The Beneteau 40.7 by Peter Bentley
The Beneteau 40.7
Peter Bentley tests the latest racer/cruiser from Beneteau
by Peter Bentley
Yachts and Yachting
There are features on the Beneteau 40.7 that work well while others are far from perfect. This is a package that offers compromise sailing by the bucket load. Certainly not an out-and-out racer, the 40.7 has some aspects of cruising ability that have been biased more toward performance than one might expect from a boat of this type. A double-reefed main and number three blade headsail soon had us making good progress under sail. As might be expected from a Bruce Farr design, the 40.7 is a real delight to steer upwind with little more than fingertip inputs required from the helmsman to keep her moving easily through the waves. Increasing heel sees the helm loading up marginally, with minimal traveler movements sufficient to keep things nicely under control. Even hard-pressed with the rig wildly unbalanced, the rudder shows no sign of loosing grip and the wheel can be severely abused without any apparent ill effects. From an ergonomic point of view the helmsman's space is very effective. Though the contoured seat aft saw little use upwind it would undoubtedly provide a comfortable center of operations in light winds, and downwind in windier weather. Upwind with some heel on, though, the place to sit is undoubtedly on the side deck with one or more feet firmly braced against the wide sloping flanks of the molded-in steering pedestal. The wheel is big enough to allow for a relaxed stance while allowing a good clear view of the genoa. Though the deeply-reefed rig would have proved perfect for short-handed cruising, making reasonable progress to windward while at the same time offering a balance between outright performance and control, it provides little real information as to the boat's ultimate performance. Requests for more sail were met with little enthusiasm, so a high speed if not too close-winded approach to upwind sailing seemed to offer the best results. More power would undoubtedly have closed down the angle, and with it of course the speed. Where the balance lies for optimal VMG remains unknown. As with so much on this boat, the cockpit is an attempt to be all things to all men. Big enough to race, yet compact enough for family cruising. Deep enough for security yet wide enough for efficient trimming. Expansive enough for a big crew yet small enough not to impinge on interior space. One's view of its success or otherwise will undoubtedly depend on your intended use for it, though its fair to say the balance has swung pretty far toward the cruising end of the spectrum. The side benches are wide and comfortable to sit on while the sculpted side decks provide useful and comfortable sitting space. Though located too far away from the edge of the working area to be really effective, the winches are well sized and effectively placed for efficient trimming. Downwind the boat performs very typically for her type. That is to say the full stern sections are easily lifted by each pursuing wave (exacerbated by our lack of sail, not to mention a spinnaker) and very substantial twirling of the wheel is needed to keep things moving in anything like a steady direction. Make no mistake, there is little or no risk of losing control, the big rudder sees to that, but it is nothing if not physical. The deck gear — almost all from Lewmar — proves properly sized, well-positioned and efficient. Similarly the 7/8th's-fractional rig looks and feels secure with all the real sailing control coming via a hydraulic backstay. Carefully configured to bend the mast and tighten the jib luff in unison this is about as simple as it gets. While it's tempting to stay at the wheel or at very least on deck during a test sail, a move around the interior while underway often proves instructive. Movement down below is much aided by the full-length grab handles and the curved steps make entry and egress relatively simple. Once out on deck, the protected companionway exit makes things a bit more secure — especially valuable for bleary-eyed crew emerging without a fully-developed sense of night vision. On the negative side, the two doors in the forward bulkhead, both free moving at rest, had moved sufficiently in their frames to make them stiff. Whether this was due to ill-fitting doors or excess movement in the bulkhead when heeled could not be assessed. Construction follows normal Beneteau practice with the usual polyester and fiberglass hull reinforced by a substantial internal structural molding incorporating all the floors, stringers and bulkhead landings. Affixed to the hull simply with adhesive paste rather than the more expensive laminated bonding used by some other builders, it is a system that has served the French company well over the years. All the visible interval surfaces have been flow-coated and the general quality of the fiberglass work appears sound. Entirely conventional in every respect, the interior layout provides sleeping space for six in three cabins — two aft and one forward — with additional facilities for at least two more in the main saloon. A substantial navigation station to starboard is balanced by the galley to port. A fold-down table offers excellent dining facilities, but also has the virtue of not being too obtrusive when in race mode. The heads, forward to port, are formed from a functional and easily-maintained white GRP molding with just enough timber to keep it all looking nice. While the majority of the interior joinery is well finished from a mix of laminated and solid timber, the cabin floor boards are anything but. Constructed from a cheap-looking plywood, what look like lines of inlaid dark timber are in fact nothing more than stencilled-on dye. Additionally, the edges appear to have been left unsealed, a recipe for certain trouble in the future. For reasons that are hard to explain (perhaps a stylist somewhere thought it was a good idea) in place of what could have been a smooth form, complimenting the otherwise soft interior, this one sports a series of projecting ribs and stringers harking back to the days of deck beams — indeed perhaps there are real deck beams hidden within. On the positive side the ends of each "deck beam" provide the anchorage points for a full length hand rail that cleverly incorporates window blinds for each of the six Lewmar port lights. The central overhead hatch is similarly fitted with a Skyshade combined blind and insect screen. Always keenly priced, the French Franc's continuing weakness makes this and indeed all French-produced boats look like exceptional value and it will surely attract a fair number of buyers. Beneteau has rightly scored many successes with this kind of yacht in the past and there is no reason to think they will not do so again with the 40.7.