In May 2004 we decided to take a trip to France to check out the only Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49DS available to see which was returning from the Isle of Majorca.
We arrived in Paris May 22nd and took a shuttle to the Hotel Paris a small but beautiful quaint hotel in the Moulin Rouge district. It was exciting to see Paris for the first time and we certainly hope to return some day.
We toured Paris for a few days then took the train to Nantes which is close to Les Herbiers where the Jeanneau boats are built. We had some time so we decided to take a side trip on the train to La Baule which is located on the west coast of France on the Atlantic Ocean.
It was great to see the Atlantic which is like a lake, there are no waves and the water is very clear and calm.
The next morning we rented a car and drove to the Jeanneau Factory for our tour. Erwin Devillefroy our tour guide was there to greet us. He gave us the new brochure on the 49 DS which showed a new layout with the master state room forward. This was exactly the layout we wanted. It was very interesting to see the process in building sail boats.
Fiberglass shell
Interior woodwork
Galley preparations
The highlight of our trip was seeing the first 49 DS enter the Marseille Harbor. She was coming in from the Spanish Island of Majorca..
Patrice Fontaine her skipper picked us up for a day sail so we could see how she sailed. We were both excited and totally enjoyed the sail. Kip took the helm and loved the way the boat handled.
We had a great time in France and would like to thank Craig Watkins from H & S Channel Islands and Danielle Launais from Jeanneau America for there efforts in putting it all together.
