Sailboat Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410 for sale

The Versatile One: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410

With sailing yachts of 40 feet or more, people generally stop referring to them as ‘boats’ and start calling them ‘yachts’. Thanks to the size of their hulls, these yachts – which are between 12 and 13 metres long – provide such a stable and safe platform that you can confidently undertake ocean-going voyages on a 40-foot yacht: Of course, it is also possible to cross the Atlantic in a smaller boat, for example, but from 40 feet upwards, the hulls are large enough to handle oceanic waves with ease.

They also offer enough space for the necessary equipment, provisions and other items which, on smaller boats, would either have to be stowed on deck or in the living quarters, or would have had to be left behind.

Last but not least, the waterline length also determines the theoretical maximum hull speed: for a 40-foot yacht, this is around 7.5 to 8.5 knots. As modern yachts such as the Sun Odyssey 410 are optimised for half-wind and downwind courses, higher speeds can certainly be achieved. And that makes a noticeable difference on an ocean-going voyage lasting several weeks.

The Sun Odyssey 410, which was launched in 2018, aims to offer the best of both worlds: an easy-to-handle holiday yacht, a successful charter boat and a cruising yacht for couples who own it.

A lot – in fact, everything – in a small space

Anyone who takes a closer look at the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410 will notice that this yacht – unlike boats from other manufacturers – is not designed to maximise open space or convey a sense of luxury and spaciousness; on the contrary, it seeks to make the most of every square centimetre of the available space. This creates a somewhat cramped feel, both in the cockpit and, especially, in the saloon. Whereas other manufacturers prioritise creating as much open space as possible – and thus a sense of spaciousness and luxury – the Sun Odyssey 410 is laid out in a way that is almost oppressively cramped. We certainly do not see this as a disadvantage; on the contrary: the boat thus has plenty of storage space and also offers a secure footing at all times in heavy seas with high waves.

The 2-cabin owner’s version should particularly appeal to sailors looking for a cruising yacht. In this version, the yacht features a large hold/unused starboard compartment, which can be repurposed as storage space or a utility room. Two cabins, a day toilet with shower in the saloon, a really lovely navigation corner for the skipper and, above all, the U-shaped galley are particularly impressive. In the saloon, you sit on a U-shaped sofa; the dining table can be folded down so that two further guests can dine opposite on the two-seater sofa. In the owner’s cabin at the bow, there is a lovely, large double bed in a semi-island configuration; the view through the two hull windows is lovely. If you wish, you can fit a second bathroom up here at the bow – though this does make the space rather cramped, with the bed positioned diagonally against the port side of the hull. Exemplary: In the multi-toilet variants, Jeanneau ensures that the toilets are located on both port and starboard sides, so that a toilet is always conveniently accessible regardless of the sailing course (and the corresponding heel).

Modern exterior design: Marc Lombard takes Jeanneau to the next level

At that time, Marc Lombard was still alive and had been commissioned by the shipyard to design the exterior of the new generation of Sun Odyssey yachts. Up until then, both the brand and the boats had been surrounded by a rather dull, outdated aura: Jeanneau had effectively been left in the shadow of its larger and far more modern, avant-garde sister brand, Beneteau. The yacht designs looked outdated (although many customers actually liked this more classic design).

Marc Lombard initially gave the yachts a modern, high-performance underwater hull: in keeping with the spirit of the times, the boats were designed to perform at their best on holiday courses, i.e. between 70 and 160 degrees to the wind. Short twin rudders, set at a slight angle, a negative stem, slightly raised coaming edges and hull windows that looked almost a little aggressive came to characterise the appearance of the new Lombard generation of Sun Odysseys from then on. Clean, modern, minimalist – yet highly dynamic. Above all, Lombard has reduced the deck superstructures, which were still very prominently arched on the older yachts, thereby flattening the silhouette.

The successor to the Sun Odyssey 410, the Sun Odyssey 415, continues these design lines, but with a slightly more aggressive look: in particular, the negative stem is more pronounced and the convex deck line gives this boat an even more angular and modern appearance. With the Sun Odyssey 410, as with the other Jeanneau boats of this generation, Lombard’s bold design signature has certainly paid off: the Jeanneau brand’s somewhat dated image has been noticeably revitalised. Even today, the design – now eight years old – still looks modern.

Or perhaps the – newer – Sun Odyssey 415?

