BoatsO'day 39

O'day 39

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1982–1985

A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop built under license from Jeanneau as the French Sun Fizz

Designed by Phillipe Briand & Philippe Briand.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The O'day 39, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

1.92 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.92
LightHeavy

214 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 214
EasygoingPowered-up

15.6 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.6
TenderStiff

37% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 37%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The O'day 39, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The O'day 39 is a masthead sloop designed by Philippe Briand, built by O'Day Corp. from 1982 to 1985, and sold in France as the Jeanneau Sun Fizz.2:46 This 11.8-meter sailboat has a fin keel with a spade rudder, a beam of 3.8 meters, a draft of 1.9 meters, and a displacement of 8164 kg.3:26 It was later redesigned by Hunt Associates as the O'day 40.2:31 Aboard Lady K Sailing, the O'day 39 is noted for its three-stateroom, two-head layout, but a 1983 model would likely require an immediate engine repower due to high hours on its Universal diesel.4:59 The O'day 40, a variant, is described by Practical Sailor as a coastal cruiser with predictable sailing characteristics and manageable handling in 12–15 knots of breeze, rather than a heavy-duty bluewater vessel.4:06

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The O'day 39 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

  • A 1983 model in Michigan, noted for its three-stateroom layout but likely needing an immediate engine repower, offered for under $30,000

    from Lady K Sailingseen October 2024watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.6
Displacement / length
213.7
Comfort ratio
27.3
Capsize screening
1.92
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1506
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Mixed Iron/Lead
Production
Years built
1982–1985
Units built
120
Designer
Phillipe Briand, Philippe Briand
Builder
O'Day Corp, Bangor Punta Corp

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

RM Yachts 118011.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed performance cruiser featuring a wide beam, dual rudders, and a powerful cutter rig
Why This "Wooden" Sailboat Is Faster, Warmer, and Stronger - the RM 11800:47from Practical Sailor
Feeling 3911.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for performance cruising
FULL Sailboat Tour [Can Be Beached, Cross An Ocean, Spacious Liveaboard, BEST Modern Sailboat]38:27from Adventureman Dan
Comfortina 3911.85 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2007 fractional sloop with a 2.0-meter draft and a 10.88-meter waterline designed for offshore stability
Comfortina 391:29from SVN solovelanet
Sabre Yachts 38 MKII11.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1988-1995 production cruiser with a 1.98m draft and a skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
The Amazingly Cheap Sabre 34 Mk IIfrom Practical Sailor
Cal 3911.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthIntroduced just before the IOR rule shift, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and rudder on a skeg
We Do An Electrical Audit On A 40 Year Old Cal 39 Sailboat (We FOUND A LOT Of Mistakes)0:09from Pacific Yacht Systems
Sadler Yachts 3811.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stephen Jones-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance cruising.
Packing for the winter sailfrom SEILmagasinet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

O'day 40A 12-metre masthead sloop featuring an extended sugar scoop stern and a taller rig on later production modelsJeanneau Sun Fizz 40A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop also marketed as the O'Day 39 and 40, available in both fin and keel/centerboard.O'day 37A C. Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop built for charter fleets and sold internationally as the Trinidad 37O'day 35A C. Raymond Hunt design featuring an extended stern and swim platform, evolved from the O'Day 34 for added lengthO'day 34A masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, built for four years before evolving into the O'Day 35

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The fleet has more to say

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