Design and Construction
Briand's hull shows a hint of reverse rake on the stem and a very full bow, with maximum beam carried almost right aft to widen the transom. The plan view is striking: a plumb bow and broad forward sections push waterline length up, while a chine starts about where the mast stands. Writing in Yachting World, the editors noted that vacuum infused construction, with solid laminate in the keel area, has helped keep displacement relatively low for a 44,467-pound yacht. The walkaround deck is a refinement of the concept Jeanneau first used on the Sun Odyssey 440, yielding almost level decks with only a gentle upward slope ahead of the twin helm stations, decent bulwarks and extra-high guardrails.
Two keel choices exist: a standard cast-iron bulb drawing 8 feet 4 inches and a shallow-draft version drawing 6 feet 10 inches, the latter carrying more ballast at 12,438 pounds against the standard 10,240. Twin rudders and a beam of 17 feet 1 inch give the hull a length-to-beam ratio of 3.35 and a displacement-to-length figure around 118, numbers that place her firmly in the modern voluminous cruiser camp.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a tall fractional sloop with spreaders swept 24 degrees and chainplates on the rail; D1 chainplates sit inboard at the coachroof edge. A powerful Harken hydraulic backstay and vang serve a slab-reefing mainsail, and controls lead aft to a pair of electric winches on each side ahead of the helms. The taller mast option brings rod shrouds and, on the Sport version Yachting World tested, stood 1.6 meters higher with a slightly overlapping jib. Far-aft swept spreaders remove the need for running backstays when the optional permanently rigged furling self-tacking staysail is deployed.
Under sail the test boat impressed. In 10–11 knots true with an awkward swell she made a steady 7 to 7.5 knots upwind and showed reassuringly high stability with very little heel. Reaching in 6–7 knots true under a Code 0, speed hovered just under six knots, and she tracked impressively straight in 9 knots apparent. The standard sail plan is 1,410 square feet, with an optional 1,754 square feet available; the sail-area-to-displacement ratio reads about 20.7 to 22.5 depending on displacement basis.
Accommodations
Winch's interior is built around flexibility. The builder offers between 19 possible layouts, and ahead of the main bulkhead the space is modular—convertible in minutes between one large guest cabin with his-and-hers heads or a pair of identical en-suite doubles divided by a concertina bulkhead. Up to five cabins are possible plus a bow skipper or double cabin; the forward sail locker can become an additional double or a skipper's cabin with single berth and en-suite heads.
The owner's aft cabin is full beam with the bed offset to starboard, two hanging lockers, a settee and a large heads. A forward owner's cabin with a large head and shower is another choice, while the galley spans the full beam just aft of the mast with an optional full-height refrigerator and an underfloor tinned-food tray plus bilge wine rack. The saloon holds expansive port seating with a convertible coffee table, four opening hatches, coachroof windows and four hull windows; a starboard pull-out wardrobe serves foul-weather gear. One tested layout lacked a day head, a noted drawback.
Deck and Equipment
Two deck layouts define the cockpit shelter: one uses a retractable dodger anchored to an arch carrying the mainsheet, the other a hard bimini running to the transom with a retractable sun panel. Twin wheels leave the middle of the big cockpit open, with L-shaped seating and tables either side. A longitudinal tender garage aft stows a 2.9-meter tender on rollers with a winch; an offset garage version fits a 3-meter aluminum RIB. The wide-open transom reveals a large lazarette. Cruiser versions add a solid windscreen option and a hardtop with fabric sunroof.
The Verdict
The Jeanneau Yachts 60 succeeds as a volume-forward offshore cruiser whose modular interior and twin deck personalities let one hull cover owner and charter briefs. She is stable, well-mannered under a tall fractional rig, and intelligently engineered below, though open-plan saloons trade handholds for space and some layouts omit a day head.
Pros
- Modular forward accommodation convertible between guest and double layouts in minutes
- Vacuum-infused hull with solid keel laminate keeping displacement low
- Stable, straight-tracking performance under fractional rig with hydraulic vang and backstay
- Longitudinal tender garage stowing a 2.9–3.0 meter RIB without compromising aft space
Cons
- Open saloon volumes lack decent handholds for rough-weather movement
- Some configurations omit a day head
- Rope bins under cockpit benches undersized for slab-reefing gear
