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BENETEAU CONTINUES TO SHOW THAT PERFORMANCE HULL SHAPES ADAPT SMARTLY TO CRUISING NEEDS TOO, AS WE SAIL ITS PROTOTYPE NEW FLAGSHIP

A measure of how much yacht design has moved on over the past few years is that Beneteau’s replacement for the successful Oceanis Yacht 62 (2016) is smaller and visually sleeker, with lower freeboard, and a whopping five tonnes less displacement. Yet it offers the same accommodation volume.

As a result the new Oceanis Yacht 60 design has a dramatically different character and is a boat that sails very nicely, while also providing an enviable amount of space. The hull shape is an evolution of the one Roberto Biscontini created for the First 53 and Oceanis Yacht 54. However, as the 60 was developed solely as a cruising boat, there’s more allowance for additional payload and broader forward sections, with flare above the waterline but no chine or knuckle.

This increases the interior volume ahead of the mast and improves form stability. It also helps to confer better hull balance, as the bow doesn’t dip as much when the boat heels. In addition, the greater volume forward also provides an owner’s suite forward of a size that in the past would have been more commonly found on yachts well over 70ft.

Our test took place from Les Sables d’Olonne on a stunning July day on the prototype boat. It was finger light on the helm in all conditions and surprised us by consistently being faster on all points of sail, and in all wind strengths we experienced, than the new First 44.

Sitting outboard on the windward coaming you can see the lower jib telltale, although the entire luff is only visible when helming from leeward.

There are effective foot chocks for use when the boat is heeled, and a comfortable upholstered seat with a backrest aft of the wheels.