This article´s headline might seem a bit exaggerated, but looking at the new Beneteau Oceanis 52´s nice dusky pink boat wrap and judging from what this new yacht conveyed to me over the days of Cannes Yachting Festival 2025, it´s a pretty fitting one. You will see. So, here we are aboard the brand new 50-footer from the world´s leading pleasure craft sailboat maker, a yacht, that marks the start of the eighth generation of their cruising boat range.
I´ve talked in length a few months ago with Beneteau´s Oceanis range manager, Valentin Moreau, about the inception of this new generation. It came a bit as a surprise for me because since the launch of the new Oceanis 37.1 (LINK) it´s merely two years since the seventh generation has been fully renewed all the way through from their smallest boat up to the flagship. Nevertheless: It´s nine years since it´s inception. Coincidentally, the then brand new Oceanis 51.1 marked my very own “career” within the Beneteau group and I still vividly remember how bold and how seriously important the success of this yacht has been for the whole range.
The 51.1 has been built and sold over 500 times, which is a remarkable success. 50 footers are the mainstay of most charter fleets. This is where the bulk (at least half, I´d say) of the produced units are sold. On the other hand, 50 feet is a clear threshold for yachts: At this size, “boats” turn into “yachts”. Custumer´s demands are a notch higher than in the smaller sizes, hence pressure to deliver and competition from other brands is fierce. So, can the tasty pinky juicy wrapping of the all-new Beneteau Oceanis 52 hold what it promises? Let´s step aboard and have a thorough walkthrough.
Grand entrée
Although 50 feet is considered more of a “smaller” yacht in context of Cannes, the appearance of the Oceanis 52 rear is massive. She is a wide boat, a perspective we have been getting used to over the past years, but yes, she appears a bit bulkier, with a slightly higher freenboard, than that of her predecessor. It´s probably just an optical illusion, but I had the feeling to stand in awe behind her wide bathing platform.
Maybe this feeling is because Beneteau sort of “closed” the otherwise free deck at the transom with a large BBQ station right in the middle of the boat. When closed, the plancha-grills´s lid serves as a seat. Additional folding seats extend from the helm station´s seats so that the whole transom is now one single huge continuous seating arrangement. I am actually a huge BBQ fan and love to put a piece of meat on the grill when underway, out I despise the “plancha” grills. I love the good old charcoal scent and real fire though. Anyway …
The mid-deck arranged plancha-grill can also be fitted with a small fridge. Now we are talking! Since Beneteau got rid of the center cockpit table (later more on the new configuration) you of course need to grab your ice cold coke from somewhere in the cockpit: So, here´s the solution. If you do not order plancha nor fridge, this is additional stowage, which can come quite handy as well. Do I like it? Well, comme ci comme ça, I would say: I certainly see the plus of comfort, seating area and convenience, but I also miss the clear neat lines of an “empty” rear view of the deck. But here´s the thing: This boat is made to fit a market, to satisfy a certain demand. Clear deck and empty rear? Get a Solaris! This is a boat for your perfect sailing vacation …
The entrée sets the tone for the whole boat that follows. The Oceanis 52 from my point of view has a much, much stronger focus on comfort, wellbeing, luxury, at anchor-time and fun in the seascape. It´s not so much about serious sailing, the action underway and how you get from A to B, it seems as it is now more about … let´s have a lush perfect time when we arrive. Literally, it seems that half of the boat´s surface – the cockpit – has been turned into one single huge lounge.
A huge playground
Of course, this might be the outcome of the draping and presentation of this yacht here at Cannes. But Beneteau for me was always setting itself apart from its inhouse competitor, Jeanneau, by building more owner- and sailor-centralized yachts. It always seemed that Jeanneau had a bit more volume, a bit less avant garde and a bit less sailing-focus. Seeing the huge playground of sun matrasses covering literally every free suqare meter lets me revise this opinion.
Valentin Moreau in the interview referred to a new cockpit layout according to a “diamond shape”-concept. What was meant could be seen in the drawings and renderings but witnessing the outcome now in real life is a truly different thing. I must admit that I am not a big fan of rhomb-shapes. This is something that I instantly rejected seeing in the new X-Yacht Xc 47 or XR-41 (but got a bit more used to it now). Dufour in their new 48 did also a “good job” incorporating this shape, I am speaking of their strange dinner table of course. Here in the new Oceanis 52 it is – fortunately I think – not so apparent.
