Review of Sun Odyssey 34.2

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

The interior is like most other boats made of teak. Teak has the advantage of being naturally very oily and therefore water-repellent, which is suitable on boats.
The boat is equipped with 2 cabins, 6 berths, a galley and toilet facility.

The boat has more than one rig.

One option is a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.

Sun Odyssey 34.2 is typically equipped with an inboard Yanmar diesel engine at 27.0 hp (20 kW), which gives a max speed about 6.6 knots.

The fuel tank has a capacity of 110 liters (29 US gallons, 24 imperial gallons).

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Sun Odyssey 34.2 is 1.99, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.3 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Sun Odyssey 34.2 is about 198 kg/cm, alternatively 1110 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 198 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1110 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Sun Odyssey 34.2 is 21.5.

Comparing this ratio with similar sailboats show that it is more comfortable than 27% of all similar sailboat designs. This comfort value is just below average.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Sun Odyssey 34.2 is 3.13.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is more spacy than 58% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a slightly more spacy hull design.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Sun Odyssey 34.2 is 177 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.

82% of all similar sailboat designs are categorized as heavier. A light displacement requires less sailarea and has higher accellerations.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for Sun Odyssey 34.2 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 16.0, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 18.8.

The SA/D ratio indicates that it is faster than 38% of all similar sailboat designs in light wind.

Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Sun Odyssey 34.2 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.