Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350: sea trial of a small great sailboat

Jeanneau-Sun-Odyssey-350

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350: an astonishing sea trial

There are sailboats that are born really well and that, despite their size, manage to offer a great number of features that make them ideal for sailing and for long cruising. This is certainly the case with the brand-new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350, which, worthy successor to the legendary 349, has very little to envy compared to significantly larger boats.

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 in detail

The new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 immediately gives the feeling of being on a much larger sailboat as soon as you climb on board. In the cockpit, you can live, sail, and maneuver without ever feeling cramped. The two side benches can seat three people on each side, in addition to the two seats behind the two wheels, which are also generously sized. The central table is foldable and well-sized, and when closed, it serves as a handrail when the boat heels.

The side deck is ‘walk-around’ type, a feature introduced a few years ago that allows going forward without climbing steps, freeing up additional space on either side of the helm stations. The coachroof pleasantly descends in height, and near the bow, it creates a useful and comfortable flat section of the deck. A real blessing that, when sailing, allows working on the foresails from a stable position while, at anchor or underway, provides a comfortable spot for sunbathing.

Descending into the interior, one is immediately impressed by the available space. The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 is decidedly large and welcoming, perfect for long cruises, with family or friends.

There are a total of four versions available for this small yet great sailboat: ranging from the three-cabin version to the two-cabin version with a technical compartment, ideal for long voyages, which can be used for carpentry, storage, or a crew berth. All versions come with a bathroom, which in the two-cabin version is equipped with a separate shower, and the option to have or not have a chart table, in favor of extending the left sofa to create a complete chaise longue with armrest.

The dinette table has drop-down panels that, when lifted, create a sufficienlty spacious dining area. The galley is arranged in an L-shape and equipped with a vertical 100l fridge.

The forward cabin features a generously sized V-berth, and quite unusually for a ten-meter boat, it can be closed off to ensure a good level of privacy. The dimensions of the two aft cabins in the three-cabin version are also excellent, although in the two-cabin version, the aft cabin is significantly larger than the market average.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 Sea Trial

It’s a gloomy day today, the sky is dark, and the wind is weak. These are challenging conditions for most pure cruising sailboats. I’m aboard the new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350, which we are about to test in its performance version, with some slightly more efficient sails and a slightly more elongated mainsail, which adds about two square meters of canvas. Something that today, judging by the glassy surface of the water, we will certainly need.

As we leave the harbor, we take the opportunity to assess the engine performance, which, in our case, is a 29HP Yanmar equipped with a folding propeller. The boat sails well and, despite its size, allows for a cruising speed of nearly 7 knots, not bad at all when there are many miles to cover and the wind is absent. By reducing the speed a bit, I find it really comfortable to sail at 6.5 knots, around 2,500 RPMs, an economical cruising speed that takes full advantage of the Sun Odyssey 350’s waterline length to glide the boat through the water without the stern dipping.

We hoist the mainsail, which, although it’s a standard sail, is of excellent quality. Then we bear away, unfurl the 110% genoa, turn off the engine, and pull the throttle back to close the folding propeller blades.

There’s no more than 6/7 knots of true wind, but to our pleasant surprise, the Sun Odyssey 350 immediately finds its pace and begins to generate apparent wind. I tighten up to the customary 30°, adjust the mainsail and genoa, and the boat accelerates quickly, reaching a speed of 5.3 knots. Intrigued by this performance, I bear away a bit and trim in the small genoa, feeling the boat heel as the speed increases even more. At 50° apparent wind angle, we sail steadily above 6 knots, with peaks at 6.2 knots.

This Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 is lively and responsive, responding to the helm sincerely but directly, without tending to luff or bear away. Letting go of the wheel, the boat continues to sail straight; the autopilot won’t have to work much on this sailboat.

Tacking is done with great simplicity; the low-overlap genoa makes maneuvers easier, and the Sun Odyssey 350 doesn’t slow down much when changing tack, always sailing smoothly and fast.

We bear away to hoist the Code 0, another very simple maneuver on this boat where everything is always within reach, and above all, where electric servomechanisms are not needed. The loads are always relatively low, so they can be managed without much effort by hand.

With this sail, speeds immediately increase by about a knot, and thanks to a few gusts at 8/9 knots of true wind, our Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 treats us to close-reaching/reaching speeds close to 7 knots, really not bad for a cruiser!

Conclusion

This new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350 has honestly won me over. Easy-to-handle, maneuverable, and unexpectedly fast, it’s a sailboat capable of providing great satisfaction, both in sailing and during long motor passages where, thanks to a certainly successful hull design, it can offer respectable daily averages.

Livability is the second strenght of this sailboat, both above and below deck, where it decidedly offers spaces comparable to those of larger vessels, making it perfect for a family of four or a group of friends who want to sail and stay on board for long periods.

My favorite version? Certainly the one we tested, the performance version that I would choose in my case, with two cabins, a technical compartment, and a bathroom with a separate shower.

JEANNEAU.COM

Performance

Apparent Wind	Speed in knots		Under Power
Angle	With genoa	With code 0	RPM	Speed in knots
30°	5.3		800	2.1
40°	6		1000	2.5
50°	6.2	6.7	1500	4.1
		7.1	2000	5.2
			2500	6.3
			3000	6.9
			3400	7.6

Test Conditions: true wind from 6 to 9 knots; slight sea state; 6 people on board; fuel at 80%; water at 30%.

Technical Specs

LOA	10.40 m
LOA, bowsprit included	10.94 m
LH	9.99 m
LWL	9.38 m
Max Beam	3.59 m

Unladen Displacement with standard keel	5,656 kg
Standard Keel Weight	1,580 kg
Draft (standard keel)	1.98 m

Unladen Displacement with reduced draft keel	5,936 kg
Reduced Draft Keel Weight	1,860 kg
Draft (reduced draft keel)	1.49 m

Unladen Displacement with retractable keel	5,598 kg
Retractable Keel Weight	1,522 kg
Retractable Keel Draft	1.28 – 2.54 m

Fuel Tank Capacity	130 L
Water Tank Capacity	206 L
Optional Water Tank	336 L
Black Water Tank Capacity	80 L

Standard Mainsail	31.60 m2
Genoa 110%	23.40 m2
Performance Mainsail	34.40 m2
Performance Genoa 110%	24.00 m2

Design Category	A6 – B8 – C 10 – D 10
Designer	Marc Lombard Yacht Design
	Piaton Yacht Design
	Jeanneau Design

Luca D'Ambrosio

Editor-in-chief, boat tester and journalist. Luca began sailing at an early age with his father then as an adult discovered sailing regattas and offshore racing. He has been working in publishing for more than 30 years and continues to sail incessantly, especially aboard the editorial staff's boat, an old lady of the seas that he has completely rebuilt and which serves excellently as a "mobile laboratory" for The International Yachting Media.