40ft motorboat

• Subscribe Now
• Digital Editions

Secondhand boat buying guide: four 40ft flybridge yachts reviewed

A 40ft flybridge is a great cruiser with enough space and clever layout. We review four secondhand boats on the market now: Jeanneau Velasco 43, Oyster Powerline 390, Princess 414 and Fairline Phantom 40

If you had to come up with the perfect type and size of family boat for UK waters, the 40ft flybridge cruiser would be right up there, a theory backed up by the sheer number in south coast marinas from Brighton to Falmouth. Big enough to go properly offshore, twin engines will give Channel-crossing confidence as well as manoeuvrability in harbours, where their relatively compact size makes handling manageable for two people. The layout works well too, with an open-air helm for good weather and an indoor driving position for days full of liquid sunshine. The ‘patio’ doors and a large windowed saloon make them perfect floating apartments while most have a family-friendly two cabin layout. Add in relative affordability and it’s easy to see the appeal. So this week we bring you four prime examples, from a well loved old Princess via a quirky Oyster Powerline through to an alternative Jeanneau hybrid design to a ‘staple diet’ Fairline.

Jeanneau Velasco 43

Jeanneau seems to have a model range for every niche but it hasn’t stopped them inventing a new one to fill. Launched in 2013 initially as the 43 Voyager before a sudden name change to Velasco, this concept is a cross between a long distance trawler and a fast port-hopping flybridge cruiser.

Recommended videos for you

There is plenty of trawler thinking on the inside. From fundamental things like the trawler-style galley forward on the main deck and the sliding door next to the helm through to more subtle hints at long distance cruising such as the massive storage voids beneath the main deck floor, one big enough to house a washing machine. On the lower deck it’s a two-cabin, two- heads layout. The guest cabin, with its two single berths infilling to create a double, is pushed back, which leaves space for a large ensuite master cabin forward.

The most obvious nod to the trawler-esque thinking is the forward sloping windscreen rather than the usual sleeker raked back look. With thin mullions it offers terrific visibility and it gives the boat a distinctive, purposeful look. Interestingly, Jeanneau has reverted to a swept back screen for its latest version, now called the Velasco 43F. Likewise, the mast-like radar support on the flybridge has been ditched in favour of a conventional arch.

Performance

Bucking the trend again, there are no Volvo motors on the options list, just a default choice of twin Cummins QSB6.7L producing 380hp and running through vee drives for a top speed of 27 knots.

That cruiser/trawler hybrid concept is more than just styling and marketing puff. The hull of the Velasco is also modified with fuller forward sections, a shallow keel and a small bow bulb to allow efficient comfortable long distance cruising as well as running well at planing speeds. It’s largely successful at doing so too, although it can ship a fair bit of water at planing speeds in choppy seas.

At a glance…

Built: 2013 Price: £279,950 LOA: 44f t11in (13.7m) Beam: 13ft 6in (4.1m) Draught: 3ft 7in (1.1m) Displacement: 10.1 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,200 litres Engines: Twin Cummins QSB 6.7 380hp diesels For Sale: Burton Waters Sales

Oyster Powerline 390

Famous for its high end sailing yachts, Oyster dabbled with the motor boat market in 2005, building the elegant ‘gentleman’s motor yacht’ LD43 until 2011. What’s less well known is that this wasn’t Oyster’s first foray into motor boats. In 1989 the company brought out a very conventional looking 40ft flybridge cruiser called the Powerline 390. It was intended to be the first of a range of flybridge cruisers, but was the only Powerline model, due partly to the 1990s recession.

Oyster didn’t attempt to reinvent the wheel with this boat so the layout is entirely conventional. There’s a master cabin in the bow, a guest cabin with twin bunks to starboard and the galley opposite on the lower deck with the lower helm and saloon up on the main deck. Finish is good, as you’d hope from Oyster, with a light ash veneer, and the company’s yacht builder roots show through in things like the fiddled horizontal surfaces and large chart table at the helm.

Maximum geek points if you spotted Humber 38 underpinnings. In fact Oyster adopted that boat’s John Bennett-designed hull when Humber moved on to launch its aft cabin Humber 40, but fitted its own deck and superstructure. And it’s undeniably a handsome-looking boat for its era, with more curves than were typically the norm back in the 1980s. The flybridge is accessed by a ladder and the transom has a semi transom door formed by a cutaway.

Twin Cummins 6BTAs were the engines of choice for the Powerline 390, in either 250hp or 300hp guise. This boat has the latter, which should push the top speed to 30 knots.

