The new flagship of the French builder’s popular sport cruiser fleet, the Beneteau Gran Turismo 50, with an exterior by the highly acclaimed Italian design team of Nuvolari-Lenard, is a combination of modern Euro styling and state-of-the-art technology, inside and out. Its swept-back low-profile and its expansive display of large windows set the Gran Turismo 50 apart from the crowd, while behind the scenes it is the first Beneteau to have the company’s new Ship Control technology that operates all the boat’s onboard systems, from air conditioning to lighting. The boat will make its U.S. debut in February at the Miami International Boat Show on Virginia Key.
Powered by twin 435-hp Volvo diesels and IPS600 pod drives, the latest Gran Turismo tops out at 29 knots and cruises in the mid-20-knot range. It has Beneteau’s AirStep2 planing hull for superior performance and fuel economy, while Volvo’s IPS joystick makes low-speed maneuvering fingertip easy.
The Gran Turismo can be ordered with two or three staterooms below. The boat in Miami has two. The master is midships, with a centerline walkaround bed and an en suite head with separate shower. The guest cabin is in the bow, with two scissor berths that can be combined into one if so desired. The galley and lounge area, with the second head, with shower, are between the two cabins. In the three-cabin version, the extra cabin, with twin berths, replaces some of the lower lounge area.
On the main deck, the large side windows slide open at the touch of a button, and the opening sunroof is supersized also. The helm is to starboard, with a lounge and table to port.
A glass door slides open to the cockpit, with an L-shaped lounge set around a table. An aft seat converts into a sun lounge. The teak swim platform raises or lowers hydraulically, while a dinghy garage in the transom holds a standard Williams Minijet 280 tender.
Specs.: LOA: 51’9”; Beam: 14’4”; Draft: 2’11”; Disp.: 30,071 lbs.; Fuel: 343 gals.; Water: 105 gals.; Power: 2×435-hp Volvo diesels with IPS600 pod drives.
http://www.beneteau.com/us/gran-turismo/gran-turismo-50#gran-turismo-50
