Just Launched: Beneteau Swift Trawler 54
Numbers don’t lie.
Beneteau’s Swift Trawler line, which started in 2003, has been a bell ringer for the French builder. More than 1,800 Swift Trawlers have been built in a model range that has run from 30 to 52 feet, with flybridge models taking the lion’s share of sales compared to sedans.
The latest Swift Trawler to splash, the 54, is the largest-ever to wear the Swift Trawler badge. She sports a number of firsts that look to set her apart while retaining the ethos of a capable cruiser that’s designed to go places.
Beneteau Swift Trawler 54
Most notably, the 54 sits on a new, semi-displacement hull from Dixon Yacht Design that the builder says balances seakeeping and fuel efficiency in a range of conditions. She is also the first Swift Trawler with external stabilizers, adding Sleipner Vector fins as optional equipment. A full walkaround layout also distinguishes the 54 from previous, asymmetrical models.
Hull No. 1, which premiered at the Cannes Yachting Festival, is built with Beneteau’s Silent Boat package that includes solar panels totaling 3.6 kW, 10 lithium-ion batteries and a Victron SmartSolar system. The builder says cruisers can expect eight hours of autonomy with hotel loads, including the Vector fins.
What struck me most about the 54 is how the builder continues to refine the Swift Trawler concept. The outdoor spaces made me an immediate ally. It was easy to see my crew comfortably spread around, from the foredeck sunpads to the shaded cockpit to the 200-square-foot flybridge.
I also appreciated the overall layout and the cockpit setup for a range of waterborne activities. The hydraulic swim platform should make tender launch and retrieval an easy task. Built-in, foldaway chocks are to port, with a lip on the transom that will make securing the tender (up to 880 pounds) a walkaround affair. Another notable feature here is the hydraulic lazarette hatch: The top part of the transom folds 90 degrees forward to reveal stowage for kayaks, paddleboards and more across the boat’s 16-foot, 4-inch beam.
Sliding glass leads to an airy salon and midship galley, with a door from the portside galley and a slider adjacent to the starboard helm providing side-deck access. It’s a few steps up to the centerline helm that has great views through the raked, forward-facing glass. In yet another first for the model line, access to the flybridge is from the salon, with no additional ladder from the flybridge. Belowdecks, a three-stateroom, two-head layout includes an amidships, full-beam master
stateroom and a VIP forward, with twin berths in the third stateroom.
A pair of 550-hp Cummins engines is the sole power option, with a reported cruise speed of 14 to 16 knots and a 20-knot top speed. At 10 knots, the builder estimates a 700-nautical-mile range with a 10 percent fuel reserve.
Beneteau Swift Trawler 54 Specifications:
LOA: 56ft. 2in.
Beam: 16ft. 4in.
Draft: 3ft. 9in.
Displacement: 47,426 lbs.
Fuel: 908 gal.
Water: 212 gal.
Power: 2x 550-hp Cummins QSB6.7
Info: beneteau.com
