Design and Construction
The Sunbeam 39 was produced by Schöchl Yachtbau and designed by J&J Design, the same partnership that had shaped the yard's larger cruising line since the early 1990s anchor. The hull is fiberglass, and the boat is configured as a long-keel cruiser with a standard draft of 2.00 meters, a profile that favors directional stability and grounding tolerance over shoal-water agility. At 12.30 meters length and 3.90 meters beam, the hull form supports a cabin-cruiser layout intended purely for cruise purposes. The listed minimum draft of 0.00 meters reflects a database placeholder rather than a lifting or twin-keel variant.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Sunbeam 39 is rigged as a sloop with a total sail area of 78 square meters. The available record lists the mast height and individual mainsail, genoa, and spinnaker areas as unrecorded, so only the aggregate area can be stated. A 78 m² working sail plan on a 9,500 kg hull with a long keel suggests a moderate, manageable rig suited to a couple or small crew on passage, rather than a race-derived fractional setup. The Yanmar 4JH2E 48HP engine provides auxiliary power for maneuvering and battery charging.
Accommodations
In its standard version the Sunbeam 39 carries two cabins, two toilets, and six berths. That arrangement points to a forward and aft sleeping cabin with shared day heads, a layout typical of a European cruiser of this size built for owner cruising or light charter use. The cabin-cruiser designation and stated cruise purpose confirm the interior was laid out for living aboard rather than minimal coastal hopping.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam 39 is a straightforward J&J-designed long-keel cruiser from a yard with fiberglass experience. Its strengths lie in a roomy two-cabin hull and a proven auxiliary, while the sparse recorded specification leaves several technical details unconfirmed.
Pros
- Fiberglass hull from an experienced Austrian builder
- Two-cabin, two-head, six-berth layout suited to cruising
- Long-keel configuration for stable tracking under sail
Cons
- Several key specs (ballast, tankage, mast height, individual sail areas) are unrecorded
- 2.00 m standard draft limits shoal-water access
- Only aggregate sail area is known; rig detail is incomplete
