Beneteau’s Baby Is Top Of The Class
Andi Robertson finds that Beneteau’s Oceanis 31, the baby of the range, is so sailable that you won’t want to stop…. IT MAY be the starter model in Beneteau’s Oceanis range, but the new 31 footer manages to pack an awful lot into a relatively compact hull, and when we sailed the Finot Conq-Nauta collaboration boat in light winds in Monaco, there was no shortage of fun. It’s a nice, easily sailed simple boat which does everything required of it, and it carries all the main themes and styling concepts of the larger 37. For me, the 31 had a certain X factor, something a little special which made you want to carry on enjoying the sail. Other than the size, which means everything is within reach, light and easy to operate, the easily set and handled gennaker was what set us moving nicely in the gentle Mediterranean breezes. The Oceanis 31 is the successor to the 311 and the 323 which together sold over 2,000 boats. The newcomer debuted at Paris, London and Dusseldorf and has been selling strongly since. It is certainly accommodation and interior orientated, but the chunky hull form did not seem excessively sticky in the light winds and once the boat was moving it was relatively easy to maximise the speed. The boat carries all of the design themes and neat execution of the bigger sisters, but the real beauty is in having a small boat which will do a little bit of everything well, and in the dare we mention credit crunch era, a great little package like this is more than enough to stay within budget and in a holding pattern until the economy improves. You would happily sail short-handed without obvious problems. The Oceanis 31 is the entry level boat which will appeal to first time owners who need to know that they will be able to keep everything under control, taking full advantage of the benefits of a small boat, but with the space and ambience of a bigger boat below decks. It’s a boat you would happily coastal cruise extensively with family and friends, but simplicity and size are also on the side of the 31 when it comes to nipping afloat for an evening sail with a few non-sailing friends, drinks and a picnic - ideas that take a little planning and more skills with a bigger boat. And even alongside the agreeable 37, the 31 stood rigorous comparison and proved a popular choice among the world’s boat testing media. One reason for that may have been inherently how nice it was to go and sail with just a couple of others, but then that is also the very essence of the boat. Size is not everything and here is a boat that will go most places in comfort. It is also a good looking yacht with a strong, definitive sheer line and big signature windows. It is certainly a pleasing departure from either the usual downsized versions, or the jelly mould shapes that usually prevail with small modern production cruising boats. Space and light down below is the main consideration, but that does not impinge too much on the size of the T-shaped cockpit. The main wheel pedestal is excellent with a large single screen mount for the navigation instrumentation. Engine controls are on the right of the pedestal and there is a flip up wooden cockpit table. The area is kept well clear of clutter and ropes, vital on a small boat like this. The halyards are led through clutch banks on the coach roof and the main traveller and sheet are in front of the companionway. Through the stern access is facilitated by a simple lift up seat on a hydraulic strut and one interesting thing Beneteau have done here is to extend the flat cockpit seats right back into the very corners and angle the pushpit out - simple little features, but they expand the seating space significantly. The stern has a good deep teak-faced step, with the boarding ladder set to port. To starboard there is a deep cockpit locker. To a certain extent these big lockers need refinishing and re-sectioning up to make them genuinely good, but the space is there for dinghies, fenders and sails - the big items. The whole of the port, aft quarter seat lifts on a gas strut to reveal the main liferaft stowage area. The simple up and over one piece companionway system is child’s play. As we noted on the 37, it is a little like alloy finished double glazing, but it does the job well. Otherwise we liked the detailing on the moulding on the coach roof, with a good wooden recessed hand hold, as we also did the large twin hatches forward and the excellent anchor stowage and bow roller system. Although we only had gentle 5-7 knot breezes, the 31 appeared to be pleasant to sail. She’ll not win prizes for out and out speed, but the handling and tracking seemed to be positive. The boat responds nicely to the helm. With the gennaker set, the boat picked up to around five knots and was happy to sail with the apparent well forward of the beam. While it would be a lie to say that the boat took on anything resembling an angle of heel, because the winds were just too light, but judging by the positive response to the rudder even at slow speeds there should be ample traction when the breeze rises. Cockpit and working ergonomics seemed good, the temptation being to just sit back and let the boat do the job with occasional attention to the helm. No bad thing under the circumstances, but under main and genoa the boat was well balanced. Down below the immediate impression is common to the bigger Oceanis; light, airy and spacious and you’d be forgiven for believing this is a 34 or 35 footer. The L-shaped galley area is excellent, with plenty of stowage, double forward facing sinks and ample working areas. Overhead there is an opening port window which is led into the main coach roof window and affords extra ventilation. Aft of the galley is the big double aft cabin, which offers a good size comfortable lateral double berth. Standing headroom is good and there is also ample storage including a decent sized hanging locker, drawer and shelf space. Also, there is a little bit of floor space and a small seat. To starboard is the heads which is equally well proportioned, with a nicely moulded sink and vanity unit and good stowage. A nice touch is the angled mirror, while there is plenty of natural light. The aft facing nav station has a good sized table with adequate stowage. The big instrument mounting and electronics ‘box’ which extends off the heads wall in no way enhances the look of the interior, but it is functional enough. The main saloon makes best use of space with a good central, fold down table. The main flattened-U shaped seating is to port, with a good long linear seat to starboard. The forecabin is also very much in keeping with the styling and airy feel of the boat - one of the keynote reasons for utilising a premium interior styling specialist such as Nauta. Overall I loved the Oceanis 31. In its class and type it is firm favourite, a lovely, well executed thoroughly modern boat on which you’d enjoy maximising your time. Available from Sunbird based at Clyde Marina, Ardrossan. Priced as tested, delivered Clyde, including VAT £77,000.