USED BOAT TEST
The roomy Sun
Odyssey 34.2 is
popular with charter
fleets and private
owners. Miles
Kendall went to
Plymouth to unravel
the secret of the
design’s success.
J
eanneau understands its
market. By designing
yachts that appeal to all
sorts of sailors it can
sell hundreds and hundreds of
boats. That is certainly the case
with the Sun Odyssey 34.2,
which succeeds in finding
a happy medium between
many of the demands put on
modern yachts.
She was designed by
Jacques Fauroux who wanted
to create a fast boat with plenty
of room above decks and
below. Versions with single or
twin aft cabins were offered.
Charter yachts would have
the twin cabins and a much
smaller heads, while private
owners often opted for a single
aft cabin, plenty of cockpit
stowage plus a large heads and
additional saloon lockers.
Two fin keel options were
available, both with bulbs, and
the deeper of these is preferable.
The 34.2 has a sleek, modern
profile and carries her beam
well aft. The design was in
build between 1996 and 2002
with up to 250 yachts being
sold in one year. Owners were
given the choice of a broad
range of optional extras and
upgrades. Slightly taller rigs
were introduced after 2000.
With many yachts
having seen hard
service in charter, a
survey is advisable
and secondhand
prices will vary a
Your space in the sun
great deal according to
condition. Many examples
of the 34.2 are still in active
charter use – a great way to
road test a design before you
buy. We were lucky to sail a
boat that had benefited from a
series of upgrades.
66 Sailing Today September 09
ST149 Used SO34.2 rtg.indd 60 16/7/09 17:30:47
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