Family cruiserr

The Juneau Sun Odyssey 37 was designed by Jacques Fauroux and the Jeanneau Design group. All in all this is a very typical example of the modern French cruising boat. In terms of image and styling this boat is indistinct. It's a handsome design, but there is nothing to set it apart from a lot of other boats.

The sailplan shows moderate freeboard with an almost flat sheer and short overhangs. The double-spreader rig features spreaders swept to 21 degrees and a babystay forward. The deck plan clearly shows forward lowers. It's unusual to need a babystay when you sweep the spreaders to this degree. The compression on the swept spreaders will normally take care of that forward bending moment. The SA/D for this sloop, using I, J, E and P, is a very moderate 15.56, almost underpowered by today's standards.

This is a beamy boat with an L/B of 3.09. Any number below 3.25 indicates a beamy boat. This beam is used by the designers for interior volume, cockpit volume and good initial stability. The D/L is 188, and the stern is very wide. There are two keels offered: a shoal keel drawing 4 feet, 9 inches and a deep keel drawing 6 feet, 4 inches. Note the vertical rudder stock and the large, shapely rudder blade.

There are two layouts: one with a single quarter stateroom aft, and another with two mirror-image staterooms aft. Of course, if you choose the two-stateroom model you sacrifice your lazarette and any cruiser knows that you can never have enough lazarette. The single stateroom also has a nicer head. The nav table can be used from a seat aft or the short settee forward. This is a clever detail.

The real highlight of these interiors is the beautiful joinerwork detailing, which features rich veneers and a lighter wood trim. There are plenty of lockers, but I don't see any galley drawers. Note that none of the lockers under the side decks come up to the deck head, and there is a three-inch to four-inch gap in between. This allows the builder to finish almost the entire interior before the deck is put on. It's an efficient manufacturing technique, but the lockers lose valuable volume. Still, this is a very impressive interior.

This is a sleek-looking boat with teak decks accented by an unusual aluminum toerail that has no holes. I don't know about you, but I like the holes in my "holy rail," although this "nonholy rail" looks clean and trim. There is a well in the foredeck to stow anchor tackle and an optional windlass just aft of the well. The stem fitting features double rollers.

All halyards are led aft, and there is an aluminum track where you can attach the dodger. The cockpit is huge and opens to the transom swim step. I know I'm old fashioned, but I don't like these big obtrusive, robotlike steering pedestals. I prefer the simple binnacle type. Still, with owners wanting so many instruments within reach at the wheel, we are forced to use these amorphous-looking towers of tech. I sailed my Valiant 40 with only a knotmeter, depth sounder and VHF, and never once felt in imminent danger.

The 37 will make an excellent all-around coastal cruising boat and should have great appeal to charter companies.