Both yachts are more or less the same size. Jeanneau lists both boats side by side on its website; we assume that the Sun Odyssey 410, although the older model, can still be ordered new. We do not know how long this will remain the case. It is quite possible that the shipyard will discontinue the 410, meaning that you will then only be able to buy this yacht second-hand. As a buyer of a new boat – and also with regard to the yacht’s resale value – you’ll certainly be better off with the newer 415. However, the two yachts do differ: the exterior design of the 415 is slightly more contemporary, a little more aggressive and angular. Below deck, however, quite a few changes have taken place: the skipper’s navigation area has been moved to starboard in the saloon, and the two-seater sofa has been removed. The saloon layout feels tidier and lighter – and creates more space. The 415 no longer feels quite so cramped. The new skipper’s area is an interesting layout, though it’s one you have to like. Please do read our review of the Sun Odyssey 415 if you’d like to know more about this yacht.

Buying a Sun Odyssey 410 – Hull, design, construction & sail plan

Stable, light and robust: the Sun Odyssey 410 – the construction process

The Beneteau Group, which has also owned the Jeanneau brand since 1995, was one of the first mass-production shipyards to switch, wherever possible, from the hand-lay-up method for hull and deck lamination to the more modern vacuum method. The Sun Odyssey 410 is one of the yachts manufactured almost entirely using the vacuum method. This not only saves material – and thus, ultimately, reduces the boat’s weight – but is also significantly better for the workers at the shipyard, as there is virtually no direct contact with the highly volatile resins.

The glass fibre mats are placed dry into the mould and secured only loosely. Sandwich foam panels and further fibre mats are added until the entire laminate structure is in place within the mould. Everything is then covered with a strong plastic film and sealed airtight. Powerful pumps then extract the air from the mould – the gap between the lamination mould and the plastic film shrinks, thereby compressing the fibre lay-up firmly. Resin is then injected at one end of the mould; the near-vacuum draws it through the mould into every nook and cranny, saturating the glass fibre and sandwich mats in the process. Unlike in the hand-lay-up process, air bubbles stand no chance here.

Once cured, the plastic film is removed. The result is a very dense, comparatively thin and lightweight, hard and rigid structure. Apart from the increased amount of single-use plastic waste, this construction method is superior: osmosis is practically no longer an issue for vacuum-formed hulls and decks. As mentioned, the Sun Odyssey 410 is manufactured using this process.

The result is a comparatively light 40-foot yacht with a lightweight of 8 tonnes: only the Oceanis 40.1 is slightly lighter, whilst its rivals from Dufour, Bavaria and Hanse weigh in at a significantly heavier 9.6 to 10.1 tonnes. This weight advantage is particularly noticeable in terms of steering agility, responsiveness and, above all, light-wind performance, areas in which Jeanneau and Beneteau are a nose’s length ahead.

Sun Odyssey 410 for sale – Four layouts for a wide range of uses

As well as the two single-layout versions – a two-cabin model with one or two bathrooms – the Sun Odyssey 410 is also available as a three-cabin model. In this version, the port-side aft cabin is fully fitted out. A nice feature here is that, from 40 feet upwards (this also applies to other manufacturers, by the way), hull windows can now be fitted for the guest cabins. Jeanneau explicitly does not offer any 4-cabin or multi-cabin variants of the 410, meaning that even in the charter business, only 3-cabin versions could ever be in service: this is important for those interested in buying a second-hand boat who wish to purchase a yacht previously used for charter. Here, you run no risk of ending up with one of the ‘charter bombers’. Incidentally, this also applies to its successor, the Sun Odyssey 415.

This makes the Sun Odyssey 410 an ideal family yacht. As the owner, you’ll enjoy the forward cabin (ideally without a second bathroom and a sloping bed), whilst children or guests sailing along will find one or two reasonably sized cabins aft. There is, however, one small caveat …

The Walkaround Cockpit – Pros and Cons at a Glance

In recent years, Jeanneau has pioneered the walkaround concept and introduced it across its entire range of yachts. The idea is that the helmsman no longer has to make his way through the cockpit, past the guests, over the bench seat and the coaming, to reach the side decks and the bow. Thanks to the walkaround design, you can now step comfortably round the steering wheel onto the side deck, which rises gently from the very stern and continues all the way forward without any tripping hazards. This is intended to improve movement around the deck, allow guests in the cockpit area to be left more undisturbed and improve reaction times.

All of this really does work – the bigger the yacht, the better. However, the walkaround cockpit does have a downside. Because whatever you add up top, you have to take away down below. The space taken up by the comfortably wide side decks in the cockpit area will be missing from the aft cabins below. As mentioned, the smaller the yacht, the more noticeable this becomes. On the Sun Odyssey 410, this effect is also noticeable in the aft cabins – looking up at the ceiling, you can clearly see that the Jeanneau’s aft cabin offers less headroom here. That said: when do you actually find yourself below deck at the stern? Probably only to sleep. So the headroom and volume should be of secondary importance. Nevertheless, the difference – for example, compared to its sister yacht of the same size, the Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 – is clear.

