Beneteau Gran Turismo 50

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That mantra may serve plenty of boatbuilders well, but not Beneteau. The company is resisting complacency by replacing its best-selling Gran Turismo 49 with the Gran Turismo 50. Officially launched at the Miami International Boat Show in February, the sport cruiser has a more angular and aggressive exterior than the 49’s and is more Mediterranean in feeling.

Two below-deck configurations will be available. The two-stateroom scheme has the master slightly abaft amidships, with a head and enclosed shower. There’s a guest stateroom in the bow with hinged berths that push together to form an island berth or pull apart as twins. The three-stateroom interior replaces a starboard L-shaped lounge with an enclosed stateroom and a pair of twin berths.

The galley is below and to port, across from the guest head. It includes a stainless sink, a two-burner stove, a microwave, a grill, a Corian countertop, cabinetry and two drawer refrigerators.

The main deck/saloon has a starboard-mounted helm and, to port, a J-shaped lounge with a flip-out dining table and neighboring bench-style seating. Sliding glass doors open to join the saloon and cockpit, which has an L-shaped lounge wrapped around a dining table. The hydraulic swim platform raises and lowers with the push of a button. The transom has a dinghy garage for a Williams jet tender, which is included, with a winch-and-roller launching system.

Under the cockpit sole is a pair of 435-hp Volvo Penta D6 diesels mated to IPS600 pod drives. The pods include joystick steering, which reduces anxiety- inducing encounters at fuel docks, when waiting for bridge openings or when sliding into a slip in a nasty wind or current. Out on the open water, expect a top speed of 29 knots and a 25-knot cruise.