Sun Odyssey 45.1
Jeanneau · Philippe Briand · 1997
Updated
The Sun Odyssey 45.1 is a 13.80 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Philippe Briand and built by Jeanneau, first launched in 1997. It races in Class B.
Length
13.80 m
45′ 3″
Beam
4.49 m
Draft
1.65 m
Displacement
10.5 t
Sail area
104 m²
On the podium
Where a Sun Odyssey 45.1 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
18%
of 45 starts by 1 boat
Wins
4%
Read from 45 starts by 1 boat between 2018 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Sun Odyssey 45.1 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
"Αγκιστρι 2026"2026- 43ος Ιστιοπλοικος Αγωνας Κορφος ΄262026
- Aegean Regatta2026
- "Κυπελλο Χριστουγεννων"2025
- "Αγ. Νικολαου 2025"2025
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
—
Not enough data yet: 5 races of 10 NM or less carry a published distance.
Offshore & coastal
18%
of these races end on the podium
Who she races against
The designs a Sun Odyssey 45.1 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the Sun Odyssey 45.1 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
5.19
43°
Beam reach
8.88
90°
Broad reach
9.45
135°
Downwind VMG
8.30
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
This design is even-tempered. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is on the beam in a strong breeze, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having.
Where it pays
It falls short cracked off when it blows, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.6 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the beam reach.
How fast is a Sun Odyssey 45.1
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.25 | 4.55 | 5.12 | 5.19 |
| 52° | 5.14 | 6.95 | 7.61 | 7.77 |
| 60° | 5.59 | 7.28 | 7.88 | 8.09 |
| 75° | 5.89 | 7.52 | 8.14 | 8.54 |
| 90° | 5.80 | 7.58 | 8.26 | 8.88 |
| 110° | 5.67 | 7.71 | 8.55 | 9.45 |
| 120° | 5.50 | 7.60 | 8.52 | 9.66 |
| 135° | 4.92 | 7.13 | 8.24 | 9.45 |
| 150° | 4.16 | 6.36 | 7.79 | 8.96 |
| Run VMG | 3.60 | 5.52 | 6.96 | 8.30 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 810 kg.
Rigging
Sun Odyssey 45.1 rig and sail dimensions
A Sun Odyssey 45.1 carries 15.75 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.12 m boom, a forestay 17.54 m above the deck. Typical figures across the 2 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 109 to 134 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.