Two luxury yachts in the Paris line-up

BENETEAU has confirmed a ten-boat display for the Paris Nautic Show from 25 to 29 November 2026, but only two of the listed craft fall within Luxury Yacht Guide's 12.00–23.99-metre editorial range. The Oceanis 42 sailing cruiser measures 12.86 metres overall, while the Swift Trawler 43 Fly motor yacht measures 13.13 metres. The distinction is useful for readers considering a serious cruising yacht rather than a smaller dayboat. The show line-up published by the manufacturer includes other popular models, yet their size and intended use place them in a different class from the mid-sized luxury yachts that are this publication's focus.

The Paris event is scheduled for the Paris–Le Bourget exhibition centre, not the Porte de Versailles site associated with older Paris boat shows. Its organisers describe the five-day programme as covering sailing, motorboating, equipment, marine services and innovation. BENETEAU's invitation and displayed-model list therefore give prospective buyers a specific opportunity to compare two different approaches to owning a yacht of about thirteen metres. One relies on sail power and a wide choice of accommodation plans; the other is a flybridge passagemaker intended to make longer periods under motor comfortable. Their presence at the same show is the news, rather than a claim that either has just made its world debut.

The 12-metre threshold changes the editorial picture

BENETEAU's official exhibition list names the Antares 9, Antares 11 Coupe, Flyer 7 SUNdeck, Flyer 8 SPACEdeck and Flyer 9 SUNdeck in its dayboat section. The sailboat group includes the Oceanis 34.1, Oceanis 42 and First 36 Spirit, while the motor-yacht list identifies the Gran Turismo 35 and Swift Trawler 43 Fly. That is an interesting commercial spread, but a model name containing the number 35 or 36 is not a measurement in metres. It would be misleading to report all ten as luxury yachts in the 12–23.99-metre sector without checking the actual length overall.

The manufacturer's event page provides the crucial measurements. The Oceanis 34.1 is 10.77 metres, the First 36 Spirit 11.98 metres and the Gran Turismo 35 11.2 metres. All fall below the twelve-metre editorial entry point, even though several are sophisticated and attractive vessels in their own right. The Oceanis 42 and Swift Trawler 43 Fly are the two confirmed display boats exceeding that threshold. This selection also demonstrates why an informed boat-show preview should check specific hull dimensions rather than simply repeat a brand's promotional headline or assume that every model listed on its website is physically attending the show.

Oceanis 42: sailing with adaptable accommodation

The Oceanis 42 is BENETEAU's successor to the Oceanis 40.1 in the company's important forty-foot cruising sector. Naval architecture is credited to Marc Lombard Yacht Design, with Nauta Design responsible for the exterior and interior design. At 12.86 metres overall and 4.23 metres in beam, it brings a comparatively broad platform to an owner-operated sailing brief. The builder highlights the choice of five layouts, ranging from two cabins and one bathroom to a four-cabin charter arrangement. That variety matters more to many buyers than decorative styling: the same general hull can be arranged around a couple, a family or more frequent guests.

The Oceanis 42's published dimensions include 1.68 metres minimum draught and 2.25 metres maximum, depending on keel configuration. Those are not interchangeable figures for an individual yacht. Owners planning shallow anchorages or particular marina berths should obtain the exact keel specification before making decisions. The builder also lists a maximum air draught of 18.72 metres, a consideration for fixed bridges and marina approaches. Such figures are particularly helpful at a winter show because buyers can compare them calmly against intended cruising grounds. A boat may feel spacious in an exhibition hall but still be a poor match for a home berth or regular route.

Sail handling and the cockpit

BENETEAU says the Oceanis 42 incorporates revised helm ergonomics, including seated positions, accessible controls and an integrated engine throttle. The boat also offers different aft-cockpit configurations, with an open arrangement providing a more direct connection to the water and a closed configuration designed to add seating and a sense of enclosure. For a family, the most important question is not which layout photographs best, but how safely people can move, sit and hold on when the vessel is actually sailing. A physical boat-show inspection can help assess handholds, foot bracing, companionway access and the route to the foredeck.

The builder describes additional sail area compared with the previous generation, including taller mast options, but marketing language about performance should be interpreted carefully. Mast configuration, sail inventory, loading and the competence of the crew all influence sailing behaviour. The best use of an exhibition appointment is to ask how the standard and optional equipment affects reefing, short-handed manoeuvres and the workload of an owner who usually sails with one partner. The Oceanis 42's multiple interior plans deserve the same scrutiny, since a guest cabin that is useful on an occasional charter trip may displace locker space needed for prolonged private cruising.

Swift Trawler 43 Fly: a different answer to cruising

The second yacht within LYG's size band is the Swift Trawler 43 Fly, measuring 13.13 metres overall and 4.25 metres in beam in BENETEAU's event list. Its underlying proposition is distinct from the Oceanis: diesel-powered passage-making, an elevated social and steering deck, and enclosed living spaces meant to support long days underway. Naval architecture is credited to Beneteau Power, with exterior input from Dixon Yacht Design. The builder identifies the flybridge's substantial U-shaped seating and flexible backrests as key features, turning an area used for looking forward underway into a more sociable lounge when the yacht is at rest.

The model's aft cockpit offers adaptable seating, while a hinging radar mast is intended to make the overall air draught more manageable. None of that removes the need to verify the exact delivered dimensions or the procedures for lowering any fitted equipment. Owners who visit the Swift Trawler at Paris should check the visibility from both helm locations, movement between outside spaces and the degree of protection when weather deteriorates. The flybridge may be a favourite place on a sunny afternoon, but the enclosed helm, galley and saloon become central when wind and rain make extended time outside less appealing.

