LOST IN SPACE

I shouldn't be, but I'm often surprised when a Beneteau powerboat exceeds my expectations. After all, the marque has been around since 1884 when Benjamin Beneteau produced his first sailing Trawler.

I guess my surprise has something to do with being brought up on a diet of Aussie and American boats. But there’s also something entrenched in my psyche that associates the Beneteau name with sleek sailing yachts even if the brand’s first engine-powered boat hit the water in 1908 and the original sterndrivepowered Flyer was launched around 1980.

All these impressions skirt the issue that the Flyer 8 is a great performer with loads of room and well-deserving of the description as an all-rounder. It's a day boat, a toy hauler, a fishing weapon and a cruiser wrapped in distinctive European styling. It’s fun and safe to drive and feels rock-solid in a choppy sea at