Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54.
by Guy Nowell 6 Oct 2020 08:38 PDT
Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54 © Gilles Martin-Raget for Groupe Beneteau
Design of functional items is a process of continuous refinement. It’s been a long voyage since Benjamin Bénéteau started building fishing trawlers in 1928, all the way through to the launch of the Oceanis line from the drawing board of Philippe Briand in 1987. And now here we are in 2020. Materials have changed from wood to GRP to more sophisticated composites, allowing the engineers and designers ever-increasing freedom to realise their ideas.
Take the newly-released Beneteau Oceanic Yacht 54, for example. Beneteau describe it as “capable,” which means “having the ability, fitness, or quality to do or achieve a specified thing.” In this case there are two specified things: entertaining in style on a leisurely coastal cruise, and making passages across oceans. Thank you, Roberto Biscontini and Lorenzo Argento, for designing a yacht of style and elegance, with the volume and fittings of an exceptionally comfortable cruiser, and the lines and sea-kindliness of a blue water boat that is ready to take you anywhere, anytime.
On deck, the Oceanis Yacht 54 presents as a centre cockpit layout with all the seating moved forward adjacent to the companionway, and all the lines, clutches, and winches positioned tidily behind the helm. It’s a nice division of function that separates guests from the sailing crew. Down below, this boat is a fully-featured cruiser that comes with three double cabins, either two or three heads, a galley that’s big enough to be useful, and a proper chart table (thank you; blue water sailors really like chart tables). You can choose a finish in light coloured oak or a darker walnut – that’s just a matter of taste, since both ‘perform’ equally well.
This boat comes as an exceptionally complete package. Mooring and close-quarters maneuvering are made easy with the Dock & Go joystick system, while Harken Assisted Sail Trim does the same for the actual sailing. Ship Control is an interface that keeps the skipper fully updated on the status of batteries, tanks, the engine, lighting circuits and so on. Have we forgotten anything?
With international travel restrictions substantially curtailed these days, you might have to postpone your transoceanic programme for the moment, but that just means that you have more time and opportunity for some weekend cruising in immense style. If you need any suggestions, Simpson Marine will be only too happy to point you in the right direction. It’s just part of the service that you can expect from the #1 yacht dealer in Asia – and they can even organise some crew to show you the way.
www.simpsonmarine.com