Sea Trial: Sailing a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 from Port Stephens to Sydney

When Ed, the owner of a beautiful 2015 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 based in Port Stephens, decided to bring his yacht to the Sydney Harbour market to maximise her exposure, we knew a delivery trip was on the cards. It was the perfect opportunity to learn the boat inside and out, while giving Ed one final, memorable passage on the vessel he has cherished for the last five years. Eager to assist, I jumped on a train to Newcastle to help him sail her down.

These delivery trips are invaluable. We firmly believe that firsthand experience of a yacht at sea is crucial to being a successful yacht broker. It allows us to dive deeper than a standard walkthrough on a berth or mooring. When you spend hours underway, you discover a boat’s nuances: how she behaves in changing conditions, how functional the layout is at a heel, whether the galley is well-designed for cooking on the move, and if the berths remain comfortable in a rolling sea state.

After our 15-hour passage from Port Stephens to Middle Harbour, I can safely say I was thoroughly impressed. The Sun Odyssey 349 strikes a beautiful balance between high sailing performance and minimal effort. While she boasts a powerful square-top mainsail, there is no backstay to contend with when tacking or gybing. Her wide stern and aggressive chines mean she heels to a stable point and locks in, keeping things comfortably level—even in the 15 to 20-knot breezes we encountered.

This stability is further enhanced by her unique swing keel, which offers an impressive 2.54-metre draft when down, and retracts to just 1.26 metres. It truly delivers the best of both worlds: fantastic performance in open water, and worry-free navigation in shallower cruising grounds. Even frying up bacon and eggs while fully powered up in 18 knots of wind was an absolute breeze.

While the winter weather stayed bitterly cold and the wind softened after the first four hours, the conditions remained kind enough for us to motor-sail on a single reach all the way to Sydney Harbour. With a couple of celebratory beers once tied up at the marina, Ed seemed incredibly content with what was likely his final sail aboard a yacht he has loved so much.

So if you are looking for a modern, easy-to-manage pocket cruiser that can just as easily compete on the twilight racecourse, ‘Voilà’ might be the perfect match for you. She will be hitting the market very soon, so keep a close eye out for the official listing!

For Sale – Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 ‘Viola’

Luke Holliday

Born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Luke has spent most of his life on the water, cruising and racing around the North Island on family-owned keelers and fishing boats.

Now settled in the eastern beaches of Sydney, you will be able to find Luke out on the water, surfing, kiting, windsurfing, foiling, and of course sailing. He hopes to transfer his experience at sea and passion for all things marine to helping people find their own slice of enjoyment out on the water.