When Beneteau’s name comes up, most people think sailboats — and for good reason. But this one has no sails and you don’t have to worry about the breeze. It’s a GT, otherwise known as a Gran Turismo, a name given only to the most sporty of vehicles. This 2014 model was lent to me by Newport Yachts, who handle sales, charters, and just about anything else you need on the water. Let me walk you through what makes this sporty cruiser stand out.
Exterior and Bow
Starting at the bow, there’s a classic Danforth-style anchor with a Lewmar windlass and a nice bow railing that runs all the way to the tip. The hull is two-tone white on dark navy, and the boat is listed at 38 feet but is really closer to 40 overall thanks to a sizable teak-covered swim step in the stern. That swim step has an outlet, a mount for the factory electric grill, and a boarding ladder on the starboard side. Both side walkways are wide enough to move comfortably, and up on the bow there’s a sunpad with a hatch into the V-berth below. On the roof you’ll find a Simrad radar, a digital TV antenna, and a VHF antenna.
The Cockpit and Helm
The rear cockpit is completely enclosed with wrap-around glass and canvas that you can roll up to control how much weather you let in. It’s a great setup because you get to decide if you want full outdoor or something more sheltered without going below. There’s a lounger on the starboard side, a seating area to port, and a folding table that flips up to access the engine room underneath. The electric grill stores neatly below one of the stern seats, almost like a life raft compartment. On the starboard side under the lounger is storage for life jackets.
The helm is centered on the vessel with a double seat so you can share with one person, plus an accessory chair on the starboard side. Off to port there’s a wet bar with a sink up top and a fridge below. The infotainment system runs throughout the boat with speakers in the cockpit and a subwoofer under the helm chair, plus an LG TV mounted outside the hardtop and sealed from the weather. The whole cockpit can convert from indoor to outdoor with one button — hit it and the sunroof slides open. Simrad handles the chart plotter and VHF, and the boat runs twin Volvo Penta D4 diesels at 300 horsepower each with inboard/outboard drives controlled by a joystick. Your traditional gear and throttle controls are there too, along with a bow thruster, Volvo Penta trim tabs, and a full set of analog instruments.
Below Decks
Getting below is clever — a window panel forward of the helm pulls forward and a door folds shut to seal it, then reverses to open back up. Four stairs down and you’re in the salon. To starboard is the control panel for AC, shore power, batteries, and the generator. The Fusion stereo and DVD player controls sit nearby. Port side has a seating area with a table that lowers into an extra sleeping surface. The galley is on the starboard side with a stove, microwave above, sink, fridge, trash area, storage, and another TV on a cabinet that opens for more space behind it.
The day head is a single wet head that services both cabins and the cockpit. It has a shower nozzle, a sink, the head, and its own porthole for ventilation. Toward the stern and spanning the full beam is a cabin that can be configured as two twins or one large bed, with storage along the sides and batteries hidden below. Up forward, the V-berth serves as the main cabin with viewing windows on both sides, its own porthole, a TV, closet space in each side compartment, and steps to access each side of the bed. One thing I really like throughout is the wood veneer — it adds a luxurious touch that you don’t see much anymore with all the plastic and chrome on modern boats.
Engine Room
Access is through the folding cockpit table — turn the handles, lift the hatch on its piston assist, and you’re looking at the twin D4s shifted toward the stern to connect to the outdrives at the transom. Forward sits a Cummins Onan generator. The D4s are compact engines that pack serious punch, mounted close to the centerline with limited space between them but plenty of room outboard for the water heater, water pumps, and fuel tanks on both sides. There’s a fire suppression system on each side. If you need to get to the outboard side of the engines, there’s room to sit back there and work — though getting there isn’t exactly graceful. For the power these engines make in a boat this size, it’s a well-engineered fit.
The Star Review
Stars are on a 1 to 10 scale with 5 being average — not 7. This isn’t high school. Seven is a great score. Performance gets an 8 because those D4s are high-RPM engines that push 16,000 pounds to a top speed of 34 knots with a cruising speed of 28, all through a clever twin counterrotating stainless prop setup on the outdrives. With a 172-gallon fuel tank, the range is 250 nautical miles, plus 52 gallons of fresh water and a 25-gallon raw water tank. The beam is just over 12 feet with a 3.5-foot draft.
Comfort earns a 6 because the enclosed cockpit lets you completely control how much breeze you want while still feeling like you’re outdoors — a problem a lot of boats have where you end up going inside and losing that on-the-water feeling. Quality also gets a 6 for the wood veneer, solid build, and the fact that every hatch and cabinet is well-aligned. Beneteau has a long history of making production vessels, and they’re still around because they’re good at it. Practicality scores a 7 because this boat has cup holders literally everywhere, all the tables convert to extra beds, and you can comfortably fit multiple families aboard. Value gets a 6 because Beneteau keeps prices reasonable as a production builder — this is a lot of boat for the money. That puts the total at 33 stars, right in line with the Sunseeker Predator and the Carver 40. Beneteau did a great job blending the comforts of a cruising vessel with that Gran Turismo sport boat name — you really do get the best of both worlds. If you’re looking to browse boats for sale, check out setsalemarine.com.
