Sunfast 37

BarryWhite

BarryWhite

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I would completely disregard the sailing anarchy thread as irrelevant. It refers specifically to a very well known fleet operated around Lake Solent. Those boats had an exceptionally hard life, used as school boats and for corporate racing/hospitality.

Would you buy any 10 year old car from a Rental outfit with 500,000 miles on the clock.

Not at all representative.

The answer to your question is that it depends upon your sailing plans and aspirations.

Many people buy the Jeanneau brand, many people buy boats in the 35 to 40 ft range.

If you can find a good, clean and well equipped example, why not. Even better if your family like it.

My response assumes that you are not planning to sail it non-stop round the world, including high latitudes. (You’d probably buy a manky old Moody, Westerly or unknown ketch for that :))
 
It's a slightly sportier version of the Sun Odyssey 37, which are fine cruising boats. Those are a tough boat, I've used three, two of which involved going upwind in up to 30kts, and they were well balanced, two novice helms enjoyed steering them in conditions which would put a lot of people off sailing for life. The Sun Fast can't be very different, so given some decent sails, a clean bottom and a fair handicap I'd happily club race one.
 
As a sometime driver of those Lake Solent boats I found them to be one of the better mannered boats I've driven. Backwards downwind they go pretty much where you want them to in 15 to 20 kts
 
I nearly bought a sunfast 37 ,after much thought , was gazzumped , however things I discovered , they are not 37 foot , are pretty tender as designed to race with a full crew , and as such great boat s,for racing fully crewed m ,otherwise a compromise , solidly built with glassed in stringers .
 
markhomer said:
I nearly bought a sunfast 37 ,after much thought , was gazzumped , however things I discovered , they are not 37 foot , are pretty tender as designed to race with a full crew , and as such great boat s,for racing fully crewed m ,otherwise a compromise , solidly built with glassed in stringers .
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Can't agree with your assessment on the sailing. I spent a lot of time driving the Sunsail fleet, and tender is not how I would categorise them at all. Don't forget, they are simply the SO37 hull with a deeper keel and slightly taller rig. Though basically the same foretriangle, just a bigger main.
They are also simply awful boats to race fully crewed. Layout is just massively compromised, and there has never been a competitive one under IRC. This is a cruising hull with lipstick on, not a boat designed from the start as a race boat.

My description of them would be "vanilla" . Sailing wise they are pretty vice free, the rudder has massive authority, you have to really cock it up to spin one out. Under power they are straightforward. The Sunsail ones had pretty impressive prop kick, but I suspect that was a lot to do with the simple prop that they had.
Layout is sensible for cruising. Build quality seemed pretty decent.

Basically they are good solid fastish cruising boats that aren't going to scare anyone. But I could never really get excited about them.
 
I only sailed on one once, a delivery from Dun Laoghaire to Baltimore about eight years ago, crewed by six, which involved a good deal of motoring, so I can't comment reliably on its sailing virtues/vices, but it suffices to say that it seemed like a solid safe boat and was quite comfortable, even when relatively crowded, and the galley worked well.
The boat, Sherkin 2, was I think, ex Sunsail Solent and when I sailed on her was owned by the sailing/sail training club to which I belonged at the time. To the credit of the design's toughness and indestructability, Sherkin 2 now continues in a training role, operating out of Dun Laoghaire with Irish Offshore Sailing.
 
flaming said:
Can't agree with your assessment on the sailing. I spent a lot of time driving the Sunsail fleet, and tender is not how I would categorise them at all. Don't forget, they are simply the SO37 hull with a deeper keel and slightly taller rig. Though basically the same foretriangle, just a bigger main.
They are also simply awful boats to race fully crewed. Layout is just massively compromised, and there has never been a competitive one under IRC. This is a cruising hull with lipstick on, not a boat designed from the start as a race boat.

My description of them would be "vanilla" . Sailing wise they are pretty vice free, the rudder has massive authority, you have to really cock it up to spin one out. Under power they are straightforward. The Sunsail ones had pretty impressive prop kick, but I suspect that was a lot to do with the simple prop that they had.
Layout is sensible for cruising. Build quality seemed pretty decent.

Basically they are good solid fastish cruising boats that aren't going to scare anyone. But I could never really get excited about them.
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Thank you!

Well this is exactly what I'm looking for, a fast, solid and comfortable cruising boat.

Should you have any alternatives to recommend between Gbp 25 to 45k you are welcome???
(I've visited a Sunshine 36 and Sigma 35 but headroom was to low (I'm 1m87), and a Dehler 38 from 1987 which was too expensive for a 33 years old boat)

Oh yeah, my program: long weekends in the Netherlands, 5 to 8 weeks between the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia and I hope within a few years a 6 - 12 months sabbatical year ;-)
 
BarryWhite said:
Thank you!

Well this is exactly what I'm looking for, a fast, solid and comfortable cruising boat.

