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Your boat should fit you, not the other way around.
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Customization is commonplace when it comes to a super or mega-yacht. Beneteau has introduced that same concept of customization to a yacht under 40 feet with the Oceanis 38. Now you don't have to be the head of a multinational corporation to design the yacht of your dreams! Whether you consider yourself a day sailer, a weekender or a cruiser, you have the opportunity to create an Oceanis 38 to fit your lifestyle on the water.
The day sailer is perfect for shorter junkets and offers an open, loft-like space, a two-person berth forward and plenty of room for storage aft.
The weekender has the features a couple or small crew will appreciate with two or three-cabin layouts, which can include a separate shower, fitted galley and an extra table in the salon and/or cockpit. Keep in mind, these are only a few of the many customization options available for the weekender.
The cruiser is perfect for couples or families intending to spend more time doing just that…cruising. It can be fitted with two or three cabins, a large galley, mainsail arch, helmsman seats and even a swim platform.
Of course, there are some things you've come to expect as standard from Beneteau. Like a continuous full-length chine and deep draft, T-shaped keel to enhance performance, increase stiffness and provide stability while reducing heel or twin rudders to create a more responsive helm. Last, but not least are those unmistakable sleek Beneteau lines and contemporary interior styling.
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The Hines' big upgrade
David and Robin Hines of Boston have been avid boaters for many years. Their first boat was a 27-foot Rinker they took to the Boston Harbor Islands, Cape Ann and Martha's Vineyard every chance they got. It seemed to be working fine for them although it was beginning to feel a little like camping -- cramped for entertaining and somewhat underpowered. They were looking to upgrade.
After months of intensive research they laid eyes on the GT 44, and it was love at first sight. Robin was ready for a boat with actual rooms and space for entertaining. Dave was in the market for something with more power and with the seaworthiness to handle rough seas not uncommon on trips to and from the Vineyard. The GT 44 granted their wishes in spades. "The joystick was a big plus for me considering the upgrade to this size boat and the care in training by Beneteau's dealer, Cape Yachts, was outstanding," David remarked.
"We considered Chaparrals, Sea Rays and other mid-size cruisers, but nothing matched the GT's aesthetics, layout, seakeeping or price," Dave remembered. "The full refrigerator, spacious staterooms and solid mahogany doors were a huge plus. We both fell in love with her sleek Italian lines and handling. And of course, it didn't hurt that the GT came in at around 200-300K less than anything else we looked at," he said.
Dave and Robin took delivery of their GT 44 in April and if anything, they are more enamored with her than ever. They're now traveling to many New England destinations and enjoy sharing all the wonderful experiences aboard their boat with friends and family. David commented, "We're not camping anymore."
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Spanker & her crew take the 2013 NOOD Chicago Regatta
Jim McDonnell and the racing crew aboard Spanker, a Beneteau 40.7 which Jim and his brother have owned and raced since 2003, brought home first place in their division as well as an impressive first place finish overall in this year's National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) Chicago Regatta, June 7-9, 2013. Jim has been sailing since his early twenties when he was invited by a colleague to join them for a sail on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin.
By the late 70's, Jim was itching to race and reached out to his brother Dennis to see if they could pool their resources and buy a boat together. That's just what they did. Their first boat was a 30' Pearson, Jim recalled. Over the years, their boats grew larger and faster. The Pearson was followed by a Peterson 34, then a J41, a CC 37R, and finally the pre-owned Beneteau 40.7 they purchased about ten years ago. When asked what boat may be next, Jim responded, "Oh, Spanker will be competitive at least another seven or eight years."
During our interview with Jim, he spoke fondly of his crew. "We've been racing together for 14 to 16 years. We're very close...like an extended family. We've been through weddings, divorces, births, and graduations." The Spanker crew ranges in age from 35 to 65 and includes one female crew member although Jim says in the past about 40 percent of the crew were women.
"We used to race much more in years past than now," Jim explained. "The last two or three years have been our pinnacle in racing. We've won a lot, and when we didn't win, we posted good scores even though the competition has been very keen. Racing is intense, but joyful," Jim added.
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Chris and crew, you've made us proud.
Congratulations Chris Bran on winning your first major ocean race! Chris and crew aboard Brannew, a Beneteau First 40 CR, won the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 384-nautical mile Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.
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SENSE-ational performance in Fremantle to Bali race.
The reputation of the Beneteau Sense series as a true ocean-going cruiser racer was recently put to the test, leading to an outstanding result. Don Brooker and the crew aboard his Sense 50 Dorade battled huge seas and 33 other entrants to take cruising division honors in the recent Fremantle to Bali yacht race.
Don admitted he and his crew were ecstatic at their result, considering most are regular dinghy sailors and not accomplished ocean racers, which is testament to the performance of the Sense 50.
