One-design

This Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 was chosen as the "2008 European Yacht of the Year" for boats under 10 meters. The first ones are now arriving in the United States and they have begun racing here. The design brief for the Sun Fast 3200 was for a "high-performance boat with a comfortable interior." That sounds familiar. It's almost like saying "a hearty soup." So let's take this design by Andrieu Yacht Design apart and see how the Andrieu/ Jeanneau recipe for "hearty soup" differs from the other soup recipes.

The L/B of this design is 2.8. I figure any L/B under 3.00 indicates a beamy boat. This design is very beamy and note how the beam is carried aft. To my eye it almost looks like max beam is at the transom, but not quite. Max beam is at about 75 percent of the DWL aft of the cutwater-you can call that "Station 0." Most designs have max beam closer to the 60-percent mark, or Station 6. The beam is then only reduced by about three inches as it goes aft to the broad transom. The turn of the bilge is on the soft side aft but there is still a lot of wetted surface aft. With all that beam aft it would be very easy to start pulling a single rudder out of the water as the boat heels. To avoid that problem this design has twin rudders well outboard. The rudders are big, so they too add to the wetted surface. When heeled over about half the weather rudder will be out of the water, but downwind both rudders will be immersed. The D/L of the design is 152. Note the long fore and aft root fillets on the keel. Draft is 6 feet, 2 inches.

The layout for the 3200 features mirror-image quarter cabins with double berths and a bank of lockers. The galley is minimal with a small sink and a small icebox outboard of the sink. Adjacent to the galley is a nav station. The semi-enclosed head is forward of the saloon settee berths and open to the large fo'c'sle.

The rig is unusual in that it is almost masthead but not quite. The double spreaders are swept 22 degrees. There is a short, fixed, pipe-frame prod on the bow. The drawings show a masthead, symmetrical spinnaker with provision for a screecher or asymmetrical chute to be carried tacked to the prod. Chainplates are outboard and there is a "flicker" to help the roach of the main clear the backstay. The SA/D is 22.26. I think this boat will rate well under most handicap systems. PHRF has given the 3200 a rating of 81. With this rating and racing in the Baltimore Harbor Leukemia Cup, the 3200, right out of the box, managed a fourth overall.

The most unusual thing about this cockpit is the twin tillers. The mainsheet traveler is located aft of the tillers and the mainsheet leads down to a winch directly ahead of the tillers near the cabin sole. This will make it very convenient for the helmsman to control the mainsheet. There are short cockpit seats with seat backs forward. It appears that you can sail the boat with the transom open or you can install a large Benson board to close it off if you prefer the feeling of more security. The 3200 is built with the infusion method to combine light weight with strength.

We'll just have to wait for next racing season to see how the tuned up Sun Fast 3200 fares in our local racing fleets.

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LOA 33'1"; LOD 32'1"; LWL 28'; Beam 11'5"; Draft 6'2"; Displacement 7,496 lbs.; Ballast 2,866 lbs.; Sail area 532 sq. ft.; SA/D 22.26; D/L 152; L/B 2.8; Auxiliary Yanmar 15-hp; Fuel 20 gals.; Water 21 gals.

Jeanneau America, 105 Eastern Ave., Suite 202, Annapolis, MD 21403, (410) 280-9400, www.jeanneauamerica.com.

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OBE: $182,000
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