Design and Construction
The 49 DS was conceived as a stylish modern cruiser that recalls the elegance of grand seafaring yachts. Briand’s hull plan and Garroni’s exterior styling were paired with an interior by Jeanneau’s in-house team. That division of work produced a coherent deck saloon and a purposeful arrangement below.
The hull is hand-laid solid fiberglass, while the deck is balsa-cored. This construction keeps the topsides light without sacrificing the stiffness of a solid bottom. The deck-stepped Sparcraft mast is supported below by a polished pipe strut bolted to the hull. This direct load path frees up cabin volume, but, as the same review noted, it rules out mast-bend tuning through an active backstay. The split backstay also leaves the transom open, with wide centerline gates leading to the swim platform.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The rig reflects a shorthanded cruising brief rather than a focus on racing. An in-mast roller-furling main from Profurl is paired with a 9/10-fractional headstay. The factory sail package from Technique-Voile includes a 135-percent genoa.
The fractional headstay accounts for the lack of traditional masthead overlap. As the tester observed, the roller-furling main doesn’t allow for mast bend or active backstay adjustment, trading some sail-shape control for simpler handling.
Twin helms with 35.4-inch wheels sit well outboard. Both steering positions remain comfortable over a range of heel angles, and the low deckhouse doesn’t obstruct cockpit sightlines. The cockpit also stays remarkably dry in choppy conditions.
Under power, buyers could choose a 75-horsepower Yanmar or an optional 100-horsepower engine. Propeller choices were a fixed three-blade 20-by-12 prop or an optional Max Prop. The test boat had the 100-horsepower turbo motor and Max Prop, and it made 7.5 knots into a 15-knot headwind without strain.
Accommodations
At the foot of the companionway, a forward-facing navigation table sits immediately to port. Its outboard breaker panel carries labels in both French and English, a quiet reminder of the builder’s homeland.
The galley is to starboard, one step down from the main cabin sole. It includes a large gimbaled stove and oven, top- and side-opening refrigeration, a microwave, and twin sinks. The reviewer described it as more like a modern home kitchen than a minimal cruising galley. A well-placed eight-inch Lexan barrier between the sinks and saloon helps contain spills.
In the saloon, a C-shaped settee with a table and two chairs occupies the starboard side. To port are a smaller settee and provision for an LCD television. The maximum stated capacity is six people, consistent with either a three-cabin owner layout or a charter-style arrangement.
Equipment and Production
A 1,200-watt anchor windlass and generous chain locker allow for substantial ground tackle. Jeanneau also offered a bow thruster as a factory option.
The test boat, hull number 14, carried an optional handsome teak cockpit tabletop, a small indication of how these boats left the factory with owner-directed upgrades already in place.
At the model’s introduction, Jeanneau said it planned to build 90 boats during the first year, with 30 destined for the United States. That put a meaningful number of 49 DS models into American waters early on.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 49 DS is a thoughtfully resolved deck-saloon cruiser, combining a Briand performance hull, Garroni styling, and a genuinely modern interior. It gives up some racing-oriented rig flexibility in exchange for easier shorthanded handling. Its dry cockpit, clear sightlines, and comfortable twin helms make it a confident coastal and offshore companion.
Pros
- High-performance Briand hull with graceful Garroni lines and a solid, hand-laid fiberglass bottom
- Balsa-cored deck and split backstay, with wide centerline access to the swim platform
- Dry cockpit with clear sightlines and comfortable twin helms
- Strong windward performance under engine
- Modern, well-equipped galley
- Logical navigation station with bilingual labeling
Cons
- In-mast furling main and fractional rig eliminate mast-bend and backstay-tuning options
- Deck-stepped mast with a below-deck strut provides less rig adjustment than a keel-stepped section
