Best Small Cruiser, 30 feet and Under: Beneteau First 30
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As they approached the First 30 to conduct their dockside evaluation during the boat show, the BOTY judges may have been just a little skeptical of this performance-oriented 30-footer’s cruisability. But that skepticism turned into appreciation as soon as they stepped below, and they were downright enamored with how the boat sailed. As a result, the Beneteau First 30 was named the Best Small Cruiser, 30 Feet and Under. READ THE ARTICLE
Full-Size Cruisers, 50 to 55 Feet
But when it came time to choose a winner, it was the Beneteau Sense 50 that turned circles around the competition—literally. It’s equipped with Groupe Beneteau’s Dock & Go system—a joystick controls both the bow thruster, the engine throttle, and the rotating saildrive unit—that may just revolutionize close-quarters maneuvering under power. That, along with an innovative cockpit and interior layout that’s unlike any other 50-foot monohull, made for a boat that was chock full of fresh ideas. More important, the judges found that the innovations they saw were way more than just gimmicks and it was named the Best Full-Size Cruiser, 50 to 55 Feet.
Click here for the full write-up of the Beneteau Sense 50.
Cruising World’s Website