Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51

A 51-foot Jeanneau offshore cruiser, no longer built, with 6 cabins and generous tankage, for crews who want space and range for long passages.

With 6 cabins, 900 l of fresh water and 460 l of fuel, the Sun Odyssey 51 was drawn as a proper offshore cruiser rather than a marina boat. Jeanneau no longer builds her, but she made her name internationally while she was in the range, and that reputation is the reason people still ask about her.

She measures 15.35 m overall, with a 14.99 m hull and a draught of 1.95 m. Depending on how she's arranged, she'll take 8 to 12 people, so a big family or a full crew can go a long way without anyone feeling squeezed.

On deck, J&J Design and Jeanneau went for a completely open layout, plain and easy to read. At the time that was a first for a production yacht. The thinking behind her was to stick with classic materials and production methods that had already proved themselves, then be bolder in how the space was divided up and how fittings were built in, so she's straightforward to sail.

Andrew Winch chose the colours and materials, and his work gives her a character of her own.