Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200: Alone or With the Gang
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.
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.
