BY APB Staff on 22 Jan 2021

First sea trials on the new flagship yacht to be offered in April

Asia-Pacific fans of passage-making yachts have exciting news, as French power and sailing yacht brand Beneteau has announced that their new flagship trawler, the Grand Trawler 62, will reach the Asia-Pacific by the end of 2021. The new yacht is the first in a new series of larger passage-making yachts.

Beneteau announced the new yacht, then named Project E, during the 2020 boot Düsseldorf. The new Grand Trawler was developed from Beneteau’s long-standing Swift Trawler line and is being built at Beneteau’s Monfalcone plant in Italy. The company says it is organising VIP weekend factory tours at the end of January, with customer sea trials expected in Mid-April in Italy.

The new yacht is 19-metres in length overall, with design and engineering done by naval architecture firm MICAD and Nauta Design. MICAD has worked on Beneteau projects before and has made a name for itself working on progressive yachting projects such as the 3D printed Mambo. Nauta Design has worked on a wide range of sailing and motoryachts, from production yachts up to the world’s largest superyachts.

The Grand Trawler 62 has an expected cruising range of 900 nautical miles with 10% fuel reserve at a cruising speed of nine knots. The yacht has a full displacement hull to allow for cruising range and space onboard. Yacht buyers in Asia have shown increasing interest in longer ranges and greater efficiency, while the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns have encouraged yacht owners in Hong Kong to spend more time onboard, rather than dayboating. This has put a greater premium on comfortable living spaces onboard.

The raised helm station with cutting-edge equipment offers spectacular views. The internal stairway from it leads directly to the 31-square metre flybridge, featuring a U-shaped sofa, relaxation spaces and sun pads. She is available in two versions: three or four cabins. The headroom in each cabin is an average two metres.

The Grand Trawler 62 will be officially launched in Cannes this September.