What, in the opinion of the French concern Beneteau, should be an open family boat for a large company? And why does the flagship Flyer 32 stand a chance of success?
Annual autumn tests of Beneteau Group products are an excellent reason not only to get to know the new products of the company’s sailing and motor fleet, but also without fuss, in a calm atmosphere, try to understand and discuss with colleagues in which direction the design and marketing idea of one of the influential European manufacturers is moving.
So, at the end of October, the town of Castelldefels near Barcelona, the cozy Port Ginesta marina. Intentionally or not, the Flyer 32 was placed in the most visible position right at the entrance to the sector reserved for Beneteau’s new products. And the journalists showed remarkable interest in the boat, downright stuck to the “beauty”, and the representative of the company, surprisingly restrained and focused, proudly (and with a strong accent) told them about the boat entrusted to him.
Beneteau Press Center
Even a cursory glance at the Flyer 32 (at that time the model was called the Flyer 10) was enough to understand that the company had done its best. The result is a very noticeable, even slightly major, boat with a wide cockpit. It’s not a shame to moor on such an expensive Mediterranean marina. The hull of the boat is very voluminous, the landing is high, but it is not a “fat man”: the exterior of the boat is rather sporty, with smooth hull lines and angular, chopped surfaces in the cockpit. The model is full of details and design touches and looks, I’m not afraid to say, much more attractive than the rest in the Flyer family.
The volume, skillfully hidden outside, will sparkle when you spend a day or two on the boat, and here, perhaps, the main advantage opens up: it is very comfortable to rest on the Flyer 32 in a rather large company of up to 8 people, and you will probably want to go away from the beaten sea paths. But nobody canceled the speed and style either! Then you begin to understand why the model snatched the palm in the category “Boat up to 10 m” of the prestigious competition European Power Boat of the Year 2020 from such a serious competitor as the Fairline F-33, which, however, costs significantly more and professes slightly different values …
Cockpit
The bathing platform, as is usual on boats of this type, has a cutout for the outboards: you can enter the cockpit or go down into the water only to the right and left of the motors. However, the crinoline can be increased using the optional Pepot sections, as was done on the test boat. Above the motors hangs a frame for towing a skier. In the cockpit, the increasingly popular asymmetric planning solutions are used to ensure maximum freedom of movement: an L-shaped sofa group with an irregularly shaped table (can take up to 6 people) is shifted to the port side. It has the form of a square, from which the corner was cut off, providing a wide passage on the starboard side to the seats at the helm. Dinette’s table easily lowers to the level of the seats (it cannot be removed at all), forming an additional place for rest and sunbathing. This entire group can be protected with an optional hard top or bimini. An ergonomic solution: a deck segment with a table can be reclined aft, giving access to a large locker, and for what may be required quickly, there is a locker under the sofa seat on the port side.
The sun loungers for three people in the bow are also shifted to the side, now to the starboard. To get there, you need to overcome two steps, fold back the windshield section and the plastic door under it.
Dossier Beneteau Flyer 32
Length:
9.98 m
Width:
3.35 m
Draft (min / max):
0.80 / 1.30 m
Displacement:
5.7 t
Fuel supply:
2 × 400 l
Water supply:
160 l
Engine power:
700 h.p.
Cabins:
2
Capacity:
11 people
RCD category:
“B” (8 people) / “C” (11 people)
Basic swim platform is small, but the crinoline can be extended with optional Pepot sections
The boat is equipped with the latest generation Suzuki DF350A outboard motors
Deck section, table and aft sofa raised
The Flyer 32 cockpit is spacious
The table can be lowered, turning the dinette into a sunbathing area.
Sun beds for three are equipped with headrests
Seats in the “first row”, near the control post, will be enough for four: there are two chairs at the helm and a double chair on the left. One feels that they were designed with great care: the chairs with their gray-white upholstery, unusual trapezoidal backs, armrests and folding bolsters look one hundred percent.
