“Over the last two years we have spoken a lot about the crossover between cruising and racing. The early signs were reasonably subtle. There were Lazy Jacks and furlers going to racing, and then Code Zeroes and prodders (bowsprits) coming into cruising. More recently there were all the short-handed running rigging changes, and control lines going aft from the coach house roof to the helmer’s position.
That’s all wonderful, but is Jeanneau’s new Sun Odyssey range the first to take total innovation, and apply it to the entire craft? Answer. Could well be! And how marvellous is that? Well it is tremendous, and a sail as soon as one can be arranged is bound to only confirm it. They all embody the essence, but there is a certain (and yes, wait for the cliché) je ne sais quoi with the 490…
It is not that the others don’t have their own personalities; it is simply that the lines are most pleasing with the larger sister, which was penned by Philippe Briand. He also did the SO440 that packs an enormous amount in, so it is absolutely no wonder it is a multi-award winner. Marc Lombard created the ultra-new 410, and it would seem to be like the bantam-weight fighter. Not to be messed with…”