The Sun Shine 38 is a French sailboat that was designed by Tony Castro as a cruiser-racer and first built in 1987.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The design is a development of the Sun Shine 36 with a longer and sharper transom, giving it a longer waterline length and thus higher hull speed.^{[1][2][6][7][8]}

The design was built by Jeanneau in France, from 1987 to 1989, in both "team" and "owners" versions, but it is now out of production.^{[1][2][5][9][10]}

The Sun Shine 38 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass using Aramat K, which is a stratified glass/Kevlar composite material. It has a masthead sloop rig. The hull has a raked stem, a sharply reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin keel or optional stub keel and retractable centerboard. The fin keel version displaces 12,677 lb (5,750 kg) and carries 4,850 lb (2,200 kg) of ballast, while the centerboard-equipped version displaces 12,677 lb (5,750 kg) and carries 5,776 lb (2,620 kg) of ballast.^[1][2][5]

The keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of 6.23 ft (1.90 m), while the centerboard-equipped version has a draft of 6.89 ft (2.10 m) with the centerboard extended and 4.08 ft (1.24 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water.^[1][2]

The boat is fitted with a Japanese Yanmar 3GM30 diesel engine of 30 hp (22 kW) for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 22 U.S. gallons (83 L; 18 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 53 U.S. gallons (200 L; 44 imp gal).^[1][2][8]

The design has sleeping accommodation for six people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, an L-shaped settee and a straight settee in the main cabin and an aft cabin with a double berth on the port side. The galley is located on the port side just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is U-shaped and is equipped with a two-burner stove, ice box and a double sink. A navigation station is opposite the galley, on the starboard side. The head is located just aft of the companionway on the starboard side. There is also a single sink located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side and inside the aft cabin.^[1][2]

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker.^[1][2]

The design has a hull speed of 7.63 kn (14.13 km/h).^[2]

In a 2014 used boat review David Liscio wrote, "with a fast hull and strong rig, the lightweight Sunshine 38 is capable of efficiently capturing a gentle breeze or taking on a gusty blow. Just as Castro planned, it's the perfect combination of speed and comfort."^[8]

• List of sailing boat types

• Official website