After an early delay due to bad weather, Dorade and the fleet experienced favorable tailwinds for most of the trip, but the size of the following sea was not for the fainthearted. Don had never sailed in such large seas, experiencing a white knuckled 16.5 knot run down a large wave during a late-night leg and very nervous looking at what was boiling behind. "I was at the helm when I realized the boat was just flying down this huge wave. I was surprised to see us hit 16.5 knots, and the comforting thing is the boat just handled it so well," said Don.
Don can’t rave enough about how well the boat performed, as they had no spinnaker, but still kept up with all of the racing yachts. It was an amazing 10-day trip with favorable conditions most of the way. The Sense showed it’s not well publicized fishing ability when the crew caught a nice tuna and enjoyed some fresh sashimi.
Don was very thankful for the efforts of the Fremantle Sailing Club who hosted such a great event. On arrival into Bali, they organized a pipe band and all finishers met the arriving yachts with great fanfare and camaraderie.
Don and his wife Darinka enjoy both yachting and their powerboat, so when asked about why they chose a Sense 50, it came down to a couple of key things. After looking over their options, they spoke with Givenchy and the team from Squadron Marine Brokers, Beneteau’s official dealer in Dalkeith, WA (Australia) about what makes the Sense series so good. "We really liked the room in the cockpit and the salon layout, as it feels just like the space you get on a powerboat. Darinka really liked the galley layout, and I knew that the Beneteau sailing pedigree would ensure it was a great sailing boat," said Don.
Don and his wife will soon take off for some leisurely sailing around the northern WA coastal waters including the stunning Abrolhos Islands. We can’t wait to hear about their trip.
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Mitch made the switch!
"This spring I took delivery of a new Oceanis 34. This is my first new boat after owning a series of five used sailboats. I've named her PLEIADES, and she is a beauty. I owned a 2011 Beneteau 31 for a few months late last year, but decided that it was a bit too small. I learned of the Oceanis 34 that Prestige Yacht Sales in Essex, CT had on order so sight-unseen I purchased it. The experience has been enjoyable creating my own boat, knowing what I liked and disliked on the previous five boats. Working with Yacht Broker Steve Rodstrom of Prestige Yachts and Doug Domenie, commissioning marina yard manager at Brewer Dauntless has been a pleasure. There have been few glitches, and we’re almost done with the "punch list" of issues -- nothing major. Of note, Steve and Doug worked hard to get my boat ready for a planned two-week May cruise to Block Island, Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod, Narragansett Bay and Mystic CT. It was a joy to sail PLEIADES and not have to constantly deal with malfunctioning systems, which I did with my previous "Good Old Boats." The sail handling was almost too easy for a singlehandler like me. I've come to appreciate the in-mast furling mainsail. What an upgrade from the Dutchman flaking system that I had on my Catalina 30! I almost bought a Catalina 315 to replace my 1984 Catalina 30. I'm glad that I switched to Beneteau. Thank you for creating a quality vessel." - Mitch Gilbert, Brewer Pilots Point Marina, Westbrook, CT
Thanks to our friends at Prestige Yacht Sales in Essex, CT for connecting us with Mitch.
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Signature Yachts Rendezvous
Brownsville Marina on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, Aug 23-25
Montreal In-Water Show
Old Port of Montreal, QC,
Sep 6-8
Newport International Boat Show
Newport Yachting Center in Newport, RI, Sep 12-15
Norwalk Boat Show
Norwalk Cove Marina in East Norwalk, CT, Sep 19-22
Sea Lake Yachts Rendezvous
Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook, TX, Sep 20-22
United States Powerboat Show
Annapolis, MD, Oct 3-6
United States Sailboat Show
Annapolis, MD, Oct 10-14
Click here for more events.
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New Beneteau Boutique to launch September 1st
The new online boutique at Store.Beneteau.com will feature Beneteau-branded clothing for men, women and children as well as accessories for entertaining and enjoying life on the water.
"The new Beneteau Boutique is the logical answer to the request of many Beneteau owners and aspiring owners who are eager to purchase items which reveal their attachment to the brand. The e-commerce site is designed to grow over time with the addition of new products each month based on direct feedback from our customers in North America," said Maryline O’Shea, marketing director for Beneteau America.
Beneteau will donate 10 percent of total boutique sales generated over the next 12 months to support Box of Rain, a 501(c)3 organization in Annapolis, MD offering maritime programs and opportunities to disadvantaged youth ages 9 to 14 in an effort to nurture self-esteem and develop life skills that lead to positive contributions to the community.
Kelsa McLaughlin, executive director of Box of Rain said, "This is an amazing opportunity for us to be affiliated with such a highly regarded and global organization. We couldn’t be more proud or more appreciative to be selected as the beneficiary of Beneteau’s generosity."
Throughout the year, we'll award store credit to the best performing Beneteau crews in regattas throughout the US and Canada. We also plan to randomly distribute gift certificates to Beneteau "evangelists" who share their passion for Beneteau sailboats and/or powerboats through social media.
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