In 1993 Bénéteau took its fi rst tentative, almost reluctant step into the world of centre cockpit yachts. It was immediately successful and of the four such designs to date, this from 1997 was the biggest seller. Jean Berret collaborated with Olivier Racoupeau on the design. She is more of a private owners’ yacht than a charter boat, with just two double cabins on offer, one in the bows and one aft. The latter is large and well-appointed. The saloon is well forward and not overly wide, with a large table on the centreline. The galley is fi tted into the passageway leading to the large aft cabin. The standard joinery was in cherry, with teak an option. The cockpit is high, but larger than some centre cockpit designs of a similar length. A fi xed screen is optional. Handling and performance are typical of the breed and the shallow keel can cause problems in strong windward conditions. She became the Océanis 36CC Clipper in 2000.

LOA 10.8m (35ft 5in) LWL 9.48m (31ft 1in) beam 3,8m (12ft 6in) draught 1.53m (5ft)
displacement 5,500kg (12,125lb). Price guide: £65,000 to £100,000. YM Test Report October 1998.