SAIL

Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62

Sometimes I get lucky. When I stepped aboard Beneteau’s new flagship, I was the first journalist (from anywhere) to examine and sail hull #1 of the new “Oceanis Yacht” line. The word “yacht” has been added to designate Oceanis models 60 and over. It’s a bold new direction for the French builder, which is now reaching beyond pure production boats to luxury-oriented mini-superyachts.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

The design firm of Berret Racoupeau, a longtime Beneteau collaborator, drew this model from scratch. Beneteau then leveraged its relationship with Pierreangelo Adreani (who has worked extensively on the company’s powerboats) to add some aesthetic touches.

The resulting boat is sleek, with a profile accented by a black hull stripe that hides a dozen dark windows. The high topsides permit a low-pro le coachroof that does not impinge upon the volume and headroom belowdecks. Even the 30in lifelines don’t make the

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