Yacht Walkthrough: Beneteau Monte Carlo 52 [Yacht Highlight]

Yacht broker Tony Smith gives a personal tour of the new Beneteau MC52, at her debut in Cannes, France.

This is Tony Smith with Denison Yachting. We’re here at the Cannes Yacht Show and we’re onboard Beneteau Monte Carlo 52. This is a brand new model and we’re going to take a look at some key features.

Because this boat is so new, we’re going to cut to some of Beneteau’s factory video to show you the exterior profile. You’re going to notice the 15 degree deep V that improves the overall performance. It’s the first 52 in the lineup and has some major changes. They’ve actually redesigned the full hull on this, so it actually planes out a lot better. You’ll immediately notice the sweeping windows on the side which give us a full 360-degree view from the interior and sharp lines on the outside.

Because this boat has IPS drives it actually has a larger cabin layout. What you’ll see below is we have a full three cabin layout with a full beam master. As far as power options the Volvo IPS system comes standard in this boat. You have an option of either IPS 600 or IPS 650. We’re running about 27 knots on the 600 and the 650 will probably reach around 29 knots.

A boat is supposed to connect you to the water that’s why we’ll start today’s walkthrough on the swim platform. It retracts down into the water, has integrated dinghy chocks and has a retractable ladder. Another really nice feature is this storage compartment in the back. It actually lifts up and we have the crew quarters inside. Down here at foot level, you’ll notice the step lifts up to expose the shore power connection. Up above is the passerelle that will extend out so you can board with these.

Two steps up from the swim platform is the aft deck. One of the things we love about the aft cockpit is the table. This can fold out to form a dining area or lower down to form a coffee table. A retractable electric awning protects the aft cockpit.

Another unique feature is the stainless steel stairway. This is nicely moulded and has a handrail. If we’re under heavy weather, we’ve got something to grab onto. You’ll note some safety features. This gate closes to secure the cockpit area. Additionally, we have our rear helm with the Volvo IPS joystick, bow thrusters and all your controls for the hydraulic lift and for the electric awning.

In the aft cockpit you’ll notice the large engine room hatch. This lifts up for convenient access. Note how much room we have around the motors. We have full access to the mechanical area. Moving forward what you’re going to see is the aft galley. This is a really great setup here. You notice the cooktop as well as the deep well kitchen sink here.

Down below we have a convection oven and microwave combo. A few unique features here – all the drawers have these protective latches. So these won’t be banging around when the boat is underway. Likewise here the cabins have a quick-release mechanism. Its small details like this that makes it an excellent cruising yacht.

On the port side we have what looks to be cabinets but this is actually a hidden refrigerator and freezer. The counter wraps around and we have excellent storage compartments. Note the leather pulse. This is very unique. A very unique feature is this leather bound table. What you’ll notice is you have grab rails here as well as the table folds out. So when you’re entertaining you can have a full 8-people around to the dining room table.

Forward of the salon seating area, we come to one of the most improved areas. We’re already familiar with the IPS system which gives you a joystick. However, the steering wheel is now fully fly-by-wire. It actually articulates the drive systems while we’re underway.

A couple other unique features about this boat, we have two huge Garmin multifunction displays. On the multifunction displays, you’ll see an additional option for ship control. Ship controls the new integrated monitoring system that’s built into the Monte Carlo 52. With ship control we can actually network this to a tablet and control all the functions and monitor tank levels and lighting. Even the helm seat is improved on the MC 52. You still have the beautiful diamond stitching but now you have this unique bolstered design.

Now we’re going to show you the guest accommodation, starting apps with the full beam master. Entering the master there are a few things that you’ll notice immediately. The first is the headroom. Centerline is a king sized berth. On the starboard side you’ll see a nice, above you’ll see a huge rectangular window. This is a new feature for the MC52. We still have our signature oval, however, we get a lot more light in through this window. Just aft of that there’s a full walk-in closet. On the port side you’ll notice plenty of storage. Moving back from that is a fully enclosed head and enclosed shower.

In the second cabin we have dual twin sized berths. You’ll notice we have a bright space here. A lot of that is because of these huge windows on the side as well as the porthole. Up above you’ll notice we have a skylight that lets additional light in the room.

Finally, let’s check out the VIP. What you’ll note here is we have an island berth that is actually a scissor berth that can create two separate bunks. A couple other features that I love about this boat is we’ve got plenty of daylight here. This is from the skylight above as well as the emergency hatch that opens up and gives us plenty of ventilation. On the sides you’ll see we have a huge amount of visibility and additional portholes. On the portside you’ll notice we have direct access from the VIP to the dayhead. This head has a fully enclosed shower.

From here follow me up the side deck and let’s take a look at the bow. Up on the bow you’re going to notice these recliners. This is one of the key features here. This is a beautiful area to hang out with friends. You’ve got cup holders. Actually this area forms the skylight for the forward VIP cabinet.

Forward, we have our ground tackle. You notice a couple features here. We’ve got a large roller, we’ve got a safety shackle and the windlass. Note we have easy access to the locker as well. This can be used for storage of fenders and also if you foul up the chain or rope, we’ve got easy access to everything. We can remove this lifeline here. We have full access to the bow roller. Additionally, if we dock facing in, we can open this up and have access off the bow.

Our last stop of the day will be my favorite place up on the flybridge. One of my favorite features is this aft galley. We open this up to expose an electric grill, a sink and down below we have a full refrigerator, storage area and a trash bin. On the radar arch, not only do we have radar but we actually have track TV and satellite phone.

Forward to starboard you’ll see a table that folds out. Note again we’ve got protective handholds here. There’s plenty of seating on starboard for up to 10-guests. And you can seat another 7 on the port side. Forward to starboard, we can change the seating configuration to give you a larger sunpad up front. This is great because now the captain has a companion area.

We’re ending today’s walkthrough at the upper helm. Again we have our Volvo IPS stations, twin Garmins and ship control. This is truly an easy to operate vessel. Covering the entire fly bridge, we have two options; either our hardtop or an open design with the canopy.

On behalf of myself Tony Smith and the rest of the team at Denison Yachting, we’d like to thank you for taking a visit on the Monte Carlo 52. We’re currently taking orders for the first US bound Monte Carlo 52. So if you’re interested, please let us know and don’t forget to visit us at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to see the MC52 in person.