Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440

The 440 introduced the idea that made this generation of Sun Odysseys: the walk-around deck. Instead of climbing over a coachroof and stepping down into a cockpit well, the side decks slope continuously from transom to bow, so you can go forward at heel without letting go of anything. It sounds like a detail and it changes how a shorthanded crew uses the boat entirely — which is why it won European Yacht of the Year and why the rest of the industry copied it. Philippe Briand's hull is narrower and finer than the Beneteau equivalent, and it shows on the water: the 440 is better mannered upwind and needs less sail to keep moving, at the cost of a saloon that feels smaller than the Oceanis. For a couple planning to sail the boat themselves rather than fill every cabin, that trade is usually the right one.