Design and Construction
Briand drew a hull that retains Jeanneau's signature look while incorporating an increasingly popular hard chine, a feature realized in physical form as a chine ending about 18 inches above the waterline at the transom that disappears amidships. The hull is very full in plan view with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.15, yet the entry shows considerable hollow at the design waterline, and the,13-foot-11-inch beam is carried well aft in the typically French fashion. A large fillet at the trailing edge of the keel/hull intersection is present, presumably to help spread keel loads. The same hull is used in the Sun Odyssey 439, the distinction being the deck-saloon treatment on the 44 DS. Main decks are teak covered. The companionway uses a single Lexan board that drops into a drained well with dual access to the latches so crew are not trapped above or below.
Rig and Handling
The 44 DS is a fractional sloop carrying a self-tacking jib on a track forward, with short tracks port and starboard nestled into coachroof recesses for overlapping headsails. All sheets are led aft to the helm, and the mainsheet runs forward German style before going aft with other control lines, making sail handling 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, while genoa sheets pass aft under the coachroof through clutches just forward of coaming-mounted winches; sheets and running rigging are led under sea hoods to minimize clutter. The rig is not large but adequate, with an SA/D that sources state as 17.28 from one account and 18.9 from another. Test sailors on Chesapeake Bay in 10 to 12 knots of true wind recorded 7.2 knots on a close reach and 8.0 on a beam reach, found the helm responsive, tacked with ease, and maintained angles respectably close to the wind. The ample beam creates initial form stability for an upright, comfortable ride, and the large flat sections aft incline the hull to surf when approaching top speeds, noticeably enhancing downwind performance.
Accommodations
Franck Darnet created an interior that is visually spacious, bright, and of clean modern appeal, executed in walnut with styling one reviewer termed Modern Scandinavian. The boat is offered in two or three cabin layouts. In the three-cabin arrangement, the big aft stateroom is left intact and a small stateroom forward to port is added with stacked berths, while a V-berth double sits forward and both heads are large, the aft one accessible from stateroom or saloon. The two-stateroom version makes the forward stateroom the larger of the two, with its own head, shower stall, and a small writing desk to port. The aft owners cabin sports a king-size island berth and en suite head, and the forward cabin features a large V-berth, private head/shower, and a computer/vanity station. The galley is nicely laid out with double sinks and a large icebox, sits to starboard of the companionway steps with Corian countertops and twin sinks, and the nav station is to port aft of the settee. The main saloon table folds into three configurations with electronically controlled height.
Equipment and Cockpit
The cockpit is large, with twin wheels leaving a wide stern opening to a swim platform and a fixed centerline drop-leaf table that houses a chart plotter rotatable for either helm. Forward cockpit benches are long and wide enough for sleeping. A bin at the base of the entrance stows lines from cabin-top winches, the windlass is recessed into a deck-accessed rode locker, and the beamy transom presents a wide boarding platform with stowage lockers, a pullout swim ladder, and washdown hoses. The boat is equipped with Raymarine electronics and a 54-horsepower Yanmar diesel.
Known Issues and Ownership Notes
The documented record shows no structural defects or systemic failures; the principal cautions are design-specific rather than fault-based. The in-mast furling mainsail places a high center of effort, a characteristic testers noted when assessing sail balance. The companionway Lexan board and drained well replace traditional washboards, and dual latch access is a deliberate safeguard rather than a correction of a known failure. Prospective owners should simply verify the teak deck condition and the function of the electrically height-adjustable saloon table, both unique to this deck-saloon execution.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 44 DS succeeds as a deck-saloon cruiser because her interior is the conceptual core, executed with a bright walnut Modern Scandinavian aesthetic and flexible two- or three-cabin plans, while Briand's hard-chined hull delivers upright form stability and a tendency to surf downwind. She is a joy to sail and exceptionally comfortable, with all sheets led aft for short-handed simplicity.
Pros
- Philippe Briand hull with hard chine and hollow entry for able performance
- Franck Darnet deck-saloon interior, bright and spacious in walnut
- All sheets led aft; simple short-handed sail handling
- Twin wheels, wide transom boarding platform, teak main decks
- 54-hp Yanmar, Raymarine electronics, in-mast furling available
Cons
- In-mast furling mainsail raises center of effort
- Teak deck maintenance burden
- Three-cabin layout sacrifices symmetrical aft staterooms for a small berth
