BENETEAU ANTARES 9

Is this revamped Series 2 Beneteau the most versatile €160,000 boat you can buy?

- Alex Smith

There are a few things any multi-purpose family boat ought to bring to the party. A bit of external day space for convivial summer fun. A bit of sheltered internal space for extra practicality when the weather turns. A bit of sleeping space for the odd weekend away, and a sensible size and price to make the whole thing that bit more manageable for novice families and fragile budgets. But anyone who knows the Beneteau fleet would have to concede that most of these things were achieved by the old Antares 9 and, to a degree, by the Antares 8.8 that preceded it. So what's the story with this latest incarnation?

Well for a start, it’s a little bit bigger. That beam-forward hull and raised bow moulding is now joined by an extra 3cm of breadth, bringing the new boat greater volume than ever before. To help mitigate that inherent bulk, it gets a subtly augmented profile too, thanks to a single elongated hull window and an extended aft roofline that pushes out above the cockpit for improved shelter. That roof can be upgraded with either a soft-top and roof rack or solar panels, and there are changes on the inside too, not least in terms of the fit-out, which features lacquered furniture, walnut woodwork and “tufted” upholstery inspired by the larger Antares 11 and 12.

ADDITIONAL UPGRADES