The black gloss of the steering console is not overloaded; all the toggle switches and buttons are dominated by a large Garmin display, on which you can display large values of key parameters, for example, speed, fuel consumption, revs, etc. On the sides of the display there are monitoring screens for each of the two Suzuki motors (partner company). The throttle levers are placed back, under the right hand, which, as it turned out, is quite convenient for any manner of control.
Behind the navigator’s chair is a galley, also of an irregular shape. Two burners and a sink are protected by a dark tempered glass lid, underneath are a refrigerator and storage space.
Cabins
To the left of the steering console is the passage to the cabins. In the bow room with a transformer dinette, natural light enters through the elongated side glazing, but I would like more light. You can watch what happens in the cockpit while sitting / lying on the sofa thanks to the sliding door and two windows to the right of it from tinted glass. You can stand in the cabin without bending over; closer to the nose, of course, more cramped, but there the height is not critical. On the starboard side there is a latrine (here the porthole is wider) and a shower with a convenient folding plastic can. In the midships – a guest cabin for two from the category of “just sleep”, but quite a lot of lockers with soft strap handles – a favorite theme of Beneteau. In general, if the cruise drags on for several days, then you can live here with relative comfort – there would be enough food and fuel.
In the bow cabin it is good to get together in bad weather
You shouldn’t expect miracles from the second cabin on a 10-meter boat
In the sea
I was curious to know how the boat would behave on the water. We went to the test in the late evening, when “the sea played out slightly.” In the rays of the setting sun, they drove at full speed for a long time to the bestial, somewhat strained roar of the latest generation Suzuki DF350A suspension brackets.
Manageability at the level: the helm has 4.5 turns per board, it is easy to operate with it at speed The hull, equipped with the proprietary Air Step system of bottom air ducts to improve dynamic characteristics, confidently cut a wave of two points, and only at maximum speed the boat began to “bounce” a little.
The speed of this family cruiser is impressive
In about 6-7 seconds, the Flyer 32 starts planing – the instruments record 3500 rpm and a speed of 19.5 knots, but in the 2000-3500 rpm range, there is a pronounced hump of resistance. We managed to accelerate to 39-40 knots in 17 seconds, colleagues earlier that day managed to fix a maximum of 43.1 knots, which is a very good indicator for a family cruiser. The circulation diameter at 20-25 knots was found to be about six hulls. At 30 knots with a small wave, the ride is still quite soft; on a bend, as usual, the boat heeled, but there was no discomfort. Generally dry and comfortable, even though I once caught a spray at 20 knots, not turning sharply into the wave. What open boat would be different?
Conclusion
Without a doubt, Flyer 32 is able to give the owner and his family a lot of positive emotions, especially if you eliminate minor flaws associated with fittings. There is nothing more to complain about. The result is a competitive model with a convincing balance of performance. And the fact that it came out very different from the younger representatives of the line suggests that Beneteau is not going to soon start developing this concept on larger models? After all, the company does not yet have open motor cruisers over 10 m in length. Was it not for the sake of these plans that the “threshold” marking “10” was replaced with “32” in the model name?
Specifications
Outboard motors 2 x Suzuki DF350A, 350 HP at 6300 rpm, 6 cylinders, 4.4 liters, gasoline
ECO FAST MAX Modes RPM 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000 Speed 4.6 6.1 7.6 8.2 10.6 17.3 25.2 29.4 33.0 38.1 40.4 Flow rate 9.1 16.3 25.2 41.0 62.7 77.0 93.6 120 150 179 217 MPL 0.50 0.37 0.30 0.20 0.17 0.22 0.23 0.25 0.22 0.21 0.19 Power reserve 364 269 217 144 122 162 194 176 158 151 134
Speed in knots, distance in miles, flow in l / h, cruising range at 10% reserve. The figures shown are based on the readings of the on-board instruments and may differ from the data you received. Loading: 40% fuel, 30% water, 5 people on board, life raft. Air temperature +22 ºС, water temperature +18 ° С, wind 4 points, excitement 2 points.
Text
Ivan Golubev
Photo
Beneteau, Ivan Golubev
Chief Editor
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