The new Jeanneau Yachts 55 had its Australian premiere at the recent 2024 Melbourne Boat Show
Recently Lee Condell and Andrew Collingridge from Performance Boating Sales were on hand at the Melbourne Boat Show to attend the Australian launch of the new Jeanneau Yachts 55.
Lee Condell gives his first impressions…
It really doesn’t matter how many images and video reviews you see online, the only way to fully appreciate any yacht design is to see one in the flesh and experience the design as it is intended.
The Jeanneau Yachts 55 was no different and it looks amazing! This really is a ground-breaking design with ideas that make so much sense when you consider how a cruising yacht of this size is likely to be used.
Jeanneau have been class leaders in production cruising yachts between 50 and 65 feet for some time now, and throughout that history these designs have come from the uber talented Philippe Briand and his design office in London. In more recent years stylist Andrew Winch, who has partnered Briand in Superyacht design for over 20 years, has been brought into the fold and as a team they have had considerable success with the Jeanneau 51 and 54, and subsequently with the 64/65, and the newer 60. All of these yachts have been the biggest selling in their class.
The 55 is an innovation in that it’s the result of a lot of feed-back from previous Jeanneau Yacht owners about how they use their boats and what would make time onboard more enjoyable.
This new model incorporates the acclaimed sloping side-decks for ease of movement around the deck, and the helms have been brought forward in the cockpit for better protection from the weather. This has resulted in the entire stern area of the yacht being dedicated to leisure, whether it is alfresco dining, sun-lounging, socialising over sundowners, or taking in the water activities that are happening at anchor.
The aft deck can also be quickly configured from sun-loungers to twin dinettes, and all with surrounds seating with comfortable backrests all the way out to the lifelines. It’s an enormous space more like what you would expect on a catamaran.
Unique and just behind the helms are two symmetric companionways opposite each other into private guest cabins, each with their own ensuites! It’s luxury, both from the point of view of allowing the main cabin area to be a dedicated to the owner, and to enable guests to have their own private spaces.
Another plus of this cabin arrangement is that if owners don’t have guests onboard, either of these cabins can be used for convenient storage, along with the transom garage for toys and three cockpit lockers, as well as the enormous climb down bow-locker.
Forward of the helms there is a nav’ station to port, and dinette to starboard, either under a substantial spray-dodger as on the example on display, or the hardtop option. The dinette table also drops down to form a lounger, what a great place to sit out of the weather and enjoy your surroundings!
Stepping down below we find the saloon dinette to port and a long galley with return to starboard, which has a console for additional stowage. It’s a great open space for entertaining in inclement weather, or as a private apartment style space for owners to spend time in.
Moving forward is the master cabin covering the full width of the yacht with the queen sized double to port and locker and seating to starboard, and as you would expect there is a spacious ensuite. Traditionalists may struggle with so much that is different on this yacht, but when you imagine life onboard in your favourite cruising grounds it doesn’t take long to realise just how comfortable and enjoyable time onboard would be. It’s a yacht that begs to take on adventures!
Click here for more on the Jeanneau Yachts 55…
