At just under nine metres long with a beam of 2.49 metres, the 29.1 is road-trailable and easy to trailer. The builder supports that role by keeping the swing keel low on the trailer for safe transport.
Design and Construction
The 29.1 offers a less radical interpretation of the modern daysailer than the 32.1. The flight-deck overhang at the bow is less blatant, while the edges and bevelled surfaces are less pronounced. The result is a more harmonious, mass-compatible shape.
Certified suppliers in Poland produce the hulls, while construction, outfitting, and quality control take place in Austria. The structure is a hand-laid GRP sandwich with a foam core. The bulkheads are glued and laminated, and the deck-to-hull joint is glued and screwed. A full GRP frame and stringers are laminated into the hull along with the joinery.
The deck covering contains no tropical wood. Instead, the yard uses Resysta, made from rice husks and mineral salts, as an alternative to teak. White is the standard colour, and the boat presents as solid, upscale construction.
Rig, Keel, and Handling
The 29.1 has tiller steering and twin rudders mounted well outboard. This arrangement leaves the forward end of the cockpit open for guests, although the linkage and additional moving parts introduce slightly more friction than a single rudder.
The keel is an 800-kilogram hydraulic swing centreboard. A hand pump is standard, while an optional electric pump allows operation from the cockpit. The keel moves fully up or down in under 30 seconds, changing draught from 0.85 to 1.85 metres.
The backstayless rig carries a fathead mainsail on an optional carbon mast with a single pair of spreaders. A self-tacking jib uses a Facnor Flat Deck Furler, and all halyards and control lines run below deck to the helmsman beneath coachroof cowlings. A 64-square-metre gennaker sets from a fixed 50-centimetre bowsprit.
Writing in YACHT, testers found the boat incredibly lively in light air. She made five knots in five knots of wind and 5.5 knots or more with the gennaker. In 10 to 15 knots, she reached at 6.5 knots and more, rising to as much as 8 knots with a furling gennaker and no assistance from waves. She remains stiff, is well controlled by the twin rudders, and doesn’t need to be reefed early.
Cockpit and Sail Controls
The open forward end of the cockpit gives guests room without interfering with the tiller arrangement. Most sail controls lead aft to the helmsman, but the jib sheet runs only to the starboard winch. Testers noted that this winch is hard to reach from the windward bow when the boat is heeled.
The hydraulics, rods, quadrant, and optional autopilot sit externally beneath a large stern hatch, providing service access.
Accommodations and Storage
Below, the 29.1 follows the brand’s minimalist aesthetic. The non-separated foredeck, huge coachroof windows, and two large hatches create a generous sense of space. Actual headroom is limited, however: 1.40 metres beneath the superstructure and 90 centimetres from the cushions to the deck.
The exposed centreboard box dominates the saloon. It also supports the table, which can be moved into the cockpit using additional supports. Sleeping arrangements consist of a triangular double berth forward, followed by two settee berths; there is no aft double. Low headroom and the lack of an aft berth restrict weekending to two or three people.
A small galley and full heads are optional, as is a wet cell with a chemical toilet. These modules can be retrofitted after sale. Vertical ambient-light strips provide interior lighting.
Storage is the interior’s main weakness. There is little room beneath the berths because the batteries and keel hydraulics occupy that space, and the cabin has no wall lockers or pockets. The yard also fits no sea toilet as standard.
Propulsion, Electrical Systems, and Ownership
The standard auxiliary motor is a 4.1 kW Aquamot pod running at 48 volts from 8.2 kWh lithium batteries. The batteries are easily accessible beneath a cockpit flap. A 12 hp Vetus diesel remains available as a factory alternative.
Solar panels have a designated area on deck and can supply the instruments, fridge, and radio. The yard provides a two-year osmosis warranty.
The Verdict
The Sunbeam 29.1 is an expensive but extremely high-performance daysailer with a character of her own and plenty of useful options for a customised configuration. She suits sailors who value trailerable reach, lively light-air performance, and clean deck aesthetics more than cruising volume.
Pros
- Trailerable swing keel, with draught changing from 0.85 to 1.85 metres in under 30 seconds
- Lively light-air performance from the backstayless fathead rig and self-tacking jib
- Twin outboard rudders and tiller provide precise, stiff handling
- Galley and wet-cell modules can be retrofitted
Cons
- Very limited interior storage and no sea toilet as standard
- Starboard-only jib sheeting restricts access for trimming from the windward side
- Low headroom and no aft berth limit weekending to two or three people
- Twin-rudder linkage adds steering friction
