Design and Construction
The 42 DS measures 41 feet 4 inches overall and 36 feet 9 inches on the waterline, with a beam of 14 feet 5 inches and a bulb-keel draft of 6 feet 4 inches. Displacement is 27,778 pounds, including 8,818 pounds of lead ballast.
The hull is solid fiberglass requiring minimal seasonal maintenance. By using solid laminate rather than a cored hull, the yard followed the conventional Austrian GRP construction tradition it adopted after moving away from wooden clinker construction decades earlier.
With a length-to-beam ratio of 2.91, the 42 DS is beamier than 90 percent of comparable sailboats, giving it unusual interior volume for its length. At the same time, its displacement-length ratio of 176 places it among “light racers”; 82 percent of similar designs are heavier.
The immersion rate is about 371 kg per centimeter (2,080 lbs per inch). In practical terms, loading a tonne of gear will sink the hull by roughly 2.7 cm—a useful figure when provisioning for the extended voyages for which the boat is certified.
Rig and Handling
The 42 DS is a masthead sloop with a 1,062-square-foot sail plan. The jib and genoa sheets are each specified at an estimated 12.8 meters long and 14 mm in diameter. The mainsheet is an estimated 32.0 meters at the same diameter, while the spinnaker sheet is 28.2 meters. These estimated lengths indicate a cockpit arranged for manageable control loads.
A spade rudder and bulb keel work with a ballast-displacement ratio of 31.74 percent. The 27,778-pound hull has a documented capsize screening value of 1.91—low enough that, by that formula alone, the boat could be accepted for participation in ocean races. The theoretical maximum hull speed is 8.6 knots.
Accommodations and Ocean Capability
The 42 DS provides four berths and carries 570 liters (150 US gallons) of fresh water. Its CE Class A ocean certification means it is designed for extended voyages in which conditions may exceed wind force 8 and significant wave heights of 4 meters and above.
Its Motion Comfort Ratio of 29.3 makes it more comfortable than 46 percent of similar sailboat designs. That doesn’t put it among the softest-riding boats in its class, but it is consistent with the light-racer displacement profile and the beamy hull, which trades some motion damping for interior volume.
Verdict
The Sunbeam 42 DS is a beamy, lightly loaded, 42-foot, ocean-certified sloop from the Schöchl and J&J collaboration. Built in modest numbers, it is aimed at long passages rather than dockside comfort. Its solid-fiberglass hull keeps maintenance low, and its stability figures support serious offshore use, although its comfort ratio remains mid-pack.
Pros
- CE Class A (Ocean) certification for extended voyages in winds above force 8 and seas of 4 m and above
- Beamier than 90% of similar designs, providing superior interior space
- Solid-fiberglass hull requiring minimal seasonal maintenance
- Capsize screening value of 1.91 supports ocean-race eligibility
Cons
- Motion Comfort Ratio is better than only 46% of similar designs
- Displacement-length ratio of 176 places it in the “light racer” category rather than among heavy offshore cruisers
- Only 29 were built, limiting future parts and community support