It´s just the rear sides of the cockpit seating area that is angled off. This way, a divided cockpit table (Goodbye to the ingenious central table of the 51.1 and 46.1 with the integrated life raft!) can leave a wide walkthrough in the middle to pass. What´s also cool now is that there is a large enough gap between the rear seat and the helm stations so that here the designers were able to fit a step. This way, you can enter the side decks without bothering the helmsman on the rudder nor anyone seated.
In a way, this solution is even better than the highly praised (something I never quite understood) “walkaround cockpit” of Jeanneau: This costs a lot of internal volume in the cabins below and by walking around you always end up standing in front of the helmsman, which is stupid. Beneteau´s solution is far more clever: You can walk freely around and you are in nobody´s way.
Both cockpit tables, of course, can be lowered so that together with some cushions they will make a formidable reclining area. This, by the way, is not just something for the leisure time at anchor: When I delivered an Oceanis Yacht 60 last year, we arranged the leeward side of the cockpit in lounge mode, the windward side remained with table up. That way, especially during night shifts, one could lay down for some minutes, put their feet up and make it oneself comfortable. All in all, the new Oceanis 52 cockpit is a huge step forward in terms of luxury. And as Valentin told me in the interview, I could really see it now: There is a massive 30 percent more lounge area compared to that of the 51.1!
But … will she sail?
I assume that the brand new hull designed by Roberto Biscontini will be performing well. As one can hear, both shipyard as well as owners are full of praise for the shapes he came up with in the First 53 and the Oceanis flagships, the 54 and 60. So there´s little doubt that the new Oceanis 52 will be equally quick and powerful. I place myself behind the starboard helm station and try to grasp the layout for the running rigging, the positions of the winches and the steering wheels.
As it is customary nowadays in boats of this class I would say, all lines which are needed to operate the sails are lead aft. There is no winch and no jammer forward of the helm area anymore. But the arrangement has been tweaked slightly in comparison to the 51.1 and it´s for the better, in my opinion. Both working and Genoa sheet winches are set a bit more apart from each other.
The working winches are placed at the “walkaround step” so that either a crew member can operate hoisting or taking down sails, or the helmsman by stepping in front of his wheel. The genoa winches however have been moved closer to the helm. Now, whilst steering and standing behind the wheel, the Genoa, Jib or Code/Gennaker light wind sails can easily be operated from here. With this setup, even “crewed” sailing in a classic sense is possible, something the predecessor didn´t do so well since winches were too close to each other.
I also like the new helm consoles. The standard consoles of the old 51.1 were to small, the upgrade-consoles looked ridiculously big, just like Mickey Mouse´s ears. Now Beneteau has found a nice shape and balanced appearance. Like it! The view from back here over the boat is very good, but one has to take into consideration that in Cannes no Sprayhood nor a Bimini was fitted. Luckily, the options list for the new Oceanis 52 still offers the mainsheet arch which I would strongly recommend. A rigid Bimini t-top is also possible. If it is the same design as in the Oceanis Yacht 60, it would be a pity: Hopefully the designers found a more beautiful solution for this doubtlessly useful option.
This thing with autonomy
What struck me studying the options list was that there is no upgrade to lithium ion-batteries listed. Maybe the shipyard will offer those in the coming months, but I found it odd. Since new battery types, like LiFePo4 technology, have proved to be safer and more reliable, it seems strange that Beneteau just offers five AGM gel-batteries. They work perfectly, no doubt, but weight- and space-wise, lithium should be the way to go.
And that a big boat, like the Oceanis 52 needs large amounts of currents when fully specced, is a no-brainer. In times when modern LED-lighting systems have reduced current consumption aboard sailing yachts sufficiently, the options list offers plenty of other hungry consumers to fit: Watermaker, water purifier, dishwasher, washing machine (with dryer) … you name it. Of course solar panels are fitted.
The Beneteau Oceanis 52 offers two options to put 430 Wpeak in the coachroof, which is a set of three panels underneath the boom and a single one above the owner´s cabin. The panels showcased in Cannes are from Solara, a well-known and pretty renowned brand. I personally have mixed feelings about walk-on panels and would never really step on those unless I had to.
What appeared a bit flimsy or “makeshift” though was the wiring to the struts and deck-thru. Since underneath inside the boat the complete ceiling of the saloon is faced with decorative panels, these cables maybe could have been placed “hidden”, just as I did it with GEKKO, my last boat. The way it was shown here in Cannes was not really nice: Open cables, white zip ties and those bulky struts … I am sure this can be made flush and more nicely, which would fit to the elegant tone of the boat much more. By the way, surplus 680 Wpeak may be installed on the rigid T-top Bimini. Sustainability-wise the use of Iroko instead of Teak seems to be a no-brainer for Beneteau now, which is a good thing.