Sailing at a good pace: the Sun Odyssey 410 under full sail

Thanks to their considerable beam, modern cruiser designs such as the Sun Odyssey 410 require far less ballast in the keel today than yachts of the same size did 15 or 20 years ago. The lack of weight stability is offset by greater form stability and initial stability provided by that very width. As already mentioned, with an empty displacement of just 8 tonnes, the Sun Odyssey 410, together with the Oceanis 40.1, is the lightest sailing yacht in its class. Consequently, it requires only 77 square metres of sail area (for the standard sails) – whereas its heavier competitors need to hoist more: The 9.7-tonne Bavaria C42 has almost 91 square metres, the Hanse 410 (10 tonnes) has 87 square metres, and the 9.7-tonne Dufour 41 still manages 84 square metres of sail area.

The Sun Odyssey 410’s sail plan is very traditional: a pinhead mainsail, either battened or furling, with a self-tacking jib or a slightly overlapping genoa. We always recommend that proper sailors opt for the classic battened mainsail version. Depending on the wind conditions in the sailing area, the smaller self-tacking jib may even be a better choice than the genoa in strong-wind areas. This would be the case in Greece, for example – whilst those wishing to sail in the Baltic Sea would be better off with the genoa.

As with all modern sailing yachts, we believe the Sun Odyssey 410 should certainly be equipped with a gennaker: the modern – very wide – hulls need to heel in order to reduce the large wetted hull area (the lateral plan). This also reduces drag – the boat sails faster. In light winds, however, the boat heels much less, so the initial drag is greater – meaning that at wind speeds below 10 knots, more sail area is required to achieve reasonable speeds. Please don’t miss out on the fun of sailing and the impressive view of the (surprisingly easy-to-use!) gennaker!

Side note: The Sun Odyssey 410 (like the Sun Odyssey 415) is once again fitted with a backstay, whilst the smaller Jeanneau models sail without one. This means you can make use of the valuable trim adjustment provided by the forestay trim (via a block on the backstay). As the wind picks up, you can push the mast back on close-hauled courses, which tightens the forestay and reduces the bend in the headsail – this significantly extends the reefing limit, reduces stress on the rig and even improves performance. Nice!

Three keel options for the Sun Odyssey 410

Jeanneau is one of the last mass-production manufacturers still to offer the option of a swivel keel for yachts of this size. This is particularly important for sailors in areas with strong tidal currents (such as the North Sea, Brittany or the English Channel). Although this option is very expensive, it does enable the yacht to be beached (using mud supports). When sailing close-hauled, a yacht fitted in this way loses hardly any headroom, which is the drawback of the 1.60 m-deep short keel. Incidentally, the standard keel extends to a considerable 2.25 m, a testament to the Sun Odyssey 410’s performance.

The swivel keel is hydraulically operated. When retracted, your mooring and harbour only need to be 1.50 m deep, as the yacht now has a minimum draught of 1.37 m. When extended, the Performance swivel keel reaches 2.97 m – so say goodbye to drifting close to the wind!

Buy a Sun Odyssey 410 – All the information for skippers and sailors

A yacht for proper sailors?

We’d say: Yes! In terms of its layout, the Sun Odyssey 410 is clearly designed more for owner use than for the charter market. On deck, agile skippers will appreciate the winch layout, which is perfectly suitable for single-handed sailing. Although on the Sun Odyssey 410 (as with almost all 40-footers) the working winches are still positioned at the front by the companionway, the German mainsheet system allows you to route the mainsheet aft to the genoa winches, so that both sails can be operated from the aft section.

Otherwise, the halyards, reefing lines and stretchers are operated in the traditional way from the companionway. Conversely, ‘lazy’ sailors can do without the genoa winches and sail the boat entirely using just the two working winches – though this is only possible with the self-tacking jib (as this has only one sheet) and without the option of hoisting the gennaker or Code 0 in light winds. This is certainly a minimalist setup, which tends to be used more in the charter sector.

Buy a Sun Odyssey 410 – Comfort below deck

Below deck: The Sun Odyssey 410 really comes into its own as a cruising yacht

Anyone who thought this yacht was designed primarily for charter fleet operators is in for a pleasant surprise. Both the layout and arrangement of all the features, as well as the sailing performance, suggest that Jeanneau had private owners in mind when designing the Sun Odyssey 410. This is something that is rather unusual among today’s modern yachts. It should particularly appeal to prospective buyers who are looking to purchase a yacht to fulfil their big life dreams: a sabbatical at sea, crossing the Atlantic, or simply some laid-back cruising in the Mediterranean.

The two-cabin version with one bathroom, in particular, offers enough space to take all your kit with you on your trip. Children or guests on board will find plenty of space and privacy in the aft cabins. The sailing performance is impressive – so is everything looking good?