Unusually for a full planing boat, the hull has a keel that extends to nine inches at its maximum, offering some protection to the sterngear and helps it track straight at low speed in strong beam winds. It’s a solid feeling boat and a relatively quiet one too.

Built: 1991 Price: £85,000 LOA: 39ft 7in (12.1m) Beam: 13ft 8in (4.2m) Draught: 3ft 0in (0.9m) Displacement: 10 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,090 litres Engines: Twin Cummins 6BTA 300hp diesels For Sale: TBS Boats

Princess 414

Old boats generally offer a huge amount of bang for buck, but that’s because they’re, well, old. Old electrics, old upholstery, old carpet, old navigation equipment. Not this one though, because all of that was replaced during a 2016 refit that even saw new tanks installed and the engines removed and overhauled by a Volvo Penta main dealer. Total cost? More than the current asking price…

The only aft cabin boat of our quartet this month, the interior stretches from end to end. And bear in mind that this was a 41ft boat when they were measured to the transom, not to the end of an extended bathing platform! As a result, the accommodation is palatial. A huge ensuite master cabin dominates the rear section beneath the aft deck, a large saloon sits amidships and further forward there’s a big dinette opposite the galley plus a guest cabin with centreline double berth in the bow.

The payoff for that aft cabin layout is a raised aft deck. More exposed than an aft cockpit and lacking the shelter of a flybridge overhang, it’s still big and does have one particularly useful feature. Where virtually all flybridge boats of this era had ladders to scale in order to reach the flybridge, on this boat it’s a couple of steps — easy to negotiate and it connects these two areas well.

The other trade-off with older boats is less powerful engines than we’re used to these days. But in this case the boat has a pair of entirely reasonable Volvo Penta TAMD 60C 255hp motors. No, you won’t be hitting the magic 30 knots, but it should top-out toward the mid twenties and cruise in the high ‘teens, perfect for a classy old lady.

One of the last of the John Bennett hulls before Princess switched to Bernard Olesinski, it’s a conventional planing hull with a modified deep-vee hull that combines deep forward sections with a flatter aft profile for seakeeping and speed.

Built: 1989 Price: £99,500 LOA: 41ft 2in (14.7m) Beam: 13ft 0in (4.0m) Draught: 3ft 0in (0.9m) Displacement: 9 tonnes Fuel Capacity: 1,182 litres Engines: Twin Volvo Penta TAMD 60C 255hp diesels For Sale:   Global Yacht Brokers

Fairline Phantom 40

The early noughties was considered by many to be a golden era for Fairline boats, and the really good news is that the exemplary build quality echoed through the range from the flagship Squadron 78 downwards. So even buyers of 40-foot flybridge boats like this one benefit from fantastic attention to detail.

Nowhere is that more obvious than inside, where the high quality wood has a superyacht level of finish to it and that attention to detail includes a sturdy handrail recessed into the saloon headlining. The layout is the usual master forward, twin cabin to starboard with both having decent sized ensuites (the guest cabin accessing the day heads). There’s also a folding sofa bed cunningly hidden beneath the saloon settee taking sleeping capacity to an occasional six.

Again, pretty unadventurous but even so, beautifully appointed, the deck area of the Phantom 40 simply works well. Bathing platform and cockpit are teak laid as standard, side decks are 10 inches wide and protected by strong, high rails and the flybridge offers triple seats at the helm and a huge dinette aft.

When it was launched in 2003, Fairline fitted a pair of Volvo Penta TAMD 63 engines in either L (316hp) or P (370hp) specification, with twin Caterpillar 3126 units of 355hp or 385hp as an option, which offered top speeds in the high 20 knots. Later boats (like this one) moved on to the D series that Volvo Penta brought out in 2005, which in the case of the 435hp versions fitted to this boat, lift the top end beyond 30 knots.

Like everything else on this boat, the hull design is entirely predictable, being a Bernard Olesinski design, but like everything else, all the better for it. It extends beneath the bathing platform for maximum planing surface area aft and features semi-tunnelled propellers for a straighter, more efficient shaft angle and lower engines.