The feelgood factory
Everything we did so far was to take a look at the glass, to see the sparkles rise within the fluid, so hear the ice cubes rattle inside and watch the outside surface freeze over: This glass of sparkling Rosé indeed is one tempting, tasty, teasing offer! But let´s take a first sip now, let´s drink and have a good impression of what this Rosé is all about: Is it fresh, fruity and sexy? Let´s get down below …
I don´t want to overly exaggerate my impressions here, but I was really, really impressed! The new Oceanis 52 is indeed like this first mouthful of a tasty Frizzante in a nice beach bar or that icy-cold cup of fruity Rosé as it is being delivered in its thousands day by day here at the French Croisette. It seems that the days of Beneteau´s new objectivity are over: When the interiors up until now have been painted more in earthy, restrained and closely guarded colors, the new Oceanis 52 is completely different.
I am greeted by a nice, maritime colorful mix of minty-blue colors, matching stripes and an overall more powerful palette of shades. Again, it may be – just with the boat wrapping – a design choice for this boat show, but even if, it works. The boat has a strong character, is not setting itself into the background … it becomes the stage. Center stage. The wide and spacy volume of the saloon is filled with all the key elements, like galley, dinette and nav-station. Held together by a new set of cushion colors, a tasty arrangement of small accessories. Love it!
Though the layout itself is nothing new. Standard classy U-shaped galley, the beloved Captain´s little reclining sofa and a cozy dinette make you fell at home instantly. It indeed feels as if Nauta Design has managed even to “close down” some of the dancehall-like areas of nothing which always bother me: In high seas these voids pose a serious safety concern plus it´s really a waste of volume. The new Oceanis 52 seems to make much more use of the internal space, which is good. The interior almost generates a similar great impression as back in the day the then-new Hanse 460 did: Surprising, fresh and very attractive.
Beneteau´s promise: Better interior quality
This was something the company didn´t desperately need, I wouldn´t go as far as that, but the interior quality and finish of the joinery was something a Beneteau lacked in the past years, if I´m honest. The furniture quality of Bavaria and Hanse had to be acknowledged as substantially better in detail: Especially the thin and flimsy bandings coming off and being damaged at the slightest use were a number one claim. Beneteau promised to step up a notch in this respect. So I took a more detailed look at the furniture.
First of all it seems that they´ve cut a better deal with their supplier of veneers, Alpi. The oak-surface as shown in Cannes completely lacked the “plastic” haptics, which is a great plus. This certain “glow” in past models which made the otherwise nice optical impression of the material look cheap, is gone. The new Alpi oak veneer even kids of feels as if it comes with some more “structure” and visual depth. Whatever they did, it is good.
Some of the components of furniture are also made, I mean designed and built, in a more pleasant way. Take the central seat for the dinette as an example: Instead of just make a simple four-sided box with a lid and a seating cushion, this is a thoroughly designed stool. With round shapes, a nice appeal and feel. It serves the same purpose (a box to sit on), but it looks so much better! And now for the bandings …
Beneteau splashes out on 2 millimeter thick bandings, which is a major, major step forward. I don´t know how these behave in two years of wear and tear, but I suppose such a strong material won´t come off as easy or wear down as fast. The whole appearance and feel of each lid, flap and shelf is so much more “rigid” and therefore better. Also, there are much more “boule moulé” – laminated massive wooden and bent rims here and there. Even massive wooden scantling is to be found at the high wear furniture, like tabletops. Absolutely nice! It adds so much richness and depth, it adds so much perceived value. Details like a new sprinkled full Corian worktop for the kitchen, thick Venetian blinds and even the mirrors create a much more attractive and yacht-like atmosphere. Promise kept, I´d say. Well done guys, well done!
Owner´s suite and guest cabins aboard the new Oceanis 52
Let´s pour down another large gulps of this sparkling Rosé that the Oceanis 52 is and take a look into the cabins. In the 50 feet-class, due to the large internal volume and especially the width, messing up cabins is almost impossible since designers should have all but free rein on what where to fit and how. I will start by entering the front cabin, owner´s suite.
And it is a suite indeed! The sheer size is great, especially the headroom. Albeit there is nothing really new in terms of the general layout compared to the predecessor, the new Oceanis 52 comes with quite some upgrades in terms of details, materials, haptics and atmosphere. The large island bed is flanked by two little seats to either side, very helpful when getting dressed or undressed after a long watch. The cabin is so wide that you can almost walk around the bed´s sides up to the pillows. I´d rather made the bed a bid wider to offer yet even more sleeping comfort, but the bed´s size will do anyway.
