Sunbeam 28
PRICE £45,000-£75,000 YEAR 2014-present
Designed by J&J and built in Austria, Sunbeam Yachts are renowned for the high quality of their construction and excellent standard of finish below. Launched in 2014, the Sunbeam 28.1 is laid up by hand, using solid laminate below the water and foam core above. Short chines aft and plumb ends give her a very modern look and yet for a small performance cruiser she has the styling of a much larger yacht.
Although a deep fin keel is standard, there’s a centreboard version available for those who like to creek-crawl or need to keep trailer loading height to a minimum. She is 7/8ths fractionally-rigged with spreaders that are swept aft enough to eliminate the need for a backstay. Two versions are available – standard cruising and performance. A self-tacking, furling jib is standard, although a genoa is optional. The performance version has a larger (+2.5m²), flat-top mainsail and optional gennaker with retractable bowsprit.
The hull beam is restricted for towing legalities, resulting in narrow side decks, which are made even less negotiable if she has the genoa tracks fitted. That said, all the sail control lines lead back to the cockpit so there’s little need to go forward under way.
The cockpit is comfortable and has wellorganised stowage in two seat lockers. The coamings are low, but flat, and the sheets fall to hand easily, even when steering from the coaming with a tiller extension. Below, the open-plan layout is fairly basic and all ahead of the companionway. The accommodation is primarily intended for weekending, although there are numerous options that can be added to make living on board easier and more comfortable. There are four berths, including the saloon, where the 2m-long settees are straight and, with their backrests hinged up, easily wide enough for sleeping at anchor or under way. Saloon headroom, at 1.65m/ 5ft 5in, isn’t particularly generous.
The open forepeak V-berth is a good size and there’s an 80L water tank and two batteries installed beneath it. The remaining space beneath the saloon seating is vacant stowage and a ‘Touring Pack’ offers additional lockers along each side. The white, moulded deckhead keeps it bright, but ventilation is limited.
The simple galley can be tailored to your needs, but there’s space for a small hob and fridge, and a sink with pressurised cold water is standard. The heads is rudimentary but functional, with a portable loo as standard or an optional sea toilet. Passage planning requires the saloon table as there’s no separate chart table.
Under sail she’s fast, highly responsive and easy to handle with a dinghy-like feel from her tiller. A 13hp water-cooled diesel offers plenty of manoeuvring power, battery charging and optional hot water, or there’s an all-electric option.