As Beneteau celebrates its a hundred and fortieth anniversary this yr, the French shipyard flexed its muscle tissues with a shocking line-up of twenty-two yachts at Boot Dusseldorf. The world’s greatest indoor boat present marked the Germany debut of the Antares 12, following its world premiere on the Cannes Yachting Competition final September and its US bow on the Fort Lauderdale Worldwide Boat Present in late October.
The brand new flagship of Beneteau’s weekender line has been gaining consideration for a number of causes, not least as a result of its general size of 13m makes it 2m or effectively over 6ft longer than the previous series-flagship, the Antares 11, which was the vary’s first mannequin to supply the choice of a flybridge.
That includes an general size of 42ft 7in and a beam of 12ft 5in, the Antares 12 is solely out there with a flybridge. Moreover, its dimension and design imply it’s beginning to transfer into Swift Trawler territory.
The Antares 12 is a world away from the smaller Antares fashions, whose sizes are extra in keeping with the sequence’ first technology of boats within the Nineteen Seventies, which had been designed by Andre Beneteau, grandson of firm founder Benjamin Beneteau and brother of ‘Madame’ Annette Roux.
For starters, the Antares 12 customary version comes with twin 400hp Mercury Verado V10s, a primary for this class of yacht, in line with Beneteau, and which provide 200hp extra whole energy than on the Antares 11.
Actually, the Antares 12 may even match three outboards, so homeowners have the choice of upgrading to triple 300hp Mercury Verado V8s providing a whopping 900hp.
The skipper can drive from both the saloon or the flybridge, whereas know-how consists of the choice of a Seakeeper gyro and Groupe Beneteau’s Seanapps system, which retains homeowners related to their boat.
RAISING POWER, OUTDOOR SPACE
Just like the Antares 11, the Antares 12 is notable for its drop-down bulwark to starboard, which descends on the push of a button and presents a waterside balcony that has an built-in ladder and neatly hyperlinks the cockpit to the ocean.
Within the raised place, the bulwark accommodates a small aspect door that can be utilized for boarding. Company can even entry the boat (or water) from an aft door on the starboard aspect that permits entry to and from the transoms both aspect of the engines.
The Antares 12 is nearly a foot wider than the 11 and also you discover this when boarding the coated cockpit, the place an extended L-shaped couch wraps across the aft finish and port aspect. The adjustable desk might be folded out for alfresco eating, or lowered and coated with cushions to create a big sunpad.
Cockpit stairs on the starboard aspect result in the massive flybridge, which Beneteau has described as ‘finest in school’.
The higher deck is among the many most notable variations to the Antares 11 Fly, because it has a full-sized J formed dinette on the port aspect of the staircase. On the starboard aspect, simply ahead of the steps, is a moist bar – not current on the 11 Fly – that accommodates a grill and fridge.
Ahead is a large helm seat with a Garmin display, whereas companion seating to port features a bench couch and ahead cushions, with the backrest capable of be folded ahead and all the way down to fill within the area and create a sunpad. The entire flybridge might be coated by a bimini.
The foredeck is accessed by a well-protected, starboard aspect deck together with a few steps by the helm. It’s one other enjoyable outside zone and has a three-man built-in sunpad with an adjustable backrest.
Moreover, the ahead part can fold up and aft to create a forward-facing couch, whereas a small desk may even be arrange. Once more, a sunshade might be erected to supply safety.
ELEVATED INTERIOR STYLE
There are two methods to entry the inside, most clearly from the cockpit, the place there are three glass doorways. The center door and the port door can slide to the precise, and the centreline hallway begins with a disguised hatch to entry hidden storage beneath.
There’s a little bit of a ‘wow’ issue as you enter the saloon, which has good headroom and plenty of pure gentle from large home windows together with sliding home windows to port. Whereas the Antares 11 has an aft-facing L-shaped couch, the 12 has a full C-shaped couch. Every finish has an adjustable backrest, so the aft finish can turn into a cockpit-facing couch and the ahead finish can double as companion seating.
The peak-adjustable, foldable desk can enlarge to supply eating for six or extra folks. When wanted, the desk might be lowered and coated with cushions to create an additional mattress for one or two folks, that means the yacht presents lodging for as much as eight company.
The galley occupies a lot of the starboard aspect and begins aft with giant fridge-freezer drawers below a countertop, with numerous boat controls on the panel above.
The central galley is devoted to cooking with a cooktop, convection microwave oven and cutlery drawer, whereas ahead is the sink, bin and storage, with drawers additional ahead. There are additionally loads of overhead cabinets, plus a big, shallow storage space for plates and glasses ahead of the couch. The galley has its personal added attraction for company, because it’s additionally residence to the retractable tv.
The helm seat is adjustable and has snug entry to the controls and two Garmin screens, plus additionally the aspect deck by means of a 5ft-high sliding door.
Inside, central stairs lead all the way down to the decrease deck, the place a hallway accesses three visitor cabins. Beneteau factors out that the Antares 12 is the primary in its class to have three cabins that embody two with en-suite loos.
The main bedroom within the bow is spacious and brilliant on account of lengthy hull home windows, a ahead window and a skylight. There are cabinets on either side, lockers above every hull window and plenty of space for storing below the mattress.
The grasp has its personal en-suite lavatory, as does the VIP cabin to port, the place twin beds might be transformed to a double.
A modular third room to starboard might be organized as a double berth or a single berth with the second mattress arrange as a settee backrest. This implies it might probably additionally work as a day room for youngsters and even storage. Beneteau even presents a fridge on this room.
Beneteau hasn’t solely elevated the dimensions of the Antares flagship. It has elevated the end and suppleness of the outside areas, whereas fleshing out an inside that reveals a rising emphasis on storage impressed by the Swift Trawler line. All this will increase the period of time you may spend on board and on the Antares 12, that’s solely factor.
www.beneteau.com
This text was first revealed on yachtstyle.co
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