Design and Construction
Briand drew a hull that retains Jeanneau's signature look while incorporating an increasingly popular hard chine, and the same hull shape is shared with the Sun Odyssey 439. The plan view is very full with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.15, yet the entry shows considerable hollow at the waterline, a combination that trades a little entry bite for volume. A chine runs the hull, ending about 18 inches above the waterline at the transom and disappearing amidships, while a large fillet at the trailing edge of the keel-and-hull intersection appears intended to spread keel loads. The ample beam creates an initial form stability that translates into an upright, comfortable ride, and because of the large, flat sections aft the hull is inclined to surf when approaching top speeds, noticeably enhancing downwind performance anchor.
Rig and Handling
The 44 DS is a fractional sloop carrying a self-tacking jib on a track forward, with short side tracks recessed into the coachroof corners for sheeting overlapping headsails. All sheets are led aft to the helm, and the mainsheet runs forward German-style before turning aft with the other control lines, so sail handling is very simple for a short-handed crew. Lines from the mast, including the self-tacker sheet, run under a cover aft to winches at the companionway, and genoa sheets pass aft under the coachroof through clutches just forward of the coaming winches; sheets and running rigging are led under sea hoods to minimize clutter. Writing in Cruising World, test sailors on Chesapeake Bay found the helm responsive, tacked with ease, and held angles respectably close to the wind, making 7.2 knots on a close reach and 8.0 on a beam reach in 10 to 12 knots of true wind over a light chop anchor.
Accommodations
Darnet created an interior that is visually spacious, very bright, and of clean modern appeal, finished in walnut with long flat panels of light veneer offset by white cushions. The aft owners cabin holds a king-size island berth with an en suite head and shower, while the forward cabin offers a large V-berth, its own head and shower, and a computer or vanity station. A third layout keeps the big aft stateroom intact and adds a small forward port stateroom with stacked berths. In the two-stateroom version the forward cabin is the larger of the two and includes a head with shower stall and a small writing desk. Both heads are large, and the aft head is reachable from either the stateroom or the saloon. The galley sits to starboard of the companionway steps with Corian countertops, twin molded sinks, and a large icebox, while the nav station lies to port aft of the settee. The main saloon table folds into three configurations and can be raised or lowered electrically.
Deck and Cockpit
Main decks are teak covered, and the beamy transom opens to a wide functional boarding platform with stowage lockers, a pullout swim ladder, and washdown hoses. Twin wheels leave a wide pass-through to the swim platform, and the cockpit itself is large with a fixed centerline drop-leaf table that houses a chart plotter viewable from either helm. Forward cockpit benches are long and wide enough for sleeping, and at the companionway a single Lexan board drops into a drained well with dual latch access so nobody is trapped above or below. A bin at the entrance base stows lines from the cabin-top winches, and the windlass is recessed into a deck-accessed rode locker.
Equipment and Systems
The yacht is fitted with Raymarine electronics and a 54-horsepower Yanmar diesel that test crews found well matched to the hull. The standard keel draws 7 feet 2 inches with 6,283 pounds of ballast, while the shoal option draws 5 feet 2 inches with 6,945 pounds; the D/L sits at 158 and the SA/D at 17.28. Fuel capacity is 53 gallons and water 87.18 gallons, with a 42-gallon holding tank noted by one review. CE certification covers Category A for eight, B for ten, and C for twelve persons. Sources differ on beam (13 feet 11 inches versus 13 feet 4 inches) and water capacity (87.18 gallons versus 140 gallons).
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 44 DS succeeds as a deck-saloon cruiser because her designers treated the interior as the starting point rather than an afterthought, then wrapped it in a Briand hull that is both stable and willing to surf offwind. She is genuinely a joy to sail short-handed, and the cockpit-to-companionway detailing shows real thought for liveaboard and anchorage use.
Pros
- Upright form stability from the broad beam with surfing ability downwind
- Simple short-handed sail handling with all lines led aft
- Bright, modern interior with flexible two- or three-cabin layouts
- Thoughtful companionway and cockpit storage details
Cons
- Modest sail area relative to displacement limits light-air acceleration
- Shoal-keel version carries lower ballast ratio than the deep keel
