BENETEAU FLYER 10
Is it a day boat? Is it a cruiser? Is it even a Flyer at all? Alex Smith heads to Barcelona to test the intriguing new Beneteau Flyer 10
TESTED A sportsboat for grown-ups or a cruiser for the young at heart? Whatever you want to call it it’s a whole lot of fun
It might sound perverse but, with four-berth accommodation, an LOA of almost 33ft and 700hp on the transom, Beneteau’s new Flyer flagship is unlike anything the modern Flyer fleet has seen before. The fact that it also comes with a three-man bow lounger, a four-man helm and a separate heads and shower compartment makes it all the more singular.
In the absence of a conventional Flyer-style suffix like Sundeck or SPACEDECK to signpost its purpose and salve the mind, Beneteau is choosing to define the Flyer 10 as “a liveaboard boat behind a dayboat concept” but whatever it is, this newly crowned
European Powerboat of the Year is a boat that demands your attention.
VERSATILE LIVING
The cockpit on the Flyer 10 is outstanding. Entering at the starboard side, the diagonal walkway takes you past a six-man dining station that is easily converted into a vast sunpad. If you drop the backrest on the aft bench, you can extend that sunpad to 2.5m (more than eight feet) in length, while also creating a handy aft-facing perch for watersports fans to prep for a tow.
The starboard galley features a two-ring gas hob, a sink and a fridge and while it has no worktop to speak of, its position opposite the dining station means you can simply step across to the table for food preparation. As a sunny weather plaything, as well as a family cruising machine, it makes good sense that the cooking should be done out here in the open air, in close proximity to the diners and the forward lounging spaces.
The four-seat helm configuration is also great for a sociable family drive and wind protection here is first-rate. It’s so good in fact that even the two central seats on the aft bench are afforded decent protection from the elements. In terms of performance, you can expect 20 knots in nine seconds and 30 knots in 16 alongside a top end of around 42 knots. With five passengers and well over half a metric tonne of fuel and water on board, it would be a stretch to describe this weighty four-berth boat as an outright driving machine, but with game heel and healthy throttle response, it’s a comfy and competent driver’s boat which fully warrants its top-of-the-line twin 350s.
Beyond the helm, the walkway leads up three steps through the portside of the screen and on to the squared off forepeak, enabling the creation of another huge sunbathing section. This forward lounging pad spans the entire space from the walkway to the starboard rail and, while the test boat had some fairly featureless cushion panels, it’s well worth upgrading those for three individual lounge seats, complete with sculpted backrests and fold-down armrests.
BELOW DECKS
The key question of course is whether the hardworking bow arrangement causes any critical compromises down below and, for the most part, it doesn’t. There’s plenty of headroom to seat six adults around the slightly offset forward dinette; and there’s an expansive changing area that integrates with the open-plan atrium to provide ample space for the day-to-day necessities of a user-friendly cruise. There’s no provision for a galley down here but what you do get is a fridge and a microwave tucked neatly into the port cupboards to supplement the facilities of the cockpit galley. The separate mid-cabin comes with a large transverse double berth and a changing area with
superb natural light, courtesy of large tinted windows built into the co-pilot’s console. And while a six-footer has to mind his head on the doorframe, the starboard heads is just as impressive. It delivers headroom of 1.9m, even in the separate shower cubicle, as well as great ease of movement and pleasant natural light from the combination of a long hull window and a full-length mirror on the back of the door.
THE VERDICT
The new Flyer flagship has the looks and performance of a sportsboat, the seating and sunbathing space of a 35ft day boat and the weekending ability of a mid-range sportscruiser.
Admittedly, it's not quite as fast or as much fun to drive as an Axopar 37 nor is it as classy or good looking as a Fairline F//line 33, but it does deliver a lot of similar traits in a more spacious, family-oriented package at a comparatively affordable price point. The closely related Gran Turismo 32 even gives you the option of inboard diesel power and a hard top if you are intent on longer distance cruising.
However, with 42-knot refined outboard performance, a fabulous multi-zoned cockpit, the option of a T-top and serviceable four-person sleeping accommodation, this clever ‘Liveaboard Dayboat’ delivers an exceptionally versatile and thoroughly rewarding family boating experience.