat under winches and other hardware, a detail that matters when you consider the loads from the Harken 40 and 46 winches mounted about the cockpit. An iron keel carries 5,629 pounds of ballast in the standard 7-foot draft, giving a ballast-displacement ratio of.30 and a D/L of 150 — figures that place her firmly in the moderate-displacement cruiser camp with enough stiffness for confident sailing.
Rig and Handling
Her fractional sloop rig carries a standard full-batten main and a 122-percent genoa, though the tested boat wore the optional Seldén in-mast furling rig. By bringing the lower shrouds inboard to the cabin house and the uppers all the way outboard, the rig plan clears the side decks and supports a predictable sail shape. All sail-control lines ran aft from the mast through organizers to clutches and winches either side of the companionway, a layout that lets a short-handed crew trim from the safety of the cockpit. A bow sprit was offered for better downwind performance.
On the water, the design brief of effortless speed and complete safety reads as more than marketing. Close reaching in 9 knots off Miami's South Beach, the test boat made 5.8 knots over ground. She tracked straight as an arrow when left to herself, and under the 54-horsepower Yanmar she cruised at about 7 knots at 2,400 rpm, gaining roughly a knot with the throttle wide open at 3,200 rpm. The spade-hung rudder and twin helms gave the helm a stable feel as she spun about in her own boat length, with only slight prop walk to port when backing — quickly overcome once way was on.
Accommodations
The 42 I comes as a two-cabin, two-head layout or a three-cabin, two-head plan. The two-cabin version sailed by the reviewer held a roomy double berth aft to starboard, a head and separate acrylic glass shower to port at the foot of the companionway, and a finished, water-tight storage compartment aft of the shower that could serve as a small workshop. Forward, the owner's cabin has a full head and second shower. Fine Teak laminated panels and solid trim are used throughout, and the galley to starboard carries a two-burner propane stove and oven, double sinks, and top-loading fridge and freezer. A dinette forward of the galley folds down to an additional double berth, and the nav station to port has a desk that slides forward when in use and aft out of the settee's way. The manufacturer describes the layout as providing the space and storage necessary for passage making and live-aboards.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The wide, twin-helm cockpit carries a full-function, drop-leaf teak table and three large storage lockers, with a dedicated liferaft locker and built-in storage for a six-man raft on the scooped-out, teak swim platform. Twin anchor rollers forward and wide non-skid coamings speak to a deck designed for moving safely at sea, and cabin-top handholds run all the way to the mast. Harken 46 primary winches sit just ahead of each helm.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 42 I is a comfortable, performance-oriented coastal cruiser that backs the claim with real numbers and a sensible deck plan. Her injection-molded deck and solid-glass hull are conventional but well-executed, and the Lombard-influenced rig and helm layout make her genuinely manageable shorthanded. The interior is generous without being amorphous, and the two-cabin workshop aft is a rare touch of practicality.
Pros
- Twin-helm cockpit with all lines led aft for short-handed sail handling
- Injection-molded deck for lower weight and claimed structural gain
- Two-cabin layout with a water-tight aft storage workshop
- Stable, predictable power handling with tight turning radius
Cons
- Shoal-draft version carries more ballast and displacement, eroding performance margins
- In-mast furling is optional, not standard — verify which rig a given boat carries
