© Walter Cooper

SW's BOTY judges tested the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 in calm conditions (above), but author Tim Kent had the opportunity to sail the boat in big breeze.

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I see a lot of intriguing new boats every year, and very much enjoy sailing them. As a committed solo and doublehanded sailor, however, I never see boats configured for shorthanded sailors coming from a major manufacturers.  So it was with great interest that I first read about the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 earlier this year as it wracked up early victories in shorthanded classes in Europe.

I stepped aboard the boat for the first time at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October. For a shorthanded sailor like myself, this boat was pure catnip: a big, open cockpit, twin rudders steered by twin tillers, sail controls close to hand, a rig with swept-back spreaders with a wide spreader angle allowing for good sheeting angles and straightforward mast control.

The interior is simple and nicely finished, with settees on both sides amidships, a comfortable nav station to port, and a working galley opposite. The generous beam aft makes for a huge aft berth. Standing below, the large amount of forward volume is obvious. A watertight crash bulkhead forward shows the boat's offshore capability. Harken winches and hardware are everywhere, supplemented with Spinlock stoppers (in the interest of full disclosure, I work for Harken. I'm the company's token offshore singlehander.). With the big cockpit, there is plenty of room to go crewed racing as well.