JEANNEAU 319
Jeanneau’s new 319 packs a lot in for her small size. Graham Snook tests her on the Solent to see if her handling matches her comfort
Yachts might be getting bigger every year, but there is strong competition among builders of sub-10m cruising yachts as they seek to convert new buyers into brand-loyal owners. There’s plenty of choice, but if you’re looking for your first yacht or downsizing and still want comfort, the Jeanneau 319 has much to offer. Generous accommodation and lofty headroom are squeezed into a package that still sails superbly. Usually on a test, it’s clear who to credit for all the clever features on board, but on this boat it’s less obvious. You see, the new Jeanneau 319 is a reincarnation of the six-year-old Delphia 31. Delphia has long built boats for other yards under contract and the 319 is built by Delphia, but she has a new hull, designed to accept Delphia’s existing inner tray moulding. Large hull windows have been added, among other refinements. Regardless of her origins, she aims to be an easy-to-sail family cruiser with a light, practical interior.
PERFORMANCE
We had good weather for the day of our test, a light Force 4 with warm sunshine. On the wind she performed well, the hard chine adding directional stability. Although not especially close winded, she did what was asked of a comfortable coastal cruiser.
The original Delphia 31 had a single spade rudder (with twin rudders on the shoal keel option), but the Jeanneau has twin rudders as standard. These are set well aft and protrude from beneath the low transom when at rest. The good thing about having two rudders is that one of them is always fully immersed and although they look short, they provided good grip. All this adds up to a boat that is fun and responsive to sail, with few, if any, bad habits – she’ll happily track nicely with the sail balanced and no one at the wheel; a handy trait with the mainsheet on the coachroof. A German mainsheet system, lead back to the coaming winches, is an option.
The Jefa steering on the helm of this boat had a fair weight to it – there was a little slack in the system. Even so, she was impeccably behaved.
Under power, giving her plenty of throttle to get way on as soon as possible, she responded well to the helm, even with no prop wash over the rudders.
DECK LAYOUT
The deck is well laid out. High stainless-steel handrails on the edge of the coachroof are excellent for going forward and the 5cm (2in) chunky faux teak toerails work well. With the handrails on the side of 50cm (1ft 8in), coachroof one has to step up 55cm (1ft 10in) which felt a bit of a stretch; forward of the handrails, at the mast, it is 40cm (1ft 4in) high. The inner shrouds cut across the deck which, given the high coachroof, obstructs the walkthrough forward. The anchor windlass is set well forward so the chain falls vertically into the bow. Aft of the windlass, and under the anchor locker lid, is a shelf suitable for keeping a couple of fenders and warps. All the deck cleats have stainless-steel rub rails to protect the bevelled edge of the hull. The navigation lights are at deck level so they aren’t obstructed by the headsail when it’s outside the pulpit when sailing in reduced visibility.
Back in the cockpit, the seat edge was a little angular but it was nice to see a good amount of locker space. Not only did the gas locker (to port of the helm) have room for two gas bottles, there was also room for snorkel and flippers, shorepower leads etc. To starboard was a large locker with two lids for access, one forward and the other outboard of the helm. The locker is 79cm (2ft 7in) deep with a horizontal base, beneath which you’ll find the calorifier (optional), fuel tank and associated services. There is a short partition aft to stop clobber from the locker falling on to the rudder posts, but I would have liked to have seen it a little bit higher.
The washboard stows very neatly on top of the sliding hatch but it does make the hatch heavy to move and will end up scratching the perspex hatch – not a physical problem, just aesthetic.
Seating in the cockpit is a very generous 2.14m (7ft) long and the 38cm (15in) coaming gave good back support, as did the forward end of the coachroof. A folding transom is an option but the steps in the transom are plenty wide enough, if a little open – those not wanting to lose pets, children or hapless crew could fashion up a net or dodger across the lower area, but at the helm I felt safe. The inboard legs of the pulpit extend almost to the bathing platform, making them a great handhold for alighting the dinghy or bathing ladder.
AT THE HELM
The aft end of the cockpit coaming is 28cm (11in). It drops down to 2cm at the helm, giving them a comfortable seat, a little bit off the deck, or if seated when heeling, it doesn’t cut into the helm’s back. The seating forward of the wheel is inboard of the helm seat so the crew doesn’t obstruct the view.
This boat had the optional 1.02m (3ft 4in) Lewmar folding wheel which made passing it in port a breeze. Without it, you’ll need to step on to the cockpit seating. The good diameter gives a number of options to comfortably helm from. Throttle position was low down to starboard which I didn’t mind, but it will be moving to the binnacle.
The genoa winches are easy to reach. There are no eyes or turning blocks from the genoa sheets as the lead from the genoa cars is straight and fair. This is a double-edged sword as there is nothing stopping the sheet end disappearing forward, but it also means that twists sort themselves out along the length of the sheet and there is nowhere for them to jam while tacking.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Originally designed by Andrzej Skrzat for Delphia, credit for the 319 now goes to the Jeanneau Design team. The bows have been rounded, the gunwale is bevelled and standard twin rudders have been added since the original. On deck, the window line has also been redesigned and more windows added to increase natural light below, but the deck and cockpit remain largely untouched.
