With a standard displacement of 18,541 pounds and a beam of 13 feet 6 inches, she is a beamy, volume-driven design rather than a lithe racer. Even so, her numbers suggest more than cruising comfort alone.
Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass, while the deck is injection-molded—the feature that gives the model its “i” designation. Jeanneau claimed the process reduces weight, lowers the center of gravity, and improves structural properties because the resin is more evenly distributed.
The deck uses discontinuous balsa-block coring, with solid mat beneath winches and other hardware. That detail matters given the loads carried by the Harken 40 and 46 winches around the cockpit.
In standard form, the iron keel carries 5,629 pounds of ballast and draws 7 feet. The ballast-displacement ratio is .30, and the D/L is 150. Those figures place the boat firmly among moderate-displacement cruisers, with enough stiffness for confident sailing.
Rig and Sail Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries a full-batten mainsail and a 122-percent genoa as standard, though the tested boat had the optional Seldén in-mast furling rig. The lower shrouds are brought inboard to the cabin house, while the upper shrouds run all the way outboard. This arrangement clears the side decks and supports a predictable sail shape.
All sail-control lines run aft from the mast through organizers to clutches and winches on either side of the companionway. A short-handed crew can therefore handle sail trim without leaving the cockpit. Jeanneau also offered a bow sprit for better downwind performance.
Sailing and Power Performance
On the water, the design brief of effortless speed and complete safety comes across as more than marketing. Close-reaching in 9 knots off Miami’s South Beach, the test boat made 5.8 knots over ground. Left to herself, she tracked straight as an arrow.
Under power, the 54-horsepower Yanmar drove the boat at about 7 knots at 2,400 rpm. Opening the throttle fully to 3,200 rpm added roughly another knot. The spade-hung rudder and twin helms gave the helm a stable feel, and the boat spun within her own length. When backing, she showed only slight prop walk to port, which was quickly overcome once she had way on.
Cockpit and Deck Gear
The broad cockpit has twin helms and a full-function, drop-leaf teak table. Three large lockers provide storage, while a dedicated liferaft locker and built-in space for a six-man raft are located on the scooped-out teak swim platform.
Harken 46 primary winches sit just ahead of each helm. Forward, the boat has twin anchor rollers, and wide nonskid coamings provide footing when moving around at sea. Cabin-top handholds extend all the way to the mast.
Accommodations
The Sun Odyssey 42 I was offered with either two cabins and two heads or three cabins and two heads. The two-cabin version sailed by the reviewer had a roomy double berth aft to starboard. To port, at the foot of the companionway, were a head and a separate acrylic-glass shower. Aft of the shower was a finished, watertight storage compartment that could serve as a small workshop.
The owner’s cabin forward has a full head and a second shower. Fine Teak laminated panels and solid trim are used throughout the interior.
The starboard galley includes a two-burner propane stove and oven, double sinks, and top-loading refrigerator and freezer compartments. Forward of the galley, the dinette converts into an additional double berth. The navigation station to port has a desk that slides forward for use and aft to keep it out of the settee’s way. The manufacturer describes the arrangement as providing the space and storage needed for passage making and living aboard.
Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 42 I is a comfortable, performance-oriented coastal cruiser with credible numbers and a sensible deck plan. Her injection-molded deck and solid-fiberglass hull are conventional but well executed, while the Lombard-influenced rig and twin-helm arrangement make her genuinely manageable short-handed.
Below, the interior is generous without feeling amorphous. In particular, the two-cabin version’s watertight aft storage compartment—and its potential use as a small workshop—is an unusually practical touch.
Pros
- Twin-helm cockpit with all sail-control lines led aft for short-handed handling
- Injection-molded deck intended to reduce weight and provide claimed structural benefits
- Two-cabin layout with a watertight aft storage compartment suitable for use as a workshop
- Stable, predictable handling under power and a tight turning radius
Cons
- The shoal-draft version carries more ballast and displacement, reducing its performance margins
- In-mast furling was optional rather than standard, so verify which rig a particular boat carries
