Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440

A 13 m offshore cruising yacht from Jeanneau, no longer in production, with two to four cabins, suited to couples, families and charter use.

The Sun Odyssey 440 is an offshore cruising yacht that Jeanneau built before moving on to newer models, so you'll find her on the used market rather than new. She was designed by Philippe Briand and Jean-Marc Piaton with Jeanneau's own design team, and she's 13 m overall with a hull length of 12.64 m.

She was built for longer passages. She's stable and strongly made, and the cockpit feels secure when you're at sea for a while. Below, Jeanneau put real effort into the fit and finish, with built-in ventilation, sound insulation and a well-equipped galley, and there's a sundeck outside for when you're at anchor. She carries 200 l of fuel and 330 l of fresh water.

The layout varied from boat to boat. One version has two very large cabins and a storage locker, while the four-cabin version sleeps up to 10, with two of those in the saloon. A three-cabin layout was offered too, so it's worth checking which one a particular boat has.

Options included a bow thruster for easier berthing, a higher-performance mast for those who want more speed, and a water-maker, solar panels and extra batteries for long-distance sailing. Any boat you look at may have some, all or none of these fitted.

There was also a Millennium Edition, set up for charter. It came with a Lofrans electric windlass, a Profurl furling system and a laminated wood interior finish, chosen to stand up to heavy, regular use.