Jeanneau Sunshine 38
Description
The Jeanneau Sunshine 38 is a high-performance racer-cruiser sailboat designed by Tony Castro as an evolution of the Sunshine 36, produced by Jeanneau from 1982 to 1989. With an LOA of 38.25 feet, it features a sleek IOR-influenced hull with a truncated stern, wide beam for stability, and a masthead sloop rig for balanced speed and handling in coastal racing or family cruising. Built in fiberglass with a fin keel and spade rudder, it prioritizes agility and interior volume (sleeping up to 8) while offering a dry ride and responsive helm. Approximately 100-150 units were built, and it's revered today as a durable 1980s classic blending sportiness with comfort, though age-related checks for osmosis, rigging, and deck cores are essential.
Construction Details
| Designer | Tony Castro |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jeanneau |
| Length | 38.250 ft |
| LOA | 38.250 ft |
| LWL | 32.500 ft |
| Beam | 12.630 ft |
| Displacement | 11023 lb |
| Ballast | 4034 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.560 ft |
| Year Built | 1982 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 46.29 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.70 ft |
| p | 40.03 ft |
| e | 13.52 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.29 ft | 14.70 ft | 40.03 ft | 13.52 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Jeanneau Sunshine 38 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 40.03 ft - (12201 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.52 ft - (4121 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.53 ft - (12658 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 41.8 ft - (12741 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 279.21 ft² |
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Jeanneau Sunshine 38 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 38.85 ft - (11841 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.45 ft - (5928 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.78 ft - (10296 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.91 ft - (5154 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 328.5 ft² |
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Jeanneau Sunshine 38 - GENOA
| Luff | 45.75 ft - (13945 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20.67 ft - (6300 mm) |
| Leech | 42.75 ft - (13030 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.82 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.23 ft - (5861 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.87 ° |
| Area | * 439.97 ft² |
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Jeanneau Sunshine 38 - GENOA
| Luff | * 46.14 ft - (14063 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.72 ft - (7230 mm) |
| Leech | * 43.41 ft - (13231 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.05 ft - (6721 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 508.66 ft² |
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Jeanneau Sunshine 38 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 46.14 ft - (14063 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.26 ft - (7394 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.45 ft - (12939 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 840 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.