The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3, a light-displacement masthead sloop, was designed by Daniel Andrieu and built in France by Jeanneau.

A Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3

Published Specification for the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3

Underwater Profile: Fin keel (bulb) and spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall: 40'0" (12.2m)

Waterline Length: 35'3" (10.7m)

Beam: 13'0" (3.98m)

Draft: 6'5" (1.95m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 17,835lb (8,090kg)

Designer: Daniel Andrieu

Builder: Jeanneau (France)

Year First Built: 2004

Year Last Built: 2007

Owners Association: Jeanneau Owners Network

Published Design Ratios for the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 16.2

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 30.0

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 182

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.8

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3

eBook: How to Avoid Buying the Wrong Sailboat

Download this eBook to make sure you buy wisely!

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.2 suggests that the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 30.0 would usually mean that the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 would have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in a bulb at the foot of the keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 182, tells us the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer dramatically.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24.8 suggests that crew comfort of a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 indicates that a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.