New Beneteaus in Asia
by James Sergeant 2 Nov 2020 00:33 PST
Beneteau 35.1 © Gilles Martin-Raget / Groupe Beneteau
There’s never been a better time to start sailing in Asia. Sailors everywhere - the ones that are allowed out of the marina - have found over the last few months that restrictive social distancing regulations are for the most part null and void when you are out on the water, on a boat. Friends of the boat owners have been treated to a day on the water, and now they are interested too! As autumn replaces summer in the northern hemisphere, sunny days and balmy temperatures make cruising under sail an ever-more inviting opportunity, and we have been looking at some boats that are eminently suitable for newcomers to the boating scene.
How about a Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 to begin your new lifestyle adventure? Over the last couple of years Beneteau have been ‘refreshing’ their core product line. The latest edition of the Oceanis 30.1 has been hugely well-received in both Europe (nominated as European Yacht Of the Year 2020) and North America (awarded Cruising World’s Best Performance Cruiser 2020). Just being nominated in this sort of company is a compliment. The Oceanis 30.1 is easy to sail, but lively to helm. Twin wheels are linked to twin rudders, making for a well-balanced boat. Non-overlapping jibs and an asymmetric spinnaker make this boat just perfect for short-distance and short-handed cruising. It is an exceptionally smart little boat, with a generous 1.98m headroom in the saloon, and since there’s really no point in jamming more that two cabins into a 30-footer, Beneteau have resisted the temptation. Clear the decks for a little Club racing, but this boat’s real speciality is as a coastal and weekend cruiser, and it does the job supremely well and with immense style.
Once upon a time ‘38’ was touted as a magic number, big enough to invite guests, and small enough to be manageable when short-handed. Big enough have a waterline for racing, small enough to slip into any coastal mooring spot, and so on. It all still applies, but today the performance of almost any boat, knots vs length, has improved substantially, and the Oceanis 38.1 is no exception. The new Finot-Conq Design chined hull gives the boat exceptional form stability and a generous turn of speed. Six double berths down below, including the astonishing wide-opening-doors owners’ suite, and a choice of galley configurations mean that there’s a layout for everyone. As with her little sister, the Oceanis 30.1, Beneteau have up-specced all the fittings and fiddly bits on the 38.1, and when you move on to your next yacht you are going to wonder where all the standard extras went to!
Beneteau have been producing sassy 40-footers forever. The overwhelming impression from the newest Oceanis 40.1 is SPACE. Meaning living space; the sort of living space that belongs on board a very much bigger boat - it’s a function of the hull shape, of course, but while the interior design by Nauta is undoubtedly elegant, the external hull shape is all function too: beamy, stable, and quick. The huge number of different options of arrangement mean this boat can be anything to everybody: take your pick. On deck, you’ll find a fractional rig with swept back spreaders, no running backstays, furling mainsail, and a self-tacking jib – all ‘maximum easy’ handling. If you want to push a bit harder, order up the performance rig.
All of these boats come with peace of mind on the ticket that only someone like Beneteau can provide. There’s a good reason why they are the biggest boat builders on the planet… they build good boats, and people like them. Add in the security and support of a quality agent behind the builder’s marque, like Simpson Marine, and it’s a winning combination. Go boat shopping today, go sailing tomorrow. It’s that easy.
www.simpsonmarine.com