Design and Construction
The 29.1 reinterprets the modern daysailer with a de-radicalised hand. Compared with the 32.1, the flight deck overhang at the bow is less blatant and the edges and bevelled surfaces are less pronounced, giving a more harmonious, mass-compatible shape. The hulls are sourced from certified suppliers in Poland, while construction, outfitting, and quality control happen in Austria. Structure is a GRP sandwich laid up by hand with a foam core; bulkheads are glued and laminated, the deck-hull joint is glued and screwed, and the full GRP frame and stringers are laminated into the hull along with joinery. The deck covering avoids tropical wood entirely, using Resysta made from rice husks and mineral salts as a teak alternative. The standard colour is white, and the build presents as solid upscale construction.
Rig and Handling
Steering is by tiller to twin rudders positioned well outboard, a layout that leaves the forward cockpit end open for guests yet introduces a touch more friction than a single blade through its linkage and moving parts. The keel is a hydraulic swing centreboard, 800 kilograms of it, standard hand-pumped and optionally driven by an electric pump from the cockpit, moving fully up or down in under 30 seconds across a draught band of 0.85 to 1.85 metres. The backstayless rig carries a fathead mainsail on an optional carbon mast with a single pair of spreaders, paired with a self-tacking jib on a Facnor Flat Deck Furler; all halyards and lines run below deck to the helmsman under coachroof cowlings. A 64-square-metre gennaker sets on a fixed 50-centimetre bowsprit. Writing in YACHT, testers found her incredibly lively in light air, making five knots at five knots of wind and 5.5 or more with the gennaker, then 6.5 knots and more on a reach in 10 to 15 knots, and up to 8 knots with a furling gennaker and no wave help. She stays stiff, tames well under twin rudders, and need not be reefed early.
Accommodations
Below, the 29.1 reflects the brand's minimalist aesthetic. The non-separated foredeck and huge coachroof windows with two large hatches give a generous sense of space, though headroom is only 1.40 metres under the superstructure and 90 centimetres from cushion to deck. The dominant saloon feature is the unhidden centreboard box, which also carries the table that can move to the cockpit on extra supports. Sleeping is a triangular double forward followed by two settee berths; there is no aft double. The small galley and full heads are optional, as is a wet cell with chemical toilet, and those modules can be retrofitted after sale. Ambient vertical light strips set the mood. Storage is the weak point: little sits under the berths where batteries and keel hydraulics live, and no wall lockers or pockets exist.
Known Issues
The double rudder system carries slightly more friction than a single blade. The jib sheet leads only to the starboard winch, which testers noted is hard to reach on the windward bow when heeled. Interior storage is genuinely scarce, and the yard fits no sea toilet as standard.
Refits and Ownership
Owners can add the pantry and wet cell modules later, and the keel hydraulics, rods, quadrant, and the optional autopilot are housed externally beneath a large stern hatch for service access. The standard 4.1 kW Aquamot pod motor runs at 48 volts on 8.2 kWh lithium batteries, easily reached under a cockpit flap, while a 12 hp Vetus diesel remains a factory alternative. Solar panels have a defined deck area to feed instruments, fridge, and radio. The yard offers a two-year osmosis warranty.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam 29.1 is an expensive but extremely high-performance daysailer with her own character and many useful options for customised configuration. She rewards the sailor who wants trailerable reach, light-air sparkle, and clean deck aesthetics over cruising volume.
Pros
- Trailable swing keel with under-30-second 0.85–1.85 m draught change
- Lively light-wind performance with backstayless fathead rig and self-tacking jib
- Twin outboard rudders and tiller give precise, stiff handling
- Retrofit-friendly galley and wet cell modules
Cons
- Minimal interior storage and no standard sea toilet
- Single-side jib sheeting limits windward trim access
- Low headroom and no aft berth restrict weekending to two or three
- Twin-rudder linkage adds steering friction
