Jeanneau was eager to bring new blood into the boating population—and to welcome newcomers to the Jeanneau world. It was clear that one of the strongest advantages of boating compared to other leisure activities was in keeping the family together.

Enter the Sun Way 21: a small, affordable, safe, easy and comfortable introductory boat for a young family. 

 J&J office accepted the ambitious design challenge, with Anaïk Descamps designing the beautiful interior soft decor choices. Sun Way 21 was a pocket-size modern yacht: family-friendly, safe and easy to sail, with a warm and comfortable interior that slept four. In addition, she had a very attractive price tag that was supported by a generous financing plan intended to assist young families. Easily trailered, the yacht was not expensive to own or store. 

Many innovations helped in the use of the boat, such as an automatic chain-stopper enabling easy retrieval of the anchor without a winch; a handy sliding outboard bracket; and single-handed sailing cockpit organization. And especially family-friendly was a major safety feature, new for Jeanneau: the Sun Way 21 was unsinkable, meaning she could sail home even if punctured or flooded. 

The Sun Way 21 was presented at the Paris boat show in December 1988 by her godfather Dennis Conner, of America’s Cup fame, and went on to win the 1988 Boat of the Year award in France (J&J Design’s first, but not last, such award). She was an instant success and bestseller. The marketing photos for the Sun Way 21 were taken in Croatia on the island of Krk, and featured an attractive nineteen-year-old model named Melania Knauss (later, Melania Trump…). 

Nine hundred and forty Sun Way 21s were sold—and gave the name to a range of small Jeanneau sailing yachts in future decades.