Beneteau Flyer 30: Day Boating's Next Generation
By Marilyn DeMartini
Boating lifestyles evolve with time and the market, much like fashion. Go-fast boats, fishing boats, center consoles, bowriders, cruisers, and pontoons all changed over the years in color, technology, design, and construction to meet shifting buyer preferences. One thing stays constant: authentic style. Beneteau, the world’s largest boat builder, holds its place as a style leader, true to its French DNA.
With the new Beneteau Flyer 30, the builder layers engineering, build quality, and practical features onto that style to create a new generation of day boat for the U.S. market. We tested hull No. 1 to see how it all comes together.
A Michael Peters Stepped Hull
The Flyer 30 reinvents Beneteau’s decades-old Flyer model. Michael Peters Yacht Design drew this version, building on a long association between the brand and the renowned naval architect, whose work also carries names like Azimut, Chris-Craft, Valhalla, and Bertram. Peters brought his patented hull bottom, the Stepped Vee Ventilated Tunnel (SVVT), to the Flyer 30 after proving it on performance fishing boats and race boats.
The steps inject air under the hull and funnel it through a shallow center tunnel, which sharpens speed and handling and delivers a flatter running angle. That efficiency stands out as one of the Flyer 30’s biggest advantages, because Beneteau designed the boat to go farther on a single tank of gas.
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How Fast Is the Beneteau Flyer 30?
Twin Mercury 300-hp V8 outboards and a 210-gallon fuel tank stretch the Flyer 30’s day on the water: run to lunch, chill at the sandbar, and pick up friends and family en route, all without stopping for fuel. The boat reaches up to 57 mph but cruises economically in the mid-30s at two miles per gallon.
Driving in a light chop, I found that about 40 mph felt “right,” though the boat seemed to want to go faster. Speed comes down to driver and passenger comfort, and the Flyer 30 has the guts to perform at whatever pace the captain prefers.
Beneteau also offers twin Mercury 250-hp V8 Verado outboards, which give up only a few miles per hour of top speed and lower the overall cost. That fits another goal Beneteau set for this model: the best value in its class.
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Easy Flow From Swim Platform to Bow
Comfort, practicality, and smooth passenger flow show up everywhere aboard. Guests board easily from the wraparound swim platform, move through the cockpit to the helm, and continue up the starboard side to the bow, thanks to the 10’2″ beam.
Is There a Cabin on the Beneteau Flyer 30?
On the port side, a step up to the bow sits above a berth and a head, a thoughtful lifestyle luxury on a 30-foot boat. The comfortable berth works for a nap, for the kids, or as an escape from the weather rather than for true overnighting. The spacious, convenient head carries the same soft decking and fine finishes found above deck, including Corian tops and wood accents.
An Aft Deck Built for Entertaining
Soft yet durable Ultraleather covers the seating throughout. On the aft deck, a mezzanine bench with a large insulated cooler beneath it and a forward-facing transom bench create a convivial social area, anchored by a center wet bar and an insertable table. With a sink to starboard, a refrigerator to port, a Corian counter, and storage and a trash container below, entertaining comes easy, and cup holders abound. Rod holders are optional.
The transom bench lifts to reveal a large storage area and bilge access, and its seat back flips to create an aft-facing sun lounge. A gently sloping hardtop shades the aft deck with an aerodynamic profile, and Beneteau ties its graceful center support into the stringers for added stability. Canvas shades extend the coverage over both the bow and aft deck once you insert the carbon poles.
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Inside the Helm
The broad, curved windshield delivers clear visibility, and side wind wings add protection and ventilation. Twin 12-inch Garmin displays sit raised and angled without compromising the low dash height. That adds driving comfort, as do the leather steering wheel, joystick, bow thruster, trim tabs, cup holders, and covered phone charger, all within reach. Three helm bolster seats with storage beneath invite passengers to join the captain, or at least stop by on their stroll to the C-shaped bow seating.
The Bow Social Scene
Storage under one set of bow seats secures your gear, while another insulated cooler and two Yeti coolers under the forward seats chill food and drinks. Cup holders, phone chargers, and the JL Audio sound system create a separate social scene up front.
Other details add up, too: a large anchor locker with washdowns and a remote, sensible grab handles, optional push-pin fender hooks, and dedicated fender storage.
Is the Beneteau Flyer 30 Worth It?
There’s everything to like about the Flyer 30: a smooth ride, an attractive design, and the fuel economy for long days on the water when everyone aboard stays content, plus a price tag that adds even more comfort among others in its class. With its refined style, the Beneteau Flyer 30 sits in a class of its own. For more, visit beneteau.com.
Specifications
LOA | 30’3″ |
Beam | 10’2″ |
Deadrise | 20 degrees |
Dry Weight | 8,510 lb. |
Fuel/Water | 210/37 gal. |
Top Speed | 57 mph |
Cruise | Mid-30s mph at 2 mpg |
Power (as tested) | 2x Mercury 300-hp V8 |
Capacity | 10 people |
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