42DS Sailing Characteristics

[rogersnet]

I’m considering the purchase of a ‘new’ 2008 42DS and would like to know more about this boat.

Specifically, many modern designs are built with wide transoms (for accommodations) and high-aspect bolt-on keels (for manufacturing economics). This sometimes results in a boat with a tendency to round up in gusts. We’ve seen this characteristic in the new Beneteau cruisers, but not in our own older Beneteau 361 (or the 423). I mention this because Yachting World said the Jeanneau 42DS “was severely overpowered in the gusts under full sail” and Cruising World said “In the puffs, the boat was definitely overpowered and required the helmsman to bear away to keep it on its feet.”

What can you tell me about the sailing characteristics of the 42DS?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[blt2ski]

The only person on this site with any DS sailing is Zanshin. If you go to this link is a list of 42DS owners on the Jeannea owners site. or try posting your question here on the forum part of that site. Then you will hopefully get some answers from folks that "HAVE" sailed the boat.

BUT, if you are seeing and reading those comments from sailing mags, more than likely they are true. There was a thread re this exact issue on some of the newer Jeanneau designs, not just the DS models. One fellow reported it with a 32i and the newest 30i's too IIRC.

Marty

[wcking]

I think you need to define "puffs" and "gusts". We have the 42i Performance. It is the same hull as the DS, just taller mast and deeper keel. We take the first reef at about 18 knots true and leave the 128 jib alone. Boat feels good with this combination up to 25 knots. Over that we go to #2 reef and start rolling in the jib. We had one beer can race that started in almost no wind and during the last two legs a "Santana" (we sail in So.Calif.) filled in at about 25 knots. We left everything up and were hitting mid nines on the knotmeter. Only one round up on a sudden lift. We passed a Melges 32 and a Beneteau 36S7 that were constantly rounding up and out of control. Both of these boats were fully crewed and we were doublehanded.

Bill King
Dana Point, CA

[Zanshin]

Hmm, somehow I missed this thread when it was first posted. I had a DS43 and found that with the large Genoa (I think I had 135% or so, if not more) and mainsail both fully rolled out the boat would be overpowered above 18-20 knots. Rolling in the mainsail to the first reef cured that problem. On my larger 49DS I see the same behaviour. With just one trip one can find the "sweet" spots for different headings and wind by turning off the autopilot, not touching the wheel and balancing the sail plan.