Built: 2009 Price: £229,000 LOA: 41ft 2in (12.53m) Beam: 13ft 0in (4.0m) Draught: 3ft 3in (1.0m) Displacement: 11.6tonnes Fuel Capacity: 990 litres Engines: Twin Volvo Penta D6-435 435hp diesels For Sale:   Global Yacht Brokers

VIDEO: Princess F45 first look

We get on board the Princess F45 after its global debut at the 2019 Düsseldorf Boat Show

10 Most iconic Fairline motor yachts of all time

Oundle-based Fairline Yachts started building boats in 1967 and in the last 51 years they have created a stunning range

4 of the best motor yachts on the market now for under £250,000

4 of the best river cruisers to buy right now, new boats at cannes boat show 2024: fim 500 regina, latest videos, the boat even drug-runners are scared of: marell m17 hybrid yacht tour, sunseeker predator 55 exclusive tour: full tour of this entry-level sportscruiser, watch: makai m37 sea trial – £720k cruising cat like nothing you've seen before, pearl 82 tour: must-see £6m 'mini superyacht'.

Used Motor Yachts for Sale from 40 to 50 Feet

Listed below are used motor yachts for sale between 40 to 50 feet. Motor yachts vary greatly in their hull design, interior accommodations, engine packages, and performance capabilities. They often feature multiple staterooms for owners and guests as well as bathrooms, showers, full galleys and a wide range of other amenities to make life on board very comfortable and luxurious. SYS Yacht Sales offers new and used motor yachts for sale worldwide, including a range of Flybrige yachts, Aft Cabin Yachts, Pilothouse Yachts, Convertibles, Trawlers, Sportfish, Express Cruisers, Sport Cruisers and much more. Don't see the vessel you're looking for here? Contact our experienced yacht brokers for assistance, we look forward to helping you find the yacht that's right for you.

Viking Princess 50' Flybridge MotorYacht

Princess V50 Open

Hi-Tech Motor Yacht

Azimut 50 Flyrbidge

Julia valentine.

Chris-Craft 500 Constellation

Azimut Magellano 50

Prestige 500

Azimut Atlantis 50

Carver 500 Cockpit Motor Yacht

Azimut Flybridge

Alden Motor Yacht

Custom Trawler Biloxi Lugger

Ocean Alexander 50 Mark II

Princess 50

Marquis 500 Sport Yacht

Azimut 50 Flybridge

Mai navigare.

Cruisers 5000 Sport Sedan

Hatteras 50' Sport Deck

Monte Carlo Flybridge

Sea Ray 500 Sundancer

Sea Ray 510 Sundancer

• Event Details

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Bavaria C42 review: The Ford Model T of 40ft yachts

• Toby Hodges
• February 11, 2021

The Bavaria C42 needs to offer bang for your buck if it is to stand out in a crowded field of 40ft cruisers. Toby Hodges takes the new offering for a gusty autumn sail to see what she's made of.

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

What constitutes ‘good value’? What you get for your money in any market segment often comes down to size – be that square feet of real estate area or gigabytes of memory. But is bigger necessarily better value?

Sailors with the means and desire to buy new understandably seek as much value for money as they can get for that size. What we’ve seen over the last decade is a marked increase in the volume to length ratio of new yachts, and more recently in the way contemporary hull shapes can further boost internal volumes at each end. 

For a production yard to stay competitive though, it needs to offer more than just bang for your buck. It needs to be shrewd in its design and innovative enough to lure you away from the competition, to make you think its yachts are roomier, brighter and better. It needs to make boats that the crew want to spend time aboard, and are practical to manage or give the helmsman an enjoyable hands-on experience; preferably both. Value should include some emotive quality too – the hard to quantify satisfaction you get from using it.

This is a tall order. But as we surged down yet another wave face on our test sail I came to the conclusion that this new Bavaria offers that extra value. It was a fleeting taster of powered-up offwind sailing, but in a year of abnormality, a particularly memorable one. And in such a competitive marketplace, that extra something is what’s needed to stand out from the crowd.

Ups ‘n’ downs

The production yacht world doesn’t get any more competitive than in the 40ft sector, a size that remains so appealing for both private family cruising and charter. And I’m going to keep referring to the C42 as 40ft, because that’s the hull length without the optional bowsprit.

Before we consider Bavaria’s answer to the 40 footer question, let’s remember this company has been through its share of challenges recently. In 2018 it was flying high with a new C-line from 45-65ft. Yet by September that year, rather than celebrating its 40th anniversary, it was filing for insolvency.

Tall deck-stepped mast and the most sail area in its class help give the Bavaria notable performance. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

This C42 is the first model developed under Bavaria’s new management. It caused a stir when it was unveiled last January, with crowds queuing for an hour to view it at the Düsseldorf Boat Show . But then followed the global pandemic, when “order intake collapsed almost completely,” explains CEO Michael Müller. He points out that work has only been running at full capacity again since October. Bavaria’s financials must read like a heart rate monitor. 

