“It’s a break away from the motoryacht world – this is a passagemaker,” says Robert Chaffer, Beneteau’s Motorboat Marketing Product Manager for the Gran Turismo and Swift Trawler lines, as we approach the new Swift Trawler 54, which debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024. “Swift Trawlers are not designed to sit in the marina, but to navigate, travel and explore.”

Viewed from the dock, the Swift Trawler 54 has a visible purposeful stance that makes the yacht appear ready to take on the waves. The profile by Pierangelo Andreani of Andreani Design is accentuated by a rising sheerline and an inverted windscreen. “Pierangelo Andreani has created a very clean and elegant profile, although the silhouette is clearly a Swift Trawler,” Chaffer says.

Filling the gap between the Swift Trawler 48 and the Grand Trawler 62, the new 54 is the third generation in this size range, predated by the Swift Trawler 50 and 52. As the latest iteration in the Swift Trawler series, it is full of thoughtfully planned features designed to be appreciated by owners.

While the Swift Trawler 54 looks lovely quayside, this is a yacht conceived to be enjoyed when throwing off the bow lines. It offers long range, plentiful storage, excellent seakeeping and many upgrades from its predecessors, with many of the updates inspired by feedback from Beneteau clients.

“Every few years, I do a deep Swift Trawler customer survey,” Chaffer says. “Each model generation builds on the success of the previous one and the detailed feedback we get from our owners.”

With client permission, Beneteau can also make use of each yacht’s C-Map data, which can provide useful stats on the yacht’s frequency of usage, average speed and how far it’s travelled – all of which helps the French builder to understand the customers’ needs based on their boating habits.

Chaffer pointed out the greyish-beige fabric used on board, for instance. This seemingly simple design choice is strategic.

“From the survey, we know we have people who live aboard their boats, and we know that 30 per cent of our clients are dog owners,” he says, noting that the fabric was chosen for its high durability, sure to be appreciated by liveaboard owners, and for the fact that the colour hides dog hair well.

The surveys indicate that the Swift Trawler series tends to attract customers who come from sailing boats, as trawlers offer long range and ease of use. “They still want to be on the water, but they don’t want to be ‘pulling so many ropes’,” he says.

That doesn’t mean that all Swift Trawler owners are former sailors. Some clients are motorboaters who have harboured fantasies of pushing away from the shoreline for many years and are finally taking the plunge. What unites owners of the Swift Trawler series is a thirst for adventure, long-range cruising dreams and a hands-on attitude.

Beneteau believes most clients will helm their vessel themselves and just have crew on board to help with mooring lines, though there is an option for a crew cabin at the stern if a full-time crew is desired.

Erwan Her, Beneteau’s Asia-Pacific Sales Director, explains: “The launch of the Swift Trawler 54 is an excellent opportunity to start organising expeditions around Asian countries, highlighting the option of having a crew cabin for Asian owners.”

Beneteau knows these boats will be used liberally, so they’re designed to make the most of life on the water. In the aft cockpit, for instance, the sofa is positioned to face outwards towards the stern. It’s a stark contrast from other boats where you might see the seating with its back towards the transom.

“It’s a terrace to the sea,” Chaffer says. “That’s what you’ve bought the boat for, looking at the view, not staring at your patio door.” The transom itself, made of smoked glass, allows unobstructed views of the water.

The layout is carefully planned out to eke as much storage out of the boat as possible for those long voyages while also being as comfortable as possible for day-to-day life on board. Traffic flow and easy access were also highly considered. This prompted placing the galley amidships to port, as opposed to aft on the main deck.

As Chaffer notes, this makes it easier for someone at the helm to pop into the galley and make a tea versus running to the back of the saloon. Likewise, the flybridge is accessed via architecturally interesting internal stairs, so in just a few steps the interior and exterior helms are easily connected.

The galley placement also helps to create two separate living zones in the main deck, with an aft saloon and a forward dining area, which can convert into an additional berth when needed.

But, as the boat is often used by two couples at most, the cabins below will usually more than suffice. There’s a full-beam owner’s cabin amidships, a VIP forward and a smaller bunk cabin to port, which could be ideal for children – or a useful storage room.

Owner and guests might sleep more soundly thanks to the ‘Silent Boat’ option, which allows for up to 10 hours of autonomy while at anchor without needing to run the generator. Adding to the yacht’s eco-friendly credentials, solar panels help top up the lithium battery bank.

The upgraded interior design is meant to elicit a like-home atmosphere. “There are all the usual practical features beloved by Swift Trawler owners, but in addition, the 54 takes on the ‘quiet luxury’ approach first seen on the flagship Grand Trawler 62,” Chaffer says.

This includes soft and illuminated décor panelling on bulkheads, high-end inset cabin doors, Berber-style carpets with acoustic underlay in cabins for noise dampening, and sprung wood slats under mattresses. There’s also a higher finish of joinery and components, such as the slat detailing and latches on wardrobe doors.

Nearly 360-degree windows in the main saloon allow light to pour in and emphasise the yacht’s light and bright colour palette.

Out on deck, nothing is overlooked, from the high-quality stainless-steel cleats and fittings to the optional snubbing winches and easy-load lazarette. Even the symmetrical side decks have fuel and water intakes to both port and starboard, so no matter which side of the yacht is tied up to a dock, it’s easy to fill up.

Another revelation from the survey that helped shape the new boat is that most Swift Trawler owners want simple mechanisms that are easy to maintain even when they are far from land. This ranges from windows that slide open manually to the choice of drive train.

“Our clients like the simplicity and ease of maintenance of a conventional straight shaft,” Chaffer explains. “If there’s a problem, they want to be able to fix it by themselves [or with their crew], or at least know what’s wrong with it.”

No matter where the boat travels, a marine mechanic will know how to deal with a straight shaft configuration, whereas a more ‘exotic’ drive train option could be limited to a supplier’s locations. A simple drive train gives owners more freedom to roam, which is the purpose of this kind of vessel.

Standard power comes from a pair of 404kW (550hp) Cummins QSB6.7 diesel engines, while a slight upgrade will provide a joystick option for ease of manoeuvrability. An update from previous models, this takes advantage of recent technology.

“Now you can integrate straight shafts and the bow and stern thrusters into a joystick,” Chaffer says. “So, if you’re on a finger pontoon and the wind is blowing you off, you can push the thrusters on just enough to hold the boat safely on the dock.”

As this boat is built to go the distance, seakeeping is of the utmost importance. Beneteau turned to the UK firm Dixon Yacht Design, known for its sailing superyachts as well as smaller production boats. The Swift Trawler 54’s Dixon-designed ‘Fusion’ hull form was designed for efficiency and comfort, while the latest Sleipner Vector Gen 3 fins boost stability at anchor and underway.

“Interior volume, a spacious flybridge and fin stability are key features for the Asian market, and the ST54 now offers all of these,” Her concludes. “The passagemaker capabilities are the cherry on top.”

beneteau.com

This article was first seen on yachtstyle.co.

For more on the latest in luxury yachting reads, click here.