A fun and sporty family cruiser - Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 - Yachting Monthly

Yachting Monthly's editor Theo Stocker takes a tour of the new Beneteau Oceanis 34.1, a sporty little cruiser which should perform well, particularly in light airs.
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[@jefflloyd394]

Great tour, thanks!

[@johnryan2193]

What I find strange about these reviews is they NEVER discuss the building methods or types of materials used ? Is it just me that is interested in these issues ? Can you imagine trying to do anything with that engine which has practically no access .

[@puertola7186]

Indeed! Is it lowly polyester or vinyl-ester to start with?

[@General_Crock]

​@@puertola7186 He does indeed do full reviews in the magazine- these vids are teasers to bring you in to subscribe. The magazine reviews are quite comprehensive and well done, IMO.

[@puertola7186]

@@General_Crock Thanks!

[@hughmaxwell8143]

There’s a reason. These boats are basically floating ikea furniture. Having had to repair a few of them there’s no way I’d take one anywhere I couldn’t get back to a mooring by nightfall.

[@coopjammin]

@@hughmaxwell8143 exactly. My first boat was a new jboat, vinylester resin, balsa core with fibre glass, a stupid shallow keel sump which the 2t keel is bolted to with in line bolts! Naturally the keel detached. Miraculously I nor my wife didn't die, they repaired the boat by just burying the sump in epoxy, destroyed my laminated interior in the process. I got to sell her for half her value. I was not the only one by a long shot. The French company closed and reopened under a slightly different company name. This was supposedly a high quality brand. What it was was under constructed and over priced, I.e. a standard production boat. I only buy second hand racing boats as they are cheap and some are beautifully engineered and constructed with epoxy carbon etc. I have just brought a lutra v1 30 and it's great previous was RP 1D48 which took my family on a 20k odyssey. Screw production boats.

[@ChristopherNips81]

Thank you for listing the price! So many tour videos don't do this and I don't understand why. Cheers!

[@atakd]

Another small step away from boats that work well sailing to boats that work well when berthed. The rig is preposterous for downwind passages.

[@WeAndTheSea]

I read the review of this boat in a sailing magazine. I was truly looking at the picture like WTF is happening here. The article just went over the no backstay rig without really thinking anything of it. However I feel like this is quite revolutionary for this type of boat and would love to know the details and max forces that this type of rig can take. I know small boats have rigs like this but tue forces when going downwind and hitting a wave must be insane… what all needs to go into the chainplates. Interesting stuff.

[@frankjames7272]

maybe its for casual sailors but, the problem is the hefty price.

[@atakd]

Boats such as the Hunter Legends have lacked backstays without significant numbers of rig faolures. The problem is with downwind saoling where the swept back spreaders severely affect how far the main can be let out. Coupled with a self tacking jib, deep angles offwind become untenable. That is not obvious to a relatively inexperienced sailor at a boat show, nor particularly relevant to charter companies where boats will mostly motor between islands. It doesn't make for an enjoyable sailing experience, though.

[@puertola7186]

Thank you for the review. But I will stick to Azuree 33 with a much better build quality, on top of a mainsheet traveler, an accessible engine compartment, more functional design. And at a more reasonable price.

[@agustinseguy]

Looks decent, the thing is, no back stay?

[@pootsman6722]

Is it me or are these smaller tubs getting more expensive??

[@lukemoores6763]

Yup, and there are fewer and fewer on the market as a result. The issue is the manufacturing cost isn’t very different between a 34 footer and a 44 footer so most builders are focusing on larger boats. Beneteau are actually quite unusual in having quite a few boats in their lineup under 40 feet. Hopefully they depreciate like hell so the rest of us can afford to buy one in a few years!

[@ooweesaler]

1.33 Rudder stock with a snall amount of sikaflex holding that together 🤣

[@enigmacode_1]

Subscribed!