Behind the bed at the forward bulkhead, Beneteau put a nice cushioned backrest and a laminated wooden facing that really defines the overall atmosphere inside here. The thin lamella structure is fitted horizontally which adds a nice visual “widening” of the whole room. Its structure resonates in the new Venetian blinds which give the whole room an almost exotic vibe, like a Bamboo-hut in the Seychelles … Not to mention the large bow hull windows which offer a great seascape view when at anchor.
Behind the forward bulkhead to the front in standard a large sails locker or a skipper´s cabin can be fitted. Facing backwards, like in the picture above, owners will enjoy the split wet-room facilities: Toilet to portside, shower to starboard side. This is due the charter or 2 front cabin-version of the yacht, where a longitudinal bulkhead separates the single owner´s cabin into two full size guest cabins, each with its own WC/shower. In the owners version, both are still there thus being separated. This adds so much to the comfort aboard.
Looking into the WC I really enjoy the upgraded Corian worktops in the bathroom. A simple grey sprinkle within the stone structure is such a big leap forward in terms of perceived beauty and quality! Any Corian worktop in the whole boat – this as well goes for the new Oceanis 47, about which I will post later a thorough walkthrough – has been upgraded that way. Why Beneteau couldn´t do the last leap and fit a thorough bathroom grating is a riddle for me, especially since they have done it in the guest´s bathrooms, as you can see below.
In the aft section of this large cruising yacht potential customers have two choices: Either you go for the 3 cabin / 2 bathroom-version, as shown, which I´d call the “owner´s” boat or you opt for the 5 (!) cabin / 3 bathroom-version, which of course would be the charter-boat. Additionally, a skipper cabin in the front (including its own little WC/washing-facility) cab be fitted to both versions. Thus, in the back, no matter what, only one bathroom is possible. Either the big one, as shown in the picture, or a smaller one to portside for the 5-cab-version.
Aft cabins are huge as well. The Beneteau Oceanis 52 is 4.84 meters wide (4 centimeters more than her predecessor). Hence, the two aft cabins offer a decent amount of internal volume. There are nice big hull windows as well which suffuse the cabin with natural light, plenty of stowage as well. As the charter version, the starboard bathroom is turned into a Pulman-cabin. All three cabins (with 6 persons max) shall then use the single one small aft bathroom. Well. Charter …
Do I like the new Oceanis 52?
Yes, I do! This new yacht is a huge leap forward in terms of vacation-oriented yachting and full-on holiday-focused. For me as a sailor maybe a bit too many cushions but that’s a personal taste. The smoothed out hull is oriented much more towards the latest design of the Oceanis flagships, the hard chines (which many still love in their very distinctive shapes) are a thing of the past.
Will the new Oceanis 52 be a commercial success? I sure bet so! Beneteau sailboats are known for their good sailing capabilities, proper comforts and “behind the scenes” a very efficient clockwork of after sales services provides fast and carefree assistance in case something breaks or must be claimed. This exemplary service is both appreciated by their owner-customers as well (and much more!) by the charter fleet operators who need to turn around boats fast with seamless supply of spare parts, fast repairs and easy to maintain yachts.
Another reason might be the fact that Beneteau – at least for the inaugural price list – managed to not only not raise the price of the new Oceanis (this also includes her new smaller sister ship Oceanis 47) but to literally lower it! When for the predecessor models the big essential trim level options had to be ordered and paid for on top of the base price, these trim level packages are now included in the base price. This effectively means that you now get more boat for the same price – with enhanced quality details. In a market in distress, businesses and private spendings curtailed by fear of war, recession and inflation, this is the best message into the market.
A nice pink beacon …
So in the end, this big pink tasty fruity and fresh Rosé boat at the pontoon in Cannes was much more than just the starting point for the new eighth generation of cruising yachts made in the Vendée. She is a bold statement of a company that is confidently taking on the challenges of a new normal. It reminds me of a sentence I read in Beneteau´s press release for the start of Cannes. Groupe Beneteau CEO Bruno Thivoyon basically said: „I´m at the helm of the group for five years now. I still cannot say what is a normal year in the boating industry. Maybe this is the new normal: Constant adaption.”
Since approximately two or three years, basically since the end of Covid, I am wondering how the boating industry, especially the big production companies, will react to the slow sales, high prices and reluctant mass buyers. Instead of just offering a cheap boat that might fit the demands of a not so financially potent buyer structure, they stepped up the quality and came up with a truly impressive package. This is more elegant and a much more positive message. So I really like this fresh Rosé. How she sails, how she sells we will see in the coming months. À votre santé
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