She has a solid laminate hull and a cored deck. The deck is bonded and screwed in place. Inside, there are vinyl panels outboard to allow access to the deck join – handy for inquisitive boat testers too.
RIG & SAILPLAN
She has a Seldén twin spreader discontinuous fractional rig. The genoa is 110% and taken back to Harken 35 ST winches – a self-tacking jib is an option. The coachroof winches for the halyards, reefing lines and mainsheet are single-speed 20 ST – they did the job, but could have been more powerful or two-speed. The mainsheet is on a Dyneema bridle above the companionway hatch.
The lockers on each side are frankly huge for this size of yacht
ACCOMMODATION
The interior is light, simple and modern. The
319 also has exceptional headroom for the size of boat; at least 1.93m (6ft 4in) in all living areas.
The saloon is comfortable and the hull windows are large enough to give a view. The seatbacks lift off in one piece (2.0m, 6ft 7in long) to the give 89cm (2ft 11in) of berth width. I found the seatbacks could be attached to the front of the seat; the fiddle on the seat front is the same as the one that holds it at the back. The 1.27m-long (4ft 2in) saloon table is surrounded by 2cm-high fiddles and is attached to the mast compression post. There is no stowage in the table but this gives good legroom.
The passage forward between the table and the saloon seating is a bit narrow (just 27cm, 11in) and requires a shuffle rather than a walk forward. It’s then an 18cm (7in) step down to the forward cabin, which gives the cabin excellent headroom. The drawback is, it also makes an 84cm (2ft 9in) climb up to the bunk; there is a removable infill that drops to make a seat or step but if using it as the latter, you’ll miss out on the 1.80m-wide (5ft 1in) vee berth. I could see the base of the aperture being used as a step up and it would have been nice to have a bit of solid wood capping or a tread plate to protect the veneer. At the base of this space under the sole is a sealed tray to stop water running amok after cleaning the log’s paddlewheel. Forward, under the berth, is a 150-litre stainless- steel water tank that would be a bit small for a cruising family. Outboard on each side are, frankly, huge lockers for this size of yacht. Their footprint is almost 50cm (1ft 8in) square, one is shelved, the other is a hanging locker. A high fiddle on the top of these units adds more practical stowage. There are also fiddled shelves on the hull sides.
The heads is a fair size but only has a small locker outboard for toiletries. The heads doesn’t have a separate shower but it’s a one-piece GRP mould with a sink and no shower grating, so is easy to clean.
The aft cabin, again, has good headroom. The floor in the aft cabin is a nonslip mould against the hull, so it’s not horizontal.
Like the forecabin, there’s a large fiddled area outboard. The shelves and hanging locker are a good
This boat is fun and responsive to sail, with few, if any, bad habits
height. One lovely feature is the good access to stowage under the bunk base. Rather than lifting up the cushion and fumbling to lift up the board, one just has to put their hand in the slot and lift up the bunk end to access the stowage beneath.
CHART TABLE
The aft-facing chart table is a decent size – 55cm x 74cm (1ft 9in x 2ft 5in) – and has a good fiddle outboard. There is a cutaway for the navigator’s feet to improve comfort. Unlike many chart tables where the lid in the top lifts up, on the 319, the front and side raise. This has pros and cons. The negative is that it reduces the depth of the chart table from 6cm to 4cm, but the positive is that on a starboard tack with the lid open, whatever was on the lid stays there. Lighting is a little basic; only one white LED light overhead.
Wiring behind the switch panel is labelled and very neatly laid out – especially for a yacht in this price bracket – and there is space for some instruments outboard too.
GALLEY
The L-shaped galley has the stove outboard and the workspace is limited to the top of the two lids for the 75-litre fridge. The lids aren’t hinged which makes opening them at sea a little problematic, but the payback is when it comes to getting things out or cleaning it after your sail, as access is great. The cook benefits from the 15cm-high (6in) windows and the window over the stove has an opening portlight in it. It’s not the biggest of galleys and the stove lacks a crashbar, but stowage around it is good. The fiddles surrounding it are just 2cm high but there is a decent grabhandle in the semi bulkhead that makes up the splashback for the single sink. There’s a small pull-out bin which might need emptying often. Having said that, it’s easily removable so when cooking, it can be left on the side to reduce the constant need to open and close the sliding drawer it stows on.
MAINTENANCE
Engine access could be improved. While it’s accessible from three sides, there is no access panel on the starboard side where you’ll find the oil filters on the Yanmar engine. Access to the impeller and the front of the engine isn’t great either as there is only a 6.5cm gap between the front of the impeller housing and the back of bottom step. This step houses the engine battery and while there is a removable panel to aid access, you’d also need to remove the battery.
I’d also be tempted to add a catch to the lid on this bottom step as I found myself clipping it with my feet – it makes a clatter, which will disturb those sleeping. The primary fuel filter is tucked away at the back of the engine bay. There is an access panel aft but it would have been nice if it were accessible from forward.