Natural light and fresh air in the salon

Like many modern sailing yachts, the Sun Odyssey 410 comes fitted with large windows in the hull. These allow natural light to flood into the owner’s cabin, the saloon and the aft cabins, filling the interior with brightness. Don’t worry: the rumours that such windows might leak, break out or even cause the boat to sink are unfounded: modern adhesives effectively ‘weld’ the windows to the hull. And besides: if you really do collide with a container or a floating log at full speed, these objects will pass right through the windows just as they would through the GRP hull, which is, after all, ‘just’ plastic …

In the cabins, these windows create a pleasant atmosphere. Fresh air circulates through the skylight hatches in the deck – the owner’s cabin has two, there are also two in the saloon (plus an extractor hatch directly above the hob in the galley), and the aft cabins have two ventilation hatches.

Particularly if a crew member is suffering from seasickness, looking out at the horizon helps, as does the knowledge that they won’t have to go down into the ‘dark hold’. On rainy days in port, the boat still remains reasonably well-lit, which will help to lift everyone’s spirits.

A bit cluttered, but with a fresh design

As already mentioned, the saloon of the Sun Odyssey 410 in particular has a somewhat compartmentalised layout. Those who like this slightly enclosed, at times rather snug feel – which provides good support in a seaway – will quickly feel at home with this layout. We particularly like the dedicated Skipper’s Corner with its chart table and separate seat, which is situated right next to the companionway. Here, you can sit in peace, plan your next route and operate the main control panel. This is in contrast to other yachts, where the skipper has to make do with a small corner of the sofa (without a backrest!) or has no table at all.

Another positive point here is that this navigation corner is situated right next to the companionway on the port side: this means you have the shortest possible route up or down to and from the cockpit. On other yachts, you sometimes have to walk all the way through the saloon to the bulkhead of the owner’s cabin at the very front, or you end up sitting facing away from the direction of travel by the toilet bulkhead. Jeanneau has really sorted this out well on the 410 – though, incidentally, not quite so well on the newer 415.

The shipyard offers a number of interesting colours and colour combinations on its options list – such as a fresh sky blue – to give the yacht a modern and bright interior. This is another piece of the jigsaw in countering Jeanneau’s outdated image. We think it works very well!

A model of excellence: the galley on the Sun Odyssey 410

Finally, a word about the galley. The Sun Odyssey 410 has a generously equipped, U-shaped galley on the port side. The layout of the various elements makes it feel very secure, so that the ship’s cook can always find enough support to brace themselves, even in rough seas. The large, double sinks might seem a bit excessive, but they can accommodate plenty of crockery and plates for washing up. There are two large fridges (top-loading and front-loading), a standard two-burner gas hob, and options for upgrades, such as a microwave. There is also plenty of storage space.

Anyone who isn’t keen on the Oceanis 40.1’s galley – which is just as spacious but arranged lengthways – should take a close look at the one on the Sun Odyssey 410. We think this is the most seaworthy of all the current 40-foot yachts.

Summary and conclusion

Could the Sun Odyssey 410 be your next boat?

Our overall verdict on the Sun Odyssey 410 is extremely positive: if you’re looking to buy a sailing yacht that excels at everything from holidays to cruising, whilst prioritising practicality at sea and performance, then this yacht is certainly a good choice. The layouts are designed with private ownership in mind; whilst perhaps a little cramped, they offer a good balance between practicality and attractive design for all manner of usage scenarios.

What should you look out for when buying a second-hand Sun Odyssey 410?

It remains to be seen how long Jeanneau will continue to build and offer the 410 alongside the newer 415. As the Sun Odyssey 410 has been in production since 2018, there are always a number of second-hand yachts of this type on the market: When buying, pay particular attention to the usual problem areas of a second-hand boat of this type: the hull and keel area, the rudder and rudder stock, as well as the engine, saildrive and all fluid-carrying systems should be inspected thoroughly. Jeanneau’s build quality is on a par with standard mass-production levels: only strict adherence to the maintenance schedule will ensure the boat’s safety and overall condition in the long term. Please check this very carefully! Older model series should, as bargains, offer entry into the 40-foot class at quite attractive prices for beginners. Once Jeanneau has discontinued the 410 in favour of the 415, we expect a significant drop in price for the 410, which will then be considered outdated. For those willing to be patient, it might be worth waiting a little while.

Buy a Sun Odyssey 410 – What we particularly like about it:

• A modern, high-performance hull.
• Backstay rig with a good sail area-to-displacement ratio.
• Below deck, the focus is on the owner’s needs, not on charter.

Buying a Sun Odyssey 410 – Here’s what you should look out for:

• A bit cramped in the lounge area.
• Low ceiling heights/volume in the rear compartments.
• The owner’s cabin is cramped when fitted with a second bathroom.

Further reviews and test reports: