Design and Construction
Briand's hull for the 479 is defined by elongated waterlines and moderate freeboard, a combination the manufacturer credits with both its looks and its sea presence. The hull itself is fiberglass/GRP with a fixed keel and a standard draught of 2.24 meters. Jeanneau positioned the 479 as a boat that benefited from the most recent innovations and inherited the best qualities of its predecessors, a claim rooted in the brand's own framing of the model rather than outside assessment. The boat's 10809 kg displacement and 2.24 m draught place it firmly in the mid-size ocean-cruising monohull class, and the CE A-Ocean certification confirms its intended capability for extended offshore passage work.
Rig and Performance
The 479 carries a single-masted sloop rig and was offered with Yanmar engine options of 57 hp or 80 hp, paired with a 240-liter fuel capacity. The manufacturer states the yacht delivers exceptional performance at sea and offers the perfect balance between performance, on-board comfort, and ease of handling. With a guest capacity of eight and a maximum onboard capacity of fourteen, the design clearly targets both family cruising and skippered charter use. The builder's own language presents the 479 as a boat that does not trade away handling simplicity for its size — a balance point the spec sheet supports through the modest 2.24 m draught and the sloop configuration.
Accommodations
Available with three to four cabins, the 479 in its four-cabin form provides four guest cabins and four bathrooms, accommodating up to eight guests. The 615 liters of fresh water capacity underpins that guest load on a cruising rotation. The builder's emphasis on on-board comfort aligns with the cabin count and head count offered, and the boat reads as a volume-oriented cruiser rather than a stripped racer. Whether configured for private ownership or former charter service, the layout density is high for a hull of this length.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 479 is a Briand-designed, France-built aft-cockpit cruiser that Jeanneau produced from 2016 until its discontinuation. Its elongated hull and moderate freeboard give it a purposeful profile, and the CE A-Ocean rating confirms serious offshore intent. The three- to four-cabin layouts deliver real volume, while the sloop rig and modest draught keep handling approachable for a boat of its size. Buyers should note the model's production began in 2016 and verify which engine option and cabin count a given hull carries.
Pros
- CE Category A — Ocean certification for offshore capability
- Elongated hull lines with moderate freeboard for aesthetic and sea-keeping presence
- Three- to four-cabin layouts with up to four heads for high accommodation density
- Sloop rig and 2.24 m draught cited by the builder as balancing performance with ease of handling
Cons
- Produced from 2016 only and now discontinued, limiting model-run longevity
- Builder-derived performance claims lack independent sea-trial verification in the source record