[@stevelawrie9115]

Woo-hoo, you guys get to sleep in the lazaret. How cool's that? :)

[@ColinHarvey78]

Nice little boat. I’m sure she’ll be popular for the charter market, which is where this boat is really aimed. Will be nice for day sailing around the Mediterranean with Sunsail with a bimini over the cockpit, stopping in a bay for lunch and afternoon swim… Not sure I’d want to do an offshore passage on one in more northerly waters. But she does what she does well. Engine access seems fairly standard to me but the access hatches are a bit small. I’d imagine nearly all boats will be a 3 cabin layout. Nice businesslike, straightforward review/walk around too.

[@vicpinto1970]

I saw the same boat recently at the Boston boat show but the galley was to port and the head was to starboard. Why is this?

[@doanrademeyer3180]

Like the sub 40 feet content

[@robertsigsworth8229]

Just done a delivery trip on a benetau 43, Whitby - Inverness. Never had a sea more than 3m mostly 1-2m, just like this boat no fiddle rails in the galley, salon table, or cockpit table it was a three day two night trip and I got sick to death of spilling tea and picking things up off the floor NO FIDDLE RAILS. It is obvious that these boats are designed for 3 hours at sea and the rest of the time as a marina caravan, not a real yacht, although for a fair bit more dosh they probably could build it properly.

[@bhodson7954]

So many sharp edges - rounded corners are just SO much more practical. Engine access is terrible. Do like the seperate shower, makes cruising in colder climes much more pleasent. To be fair it is easy to forget it's only 34'

[@jimwinkelbauer2772]

A tip up chart table? What a mess that will cause. I have enough trouble keeping things orderly already.

[@MrIannott]

I appreciate the review's positivity and clarity, but to get a full picture of the boat, I would have preferred to see an equal amount of criticism of it. While it fits a lot of stuff inside, I'm not convinced of the boat's long-term practicality or quality, for example the constraints of the engine hatch, and galley. I imagine this as a first boat for a young family rather than a sailboat that can accommodate families as they get older and bigger in size!! Additionally, the cost is high; you could buy better-quality, more useful second-hand sailboat for a lower price, that would last longer and offer better value.

[@coneryj]

yup. I don't see how this competes with the used catamaran cruising market

[@fabienh3943]

Can't help to find this approaches of floating houses-caravans. I still think boats are supposed to be sthg else. But if it makes people happy.

[@steveburgess8355]

no backstay? Taken a leaf out of Hunter Yachts . Downwind i wonder if the boom can release all the way out. Cant full extend on Hunters and can't sail dead downwind. An on water test be good

[@claussalt4140]

Where is the storage in the lounge around the window?!?!? Disappointing

[@Philippe275]

all those square corners on the furniture, look cheap, will hurt...

[@funster73mcr2]

New boats interiors look like an IKEA flatpack nightmare. Just aweful ply board. Even the most basic of boats use to have a proper wood finish. Seems there's better quality in 10 years old boats.

[@rudydedogg6505]

I've always liked Beneteau boats and I have no doubt that this 34.1 would perform admirably but the intetior is a bit of a disappointment. It is so plain and spartan, like Ikea designed it. Nothing there is particularly welcoming or cozy.

[@adammallerman8153]

Twin rudders to give the boat designer the ability to give it a huge wide aft but I'n other to achieve that you have two completely unprotected hung rudders, and an extra pointless wheel. Hate this unseaworthy trend.

[@jack0b76]

Who would put kids in a Lazarette without any windows and cabin access? This is like being in a prison cell. I thought he was kidding at first

[@daijones101]

That is not a boat I would buy. It has no personality and looks like ikea

[@seanrhone5306]

Shocked the door is not water-tight

[@FighterFred]

You can get a much higher quality used HR or Najad for that money.

[@Muratshayev]

Thanks for the review. As always concise and to the point.

[@davidthompson5710]

The lack of real rigging still ruins it for me. I didn't like it when Hunter did it either.

[@andrewcherowbrier329]

"Benentau" mis-spelling in the graphic heading. A1 journalism.