Beneteau Racing/Cruising. A Fine Balance.
by Asia Yacht Press 19 Mar 2021 15:45 NZDT
Beneteau Winners' Circle. Karasu, Phuket King's Cup 2016 © Guy Nowell
Beneteau have been producing quality boats since 1884. That’s a long time! And today the Beneteau Group is the biggest builder of recreational boats in the world. The product range is huge, and somewhere in the catalogue is a boat that is absolutely perfect for absolutely everybody. Big boats, small boat, sailing yachts, motor yachts, monohulls, catamarans, weekenders and boats that cross oceans.
For the most part, Beneteau have established a very strong name as builders of cruisers (and we are talking sailing boats here), so it is easy to overlook the ‘performance’ side of the brand’s DNA – the cruiser/racers that have taken on the world and won, so many times. Beneteau yachts have won the fabled Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, and the Newport-Bermuda Race too.
Beneteaus have claimed top honours in Asia, too – many times... When current travel restrictions come to an end, how about sailing away to join in the races that take you on a voyage of discovery up the west Malaysian coastline or ‘round the cans racing’ with the international racing teams in the PKCR? The Beneteau First 44.7 Fujin, previously Ichi Ban, is a multiple winner of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta in Malaysia. The Raja Muda is a peripatetic race series that starts in Port Klang and winds up in Langkawi several days layer, with additional stops in Pulau Pangkor and Penang. Three long coastal races, and three days’ inshore racing make for plenty of variety in the racing, and the elegant stopover destinations provide some fabulous socialising and après-sail nightlife! In 2019 Fujin claimed top honours with His Highness the Raja Muda of Selangor at the helm.
The Phuket King’s Cup has long been recognised as Asia’s premier inshore regatta. It’s another Asian Classic: if you haven’t raced the King’s Cup, you’re haven’t arrived. Sparkling ‘winter’ weather (December is glorious in Thailand) is fully matched by the quality of racing as well as the near-legendary parties – those that we can remember! Over the years, Beneteau yachts have claimed a great deal more than their fair share of the silverware, in both the top IRC Racing and the Premier Cruising divisions – Karasu (First 44.7), Ichi Ban (First 44.7), Popeye (First 44.7), First Light (First 50), Baby Tonga (First 53f5), Mohawk (Beneteau First 40). And there are more…
If you want to get there quickly but with sacrificing the creature comforts, think about a Beneteau: they have this cruiser/racer thing exceptionally well organised. Ask Simpson Marine, who probably know as much about Beneteau yachts as the builders themselves. www.simpsonmarine.com