Beloved of the charter industry as well as many private owners, Beneteau’s Oceanis 38.1 has been a mainstay of the range since its launch nine years ago, yet yacht design has moved on in leaps and bounds since then.

For its replacement, Marc Lombard Yacht Design and Nauta Design were asked to improve both accommodation volumes and performance. As a result, the hull shape embodies much recent design knowledge, with broad forward sections and a marked chine almost the length of the boat.

The effect is to markedly improve form stability when the boat starts to heel, without a big increase in light-airs wetted surface area. It also helps balance the hull, keeping the heeled waterline more symmetrical. The boat still has twin rudders to provide ample grip without too much draught – it has options for a 2.10m deep keel or a 1.63m shoal draught keel.

The extra beam along the boat’s length obviously gives more interior volume, allowing a wider forecabin that’s also pushed further forward in the boat. Two- and three-cabin versions with one or two heads are offered. If you opt for the two heads version with an ensuite in the forward cabin, the forward double berth will be offset to starboard. In the saloon, the table and C-shaped seating is to port with large hull windows giving views out and a bench seat amidships, aft of the mast support.

A chart table has been included, facing the aft end of the saloon

A longitudinal galley is to starboard, forward of the main heads. The standard two-cabin version includes a large hull-depth cockpit locker, a king-sized berth in the port aft cabin and a large heads compartment giving access to the generous hull-depth cockpit locker. The three-cabin version adds a mirror image of a slightly narrower aft cabin on either side, and a smaller main heads.

Standard deck layouts allow for easy sailing, including a self-tacking jib, while a furling mainsail is offered as an option. The rig is engineered without a backstay, which frees up space at the back of the cockpit, while also allowing the more powerful First Line version to be fitted with a square top mainsail, plus furling 110% genoa, giving 22% more sail area than the standard model. An extra 53m2 Code 0 can be set from the fixed, moulded bowsprit, which also houses the anchor roller.

Halyards are brought aft across the deck to winches either side of the companionway, while all sheets are brought aft along the top of the coamings to winches and clutches just forward of the helm. The mainsheet attaches relatively far aft along the boom via a bridle over the companionway, rather than with a traveller.

Helm seats fold down behind the wheels, and lift clear when the transom is lowered. The front end of the cockpit benches have been made wider, though not quite as wide as the L-shaped seating seen in several new 40-footers. A moulded table provides bracing, with two fold-up leaves, handholds and a decent stowage bin.

Teak has been replaced on this boat with a multi-ply Iroko engineered hardwood alternative, much like the ALPI timbers used in veneers. Electric propulsion is an alternative to the standard 40hp Yanmar engine, giving you a 12kW electric pod drive with 10kWh of power storage, giving a claimed range of 10 miles at 5 knots (presumably in benign conditions).

Beneteau Oceanis 37.1 specifications

LOA: 11.93m (39ft 2in)
Hull length: 10.99m (36ft 1in)
LWL: 10.83m (35ft 6in)
Beam: 3.92m (12ft 10in)
Draught: Deep 2.10m (6ft 11in) / Shoal 1.63m (5ft 4in)
Sail area: 60m2 (646 sq ft)
Ballast: 1,800kg (3,967 lbs)
Displacement: 6,864kg (15,128 lbs)
Price: (Sailaway good spec) £286,201 inc VAT
Contact: www.beneteau.com

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