All of which makes the C42 a crucial new model for a yard on the rebound. This is Maurizio Cossutti’s fourth Bavaria design and he opted for a clever and powerful shape, the first Bavaria with hard chines and a rounded ‘V-bow’. As I was to discover, these features make a crucial difference, both down below and on the water.

Article continues below…

Arcona 435 review: Swedish star offers something for everyone

After the Arcona 435 sailed off with the Performance Cruiser category win at this year’s European Yacht of the Year…

Azuree 40 test

One of the first and most striking things to note about sailing the C42 is the direct feel of the helm, which engages you immediately. This design may be in keeping with today’s breed of production cruiser, with its full bow sections and generous beam carried aft, but it’s unusual not to marry that shape with twin rudders. Bavaria says its owners want the close-quarters manoeuvrability that prop wash over a single rudder helps to provide. The C42 proved easy in reverse too, without the tendency of twin rudders to slam to one side once they catch.

Sailors will feel the benefit under canvas immediately. The Jefa steering linkage from the twin wheels to the single, easily accessible quadrant in-between is kept to a minimum, giving the best chance for direct feel.

Autumnal shakedown

With the in-mast mainsail and self-tacking jib fully unfurled (Elvstrom Sporttech laminate), we punched out into the Solent to meet photographer Rick Tomlinson. It was typical easterly conditions, with big variance in the strong gusts as we dialled down from a beam to a deep broad reach, endeavouring to keep speed up and apparent wind down.

The coachroof line is brought right aft, which draws out the lines and creates protective coamings for the cockpit. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

I particularly enjoyed the feel provided by the modestly sized single spade rudder as we surged down waves, making 7-9+ knots SOG against the tide, with gusts now up to the high 20s. (Note, we had no log installed, but the polars confirm that in anything over 20 knots the C42 is capable of hitting double figures reaching, and over 9 knots in 16 true.)

The chine and beam were doing what they should and buying form stability, while the bulbous stem kept trim bow-up. This powerful hull shape is allied with a 20m mast that sets around 100m2 of upwind sail area. That is a whopping 30% more than the Oceanis 40.1 and makes for a potent sail area to displacement ratio. 

It points to a yacht that you can keep sailing in light winds – indeed my fellow European Yacht of the Year judges confirmed the C42 performs handsomely in sub 10-knot breeze – and one that should be able to maintain respectable passagemaking speeds even while reefed.

With power comes the need to treat it with respect. Thankfully, the rudder did what it should do and let me know when we were pressed and provided the chance to let off more sheet. Again, this is a marked difference from the majority of today’s cruising yachts with deep twin rudders, which tend to maintain grip at all angles and make you question what the fuse will be when you do push the boat.

The C42 features hard chines and a full bow, both of which help buy internal volume. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

A German mainsheet system is only an option on the Bavaria, and not one chosen for the test boat. Instead, and unusually nowadays, the main was sheeted to one of the companionway winches. So although you get the polite notification to ease from the rudder, you need to communicate this to a crewmember by the winch. Therefore, were I buying this boat for short-handed easy cruising – as is suggested by the self-tacking jib and in-mast mainsail set-up – I’d opt for the extra set of winches aft for the mainsheet.

The pedestals are mounted as close to the transom as possible to maximise the length of the cockpit benches. So it’s a little cramped in the quarters, particularly by the split backstay, but it doesn’t feel unsafe and the pay-off in cockpit size is worthwhile.

The mainsheet bridle set-up is a common system, which keeps the mainsheet out of the cockpit. But there’s no traveller option and it’s mounted more than half way forward along the boom, which puts a lot of load on the midboom section and places a reliance on the vang for mainsail shape. However, this arrangement does allow for a large companionway entrance.

The helms are right aft in the quarters. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The winch layout spreads out the sheets and running rigging, so it’s not all piling up in one place. But there is no provision for the tail ends as standard, so bags or clips would need to be fitted to prevent a snake pit at the base of the companionway.

Sailing deep was manageable in the Force 6 gusting 7, with active crewmembers manning winches, but with the wind against tide conditions producing 1.5-2m overfalls to head back into, we needed to shorten sail to turn upwind.

With a couple of metres taken out of the foot of the main and three rolls in the genoa, the Bavaria felt comfortable as we beat upwind at 35-40° to the apparent breeze (7-8 knots SOG with tide). Given the conditions, the motion was not uncomfortable. The boat seemed relatively stiff without launching off waves or slamming. 

