Jeanneau what I mean?

French manufacturer Jeanneau is back with an all new 60’ cruiser that offers a beguiling blend of comfort and performance

- Sam Jefferson

Cast your mind back to 2014 if you dare. Yes, I know it seems like a halcyon time when it wasn’t illegal to go abroad for example but there it is. It was in this year that Jeanneau launched their flagship yacht, the 64. I tested one and, although impressed by many features of the yacht, I was left wondering if the company hadn’t perhaps lost the plot just a little bit. I just wondered who on earth wanted a 64’ production yacht. 72 yachts later and the answer is quite a few people did and the 64 is lauded as one of the big successes of the company in recent times. It led to the rest of the big production boatbuilders (Hanse, Bavaria, Beneteau, Dufour) following suit and the idea of a ‘mini superyacht’ was born. Don’t call me Nostradamus.

The rationale is simple and also completely correct. In recent years the addition of bow and stern thrusters has taken away the fear factor in parking a 60’ yacht. You no longer need the reassuring presence of a full time skipper to coax such a yacht into a narrow berth, you can largely spin it on the spot. It’s an absolute game changer. Add into the mix improvements in sail handling systems, improved in-mast furling sail shape and the widespread adoption of electric winches and you suddenly have the ability to make a 60’ yacht a real and undaunting proposition for a cruising couple. Because, ultimately, that remains the target market for the Jeanneau 60.