When Beneteau launched the all new Oceanis 51.1 last winter at the Miami boat show, it was obvious that the new line of designs under the Oceanis banner was going to revolutionize the brand. With a hard chine that runs the full length from bow to stern, a plumb bow with a built-in bow sprit, a broad transom with a huge folding swim platform and a voluminous cockpit, the boat takes all of these modern elements and synthesizes into a design that is entirely new and, in many ways, the best Oceanis concept yet. I had a chance to sail the 51.1 on a lovely day on Biscayne Bay after the show and came away truly impressed by the way the design sails and by how well the accommodation plan was executed.
With that in mind, I was eager to sail the all new Oceanis 46.1 when it was introduced to the press and to the U.S. dealers in early September in Newport, RI. Read More