Should you have any alternatives to recommend between Gbp 25 to 45k you are welcome???
(I've visited a Sunshine 36 and Sigma 35 but headroom was to low (I'm 1m87), and a Dehler 38 from 1987 which was too expensive for a 33 years old boat)

Oh yeah, my program: long weekends in the Netherlands, 5 to 8 weeks between the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia and I hope within a few years a 6 - 12 months sabbatical year ;-)
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A couple of Bénétaus spring to mind. The First 405 is from the same era as the Sigma 38, but a little more modern. Sails well. A newer boat at the top end of the budget if you could haggle one down (and probably go to France or Italy to find said bargain), the First 36.7. Flaming will have a better idea of race worthiness.

And while he's here, how about the Elan 36 & 37?
 
anoccasionalyachtsman said:
And while he's here, how about the Elan 36 & 37?
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Never sailed a 36. Spent 11 years helming a 37 and delivering it around the south coast.

The Elan simply is a LOT faster than the Sunfast. As a sailing boat there is absolutely no doubt which I would buy.
However, it has a fair amount less volume. So the interior is a bit smaller. For example only one of the aft cabins is a double. The forecabin is also smaller and needs an infill that takes up the whole of the space in order for it to be a double.
Up to the individual where the line lies, but to me the 2 boats are a little way apart on the sailing/interior comfort scale.
 
flaming said:
Never sailed a 36. Spent 11 years helming a 37 and delivering it around the south coast.

The Elan simply is a LOT faster than the Sunfast. As a sailing boat there is absolutely no doubt which I would buy.
However, it has a fair amount less volume. So the interior is a bit smaller. For example only one of the aft cabins is a double. The forecabin is also smaller and needs an infill that takes up the whole of the space in order for it to be a double.
Up to the individual where the line lies, but to me the 2 boats are a little way apart on the sailing/interior comfort scale.
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Thank your prompt reply !!!

I was wondering if you have experience with a Sun Fast 36, Dehler 36 DB and a Dehler 37 S (https://www.subito.it/nautica/dehler-37s-macerata-285210897.htm) ?
 
BarryWhite said:
Thank your prompt reply !!!

I was wondering if you have experience with a Sun Fast 36, Dehler 36 DB and a Dehler 37 S (https://www.subito.it/nautica/dehler-37s-macerata-285210897.htm) ?
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I did briefly sail the Sunfast 36 (again in Sunsail colours). Definitely a massively better sailing boat than the 37. If I recall it was the last sun fast that used a purpose designed hull, rather than sticking a deep keel and taller rig on the Sun Oddesy hull. Again, similar issues with the Elan as to usable interior space. Also tended to be a bit broach happy, but I think that was because of the (very short) tiller that Sunsail had for some reason opted to spec instead of the standard wheel. Driving those things downwind was often a hairy experience... With a wheel I suspect the boat would be transformed.

Haven't sailed any of the Dehlers. Their reputation is for good sailing boats though.
 
At risk of irritating the purists by reviving an old thread I was looking at this thread as there is a cheapish Sunfast 37 on appollo duck. (I think it's cheap as the owner has put a new inmast furling system on).

Anyway as usual with these threads where people knock these boats the next Google result after this thread is an article about a guy sailing his sunfast 37 around the Arctic every year! ?

Jeanneau onboard for Arctic Sense 2021
 
I can share that this summer I sailed two weeks on a Sun Fast 37 and later on 2 weeks on a Linjett 40 (I was lucky). Well, the SF37 sails very well and it is an efficient boat for its price. A would say it is like a VW Golf as the Linjett is a Saab (for the ones who remember).
 
Btw I just saw the SF37 on Ancasta. I would avoir teak - i still dont get why you need teak on a boat, nor a in mast furling.

roblpm said:
At risk of irritating the purists by reviving an old thread I was looking at this thread as there is a cheapish Sunfast 37 on appollo duck. (I think it's cheap as the owner has put a new inmast furling system on).

Anyway as usual with these threads where people knock these boats the next Google result after this thread is an article about a guy sailing his sunfast 37 around the Arctic every year! ?

Jeanneau onboard for Arctic Sense 2021
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Yup that teak is only a couple of mm thick new - as an owner of a 10 yr older Jen, I’d warn of a big bill to come. It’s bad enough for us and that’s just our cockpit seats and swim platform (in synthetic replacement).
 
Also worth noting that a Sunfast 37 finished 2nd in IRC 4 class in the Fastnet a few weeks ago, it was being sailed very well but shows the boat is more capable in sometimes windy conditions than I would have given it credit for.
 
BarryWhite said:
I can share that this summer I sailed two weeks on a Sun Fast 37 and later on 2 weeks on a Linjett 40 (I was lucky). Well, the SF37 sails very well and it is an efficient boat for its price. A would say it is like a VW Golf as the Linjett is a Saab (for the ones who remember).
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Well that's a good recommendation as my recent cars have been a BMW 3 series, a merc c class and a merc e class and a golf estate. The only one I miss is the the golf estate (it was the fastest one though!).
 
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