A closer look below decks

BENETEAU's published description of the Swift Trawler 43 Fly emphasises an enlarged galley with a Corian work surface, useful storage and accommodation designed around comfort during longer stays. It notes a principal cabin, a redesigned guest cabin and bathrooms with separate showers, including a portside arrangement that can provide shared access to a day head. That configuration should be checked on the exact display boat because equipment packs and optional layouts can alter what a visitor sees. The manufacturer's Luxe Pack adds another layer of finish, but buyers need to distinguish the photographed option from the standard delivered specification.

The larger ownership questions are practical. Can two people cook while another is navigating? Is there a safe way to move between saloon and cockpit in rougher conditions? Can luggage and provisioning be stored without taking over guest berths? How accessible are the machinery and technical systems? A winter boat-show visit is a good moment to ask such questions in person without the excitement of a sea trial masking awkward details. The most effective comparison between the Oceanis and the Swift Trawler is not a contest between sails and engines; it is a study in how different designs support the same desire to spend more meaningful time afloat.

What visitors should ask about performance

Manufacturers frequently quote headline top speeds, tank capacities or sailing-area figures, but an exhibition display does not establish a particular vessel's performance at sea. Buyers interested in the Swift Trawler should seek a fuel-consumption table at realistic cruising speeds and identify the engine and equipment configuration used for the figures. A comfortable coastal itinerary may be driven by noise, motion and weather as much as by the ability to travel quickly. Likewise, an Oceanis buyer should distinguish builder specifications, published polar predictions and actual trial performance for the chosen rig and keel.

The two vessels also differ in how they manage hotel loads and time away from shore power. The motor yacht may offer a different electrical and refrigeration configuration from the sailing yacht; optional solar equipment, heating or air-conditioning should be discussed as complete systems rather than individual brochure items. Water and waste storage, battery charging, access to service points and consumables all contribute to whether the yacht is pleasant for a week away. The Paris show can start those conversations, although an accurate final assessment will require a dated specification, a sea trial and consideration of the owner's chosen cruising environment.

A Paris show at Le Bourget

The organiser confirms that the 2026 Paris Nautic Show will take place at the Paris–Le Bourget Exhibition Centre from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 November. That location is important because older material about the Paris boat show often refers to Porte de Versailles. The organiser describes a broad programme including sailing, powerboats, equipment and marine innovation, and it publishes visitor and ticket information on its official site. A reader arranging travel should use the current Le Bourget address, check the latest opening times and look for the BENETEAU exhibitor details rather than rely on a map or travel guide from an earlier edition.

The show also offers context beyond a single manufacturer. Equipment vendors and service providers can help an owner compare electronics, maintenance planning and the practicalities of operating a yacht at home or abroad. However, no exhibition stand guarantees delivery availability or a particular configuration. BENETEAU's presence is an invitation to inspect and ask questions; inventory, prices, warranty and commissioning details remain matters for the relevant dealer. Readers who want to see one of the two specific models should confirm an appointment and display status shortly before travelling, because organisers and builders retain the ability to amend a show line-up.

What an owner can learn from seeing both

Comparing the Oceanis 42 and Swift Trawler 43 Fly in one visit may help an undecided buyer clarify priorities. The Oceanis represents a sailing programme: the satisfaction of working with the wind, a varied choice of interior arrangements and a different rhythm of cruising. The Swift Trawler represents a powered programme: an elevated helm and social deck, sheltered passage-making and a saloon arrangement shaped around longer stays afloat. Neither is inherently the more luxurious answer. The appropriate vessel is the one that matches how the owner and their guests really travel, rather than how they imagine a spectacular summer photograph.

At roughly thirteen metres, both also remain manageable enough for some experienced couples to contemplate owner operation, though training, conditions and applicable regulations are decisive. The practical questions are similar: berth size, draft, crew workload, maintenance, insurance requirements and the comfort of guests on longer passages. A winter exhibition encourages considered comparisons. Visitors should take their own measurements, photograph details with permission, ask for complete options lists and record what is standard. Once back home, those observations can be compared with marina quotations, realistic annual budgets and suitable sea-trial opportunities.

A show preview, not a launch announcement

The verified development is straightforward: BENETEAU has identified the Oceanis 42 and Swift Trawler 43 Fly as part of its 25–29 November 2026 Paris Nautic Show display. Both sit within LYG's 12–23.99-metre focus. The other eight boats on the published list are smaller, and this report does not present them as mid-sized luxury yachts. Nor does it describe the Paris attendance as a world premiere for either model. The distinct value of the event lies in giving buyers direct access to two current cruising concepts in a broader boating exhibition.

That is a modest but useful kind of industry news. For buyers, the opportunity to see a yacht and question the people presenting it can be more relevant than another early rendering or untested speed claim. BENETEAU's exact published list and the organiser's Le Bourget venue provide a reliable basis for planning. Visitors should still verify appointments and final display availability near the date. LYG will treat subsequent factual changes—such as a revised line-up, verified trial figures or confirmed delivery information—as separate developments that require fresh sourcing, not details to fill in by assumption.

Primary sources and image attribution

Hero archival photo shows a sailing boat at the historic 2017 Paris International Boat Show at Porte de Versailles, not the 2026 Le Bourget venue or either advertised BENETEAU model. Photographer ICOLEF / visualtravelguide.com; Wikimedia Commons source, CC BY-SA 4.0; image cropped and resized to WebP for publication.