Nuvolari & Lenard and Andreani Design have done an excellent job: Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT is an invitation to never get back on land.
If the goal was to create a boat that would keep you on board, I believe that it was centered in full. In particular on this Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT, which features the hardtop only unlike the “almost twin” GT50 Fly. In fact, as a totally personal opinion, I prefer this sportier version: many outdoor areas, but also cozy spaces inside. Let’s put her on test.
Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HY: the test
The sea is calm, but if my idea is to go wide open throttle, I have to set aside immediately. The Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT is offered with a single choice of engines, twin Volvo Penta IPS600, and the power is frankly not that much. Confirmation comes by the top speed of just 28 knots, which on the other hand means particularly good readings on consumption: 150 l / h, even better than what was reckoned by the shipyard (160,8 l / h).
Said of the only perplexity, I can only appreciate all the rest. Starting from the comfort of navigation at all speeds: the cruising speed of around 23 knots is held at 3200 rpm with a consumption of 120 l / h. I check the planing lowest speed which is 11 knots, 2330 rpm and 60 l / h.
The new AirStep hull gives an important contribution and, in fact, compared to the old 49 with the same engines, the speed has improved by over one knot. But the advantages of this solution are also enjoyable in terms of navigation comfort, with a gentle passage on the waves created by our wake and excellent support in the turns. In general, the Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT manages to convey the pleasant feeling of always having everything under control confirming that the combination with the Volvo Penta IPS is optimal, even when I try to put her in trouble with sharp changes of direction. If we add to this the unmissable joystick, I can strongly recommend this boat to those who are not particularly familiar with the 50-ft size: the Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT can be easily managed and, at that point, the speed performance becomes secondary.
Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT: on board
I leave the description of the interior spaces to the drawings of the two bridges, still I have to reiterate my appreciation for the excellent work done by Nuvolari & Lenard for the overall design and by Andreani’s studio for interior solutions. As I said at the beginning, the Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT is a boat that keeps you on board: in particular I really like the long sofa on the port side, which starts from the cockpit and arrives in the middle of the salon, stopping only by the companionway to the lower deck. A removable element allows the full closing of the salon, but leave it open, because it is really amazing like that, with the external dinette connected to the internal one. A contraindication, however, is the kitchen on the lower deck, far from the tables and not in the best position to evacuate fumes and odors.
As for the salon, I appreciate the many possibilities of ventilation: in addition to the large opening hard-top, there are side windows that slide down and, for the driver, a practical starboard intake, really strategic to get some fresh air. As for brightness, an open boat couldn’t ask for more.
Outside, the large tender bay raises a bit the profile of the superstructure but is surely useful for stowing gear, fenders and accessories.
On the lower deck the choice is between two or three cabins. Our test boat features a small dinette instead of the guest room, good in cold markets and handy to the galley. The master cabin’s bathroom has an elegant sink countertop, while two small beds lay on both sides of the queen one, although I would replace at least one of them with a tea-for-two or a vanity corner. My last note goes to the smart idea of splitting the beds in the VIP cabin: one easy movement and they slide together to form a double one.
The numbers of Beneteau Gran Turismo 50 HT
- Length overall 15.78 m (51ft 9in)
- Length LH 14.17 m (46ft 6in)
- Beam 4.40 m (14ft 5in)
- Draft 0.90 m (2ft 11in)
- Displacement 13.640 Kg
- Engines Volvo Penta IPS600 2×425 HP
- Fuel reserve 2×650 l (343 US gal)
- Fresh water reserve 2×200 l (105 US gal)
- Passengers 12
- CE design category B/C
Performance
- rpm knots mph lph nm/l range* dB
- 600 3,4 3,9 2,7 1,26 1310 54
- 1000 5,6 6,4 5,7 0,98 1022 56
- 1500 8,3 9,6 20 0,42 432 58
- 2000 10,0 11,5 40 0,25 260 61
- 2500 13,0 15,0 73 0,18 185 63
- 3000 19,0 21,9 108 0,18 183 67
- 3640 28,0 32,2 150 0,19 194 71
*(20% reserve)
Test conditions
- Calm sea, clean hull, fuel 600 l (158 US gal), water 200 l (52 US gal), 4 passengers
Indicative price (VAT not included):
- With Volvo Penta IPS600 2×435 HP € 525.000
Read the test of another Beneteau, made for slow cruising: Swift Trawler 35
