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

- Alex Smith

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.