However, after a couple of tacks the rig called time and the shrouds went alarmingly slack. Without rigging tools on board to tighten up the bottlescrews properly, we had to furl sails and accept a long motor home. 

We tested the Bavaria on the Solent, UK in easterly winds of 18-29 knots. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Disappointing as it was, this was a new boat, sailing in strong breeze and waves for the first time. I would estimate that the standing rigging had only been loosely tightened and the wire shrouds had not had any chance to settle, stretch and be adjusted accordingly . Indeed the dealer, Clipper Marine, commented later: “the rig hadn’t been bedded in, nor had the riggers had a chance to do the pre-delivery inspection because of COVID restrictions – when we would have re-tuned the rig before handover.”

The aft helms leave room for a very generous cockpit table and long benches, which have proper coamings to give backrest support and some protection. Locker space is conservative in two shallow bench lockers, a port quarter locker and a sail locker. The latter has only a small hatch, which will limit the size of sail (or fenders) that it can accommodate.

The berth in forward cabin is particularly large. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Outer and inner space

The coachroof is a clever design, which starts far forward to maximise headroom below. It is kept low and flat-topped, which allows good visibility forward from the helms and means the roof itself can accommodate sunbathing cushions.

Bavaria has incorporated an extra-long companionway roof, to allow for maximum light to enter the interior and for a gently angled descent. First impressions and a sense of space when going below is crucial, as it helps create that feeling of getting a lot of boat for your money.

Hanse was early onto this with the development of its loft-style interiors, which began over a decade ago. And latterly Groupe Beneteau has found a new way of increasing living space by adding volume to the bows in conjunction with increased beam aft. Bavaria seems to have combined the best of both ideas, so you really do keep asking yourself if this boat is really only 40ft. 

The darker walnut veneer of the test boat. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Inviting the considerable amount of natural light in through hatches, portholes and coachroof windows helps. The space is also used smartly, apportioning it most where it’s typically needed – in the saloon and cabins. The L-shaped galley is practical enough and there is a navstation of sorts, which shares the forward end of the port saloon berth.

The berth in the forward cabin looks particularly large as it is taken right out to the hull sides (1.80×2.07m). The fact that there is room to mount the headboard forward and to house the extra (optional) 250lt water tank below the berth points to the sheer volume in the bows. 

Fine Detailing

The forward end of the port sofa forms the chart table seat. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

You can tell Bavaria has paid close attention to detail, in particular with the wood and veneer work, the lighting and home comforts. Personally I prefer the lighter Alpi veneer rather than the darker walnut of the test boat and find the use of dark grey panels on the bulkheads and heads area a little cold. I’d also choose a second heads if having a three-cabin boat. 

The saloon feels especially roomy, a perception aided by the deck-stepped mast. Credit to the yard for including a table that can seat so many in its open format yet can fold over to halve in size and give walkthrough access. 

However, I did take issue with the square edges and sharp corners this leaves on the saloon table (and chart table). Bavaria’s product manager, Pascal Kuhn, has assured me these will be modified, and you can see in the main saloon picture how the corner is now angled, but the edges remain an area of concern.

The table doubles over to join the port sofa. Photo: Rick Tomlinson

An extra couple of grab handles around this space between the galley, heads and saloon table would also be useful, but the galley surfaces are all fiddled and there is a sturdy support post by the curved companionway steps.

The joinery feels solid. The sole panels in particular were noticeably quiet underfoot. Although Bavaria’s method of screwing these down is not so practical for accessing the bilge in a hurry, there are numerous panels to allow access to all areas.

All five companionway steps lift to get at the forward end of the engine and there are good side panels in each aft cabin. 

Look beneath the scenes and you begin to notice a few scrappier details. I don’t like seeing electronics mounted in non-watertight lockers, for example, and the use of bare ply and veneered bulkheads here are unlikely to prove durable. I also think it a backward step that Bavaria has returned to using hand lay-up for manufacture instead of vacuum infusion.

The Bavaria C42 is designed to hit that broadest of markets, the Ford Model T of 40ft production cruisers, yet it shows that mass market does not have to mean boring. Take the wheel of this powerful design in a breeze and you’ll soon find you can have your new voluminous family cruiser and still actively enjoy the sailing. The Bavaria is not without its flaws, but wherever you look you seem to discover added value. There is maximum space where you want it, in the accommodation, saloon and cockpit, all fitted into a clever hull shape that offers stability and performance. Every industry needs models that set the standard in their range. The C42 sets a new bar in the 40ft sector and, therefore, potentially what should be deemed ‘good value’ today.