Jeanneau 54 DS

This big yacht, flagship of the Jeanneau fleet, represents the most accomplished shape of innovative architecture. Conceived by two designers of large yachts, Jacques Fauroux for the performance side and Vittorio Garroni for the comfort aspect, and project-managed by the Jeanneau design office, the Sun Odyssey 54DS offers a sailing experience designed to give a new dimension to your cruises, whether short or long haul.
Crusing World Review: “While the 54 DS design represents a leap into the future, Jeanneau continues to build boats the old-fashioned way. The hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass; it and the keel structure are supported by fiberglass over wood floors and stringers, which create a rugged internal framework. These individual floors are laminated directly to the hull, as are the primary bulkheads and the furniture facings, producing a rigid structure that can take a pounding. This time-consuming stiffening technique is in contrast to those that use molded hull liners.

The cast-iron keel is externally fastened with stainless-steel keel bolts, well spaced to efficiently handle the relentless load imposed on narrow-chord keel sections. The standard draft is 7 feet 6 inches; an optional 6-foot-6-inch shoal keel ups the ballast by nearly 1,000 pounds to 11,905 pounds. The balanced fiberglass rudder is supported by a beefy stainless-steel stock. A fiberglass rudder tube houses self-aligning bearings and is molded directly to the hull in lieu of a conventional rudder stuffing box. The deck is balsa-cored, both for rigidity and sound insulation; teak decks are optional. The hull/deck joint, which incorporates an inward hull flange, a small molded bulwark, and a handsome teak caprail, is bonded mechanically and chemically.

Last fall, I sailed Liberté, hull number 4, with owner Dick Gates on Narragansett Bay. From the dock, I noted that her sheer line was straight as a ruler, but the swooping deck softens the hard edge. The bow is nearly plumb, giving the boat a long waterline, and the design specs claim that the hull lines remain symmetrical to 15 degrees of heel. The aft sections are full. The 54 DS will be quick under most points of sail. The triple-spreader spar reaches 72 feet 2 inches above the design waterline (eliminating any thoughts of traversing the Intracoastal Waterway) and supports 1,431 square feet of sail with the standard furling mainsail and 135-percent genoa. The optional full-batten mainsail adds 139 square feet of sail area.

The 54 DS is nimble under power, and as Gates skillfully maneuvered us out of our tight slip, a few tweaks on the bow thruster made the job easier. The twin-level cockpit features double wheels aft. Whitlock cable steering is standard, and each binnacle contains molded consoles for sailing instruments. Engine controls are to starboard only.

The primary sheet winches are well placed on the coamings just forward of the wheels for easy helm access, and clever foot switches between the wheels activate the furling drum. The mainsheet leads aft to the starboard end of the trunk house. All other sail controls also lead aft through the coaming that supports the mainsheet traveler and a series of Spinlock rope clutches. Although it’s a bit of work and the loads can be heavy, the 54 DS can be handled by an experienced couple. One person aft steers and trims the headsail while the other person tends the mainsheet, traveler, and other sail controls near the companionway. Dick and I sailed aggressively in blustery conditions without much fuss. In fact, he told me that he often sails alone, a testament to his sailing skills, Fauroux’s forgiving design, and a reliable autopilot.”