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 sailboat fitted out for bluewater cruisingA 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

Owners Association: Jeanneau Owners Network


Published Design Ratios for the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 16.2

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 30.0

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 182

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.8

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

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

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.


The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3: A Few FAQs...

Is the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 still in production and, if not, when did production end and how many of these sailboats were built?

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 is no longer in production. Production ended in 2007, after four years of manufacturing. According to Jeanneau Boats, there were about 300 units built.

What, if any, alternative versions of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 were built and what are the differences between them?

There were two main versions of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3: the standard version and the performance version. The performance version had a taller mast, a deeper keel, a larger sail area, and upgraded hardware and rigging. The performance version was designed to offer more speed and responsiveness for racing or spirited sailing.

How many people can sleep on board a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3?

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 can accommodate up to eight people in three cabins and the saloon. There are two double cabins aft, one double cabin forward, and a convertible saloon table that can create another double berth. There are also two heads with showers, one in each hull.

How did the sailing press review the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3?

The sailing press generally gave positive reviews to the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3, praising its performance, handling, comfort, and quality.

For example, Sailing Today wrote: "The Sun Odyssey 40.3 is an excellent all-round cruiser that offers a good turn of speed, easy handling, spacious accommodation and a high standard of finish."

Cruising World also commented: "The boat is well balanced under sail, responsive to the helm, stiff enough to carry sail in a breeze without excessive heeling or weather helm, and quick enough to make good passage times."

What do owners of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 have to say about their boats?

Owners of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 generally have positive feedback about their boats, expressing satisfaction with their performance, comfort, reliability, and value.

For example, on SailNet, one owner wrote: "We have owned our SO 40.3 for three years now and love it. It sails very well in all conditions we have encountered so far."

Another owner on Cruisers Forum said: "We have been living aboard our SO 40.3 for over two years now and have sailed her from France to Australia via the Med, Red Sea, Indian Ocean etc. She has been a fantastic boat for us."

What keel options, if any, are available for the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3?

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 has two keel options: a standard fin keel and a shoal draft wing keel. The standard fin keel has a draft of 1.95 m (6'5") and a weight of 2,400 kg (5,291 lbs). The shoal draft wing keel has a draft of 1.50 m (4'11") and a weight of 2,600 kg (5,732 lbs).

What is the average asking price of a secondhand Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3?

According to YachtWorld, the average asking price of a secondhand Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 as of October 2023 is £90,000 (about $123,000).

The above answers were drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; to the best of our knowledge, we believe them to be accurate.


Other sailboats in the Jeanneau range include:


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