Jeanneau Sun Fast 40

A fast, easy-steering Jeanneau racer/cruiser by Daniel Andrieu, no longer built, for sailors who want to race seriously and still cruise in comfort.

The rig is where the Sun Fast 40 shows her racing intent. She has triple swept-back spreaders and no running backs or lower shrouds, so tacking is simpler for the crew, and an adjustable backstay lets you tune as the breeze changes. Harken hardware is used throughout, the traveller sits in the cockpit and she came with upgraded winches.

Jeanneau and Daniel Andrieu drew her as a dual-purpose yacht, meant to be quick on every point of sail and competitive whatever rating system she was measured under. Jeanneau has since stopped building her, so any you find now will be a previous model.

Much of her good manners comes from the keel. It's deep, at 2.4 m, and made from a mix of iron and lead. That gives a light helm and a wide groove, so she's forgiving to steer and keeps moving well without constant correction.

She's 12.2 m overall on an 11.75 m hull, with 2 or 3 cabins depending on layout. Tanks hold 320 l of fresh water and 136 l of fuel, and she's rated for a maximum of 4 people.