Beneteau announces the new Antares 7
Sept 19, 2022
Firmly focused on family leisure, the Antares 7 boasts new features to improve comfort and extend your trips on the water. It is the ideal weekender for people who love being on the water. The Antares 7 has been upgraded with new fittings and equipment that make it very versatile, and it offers passengers safe, easy-going and enjoyable living and sailing aboard.
The winds of change on the BENETEAU Antares line continues with the new Antares 7. This new model follows in the footsteps of the Antares 8. Comfortable and pleasant, the Antares 7 is now more versatile than ever. Innovations and clever ideas, such as the side boarding door, large starboard walkway, integrated equipment in the hard top, separate heads, spacious berths and storage, combine to make it the ideal boat for family time on the water, weekend cruises, or fishing trips with friends.
“We imagined the Antares 7 as an easy-to-live-aboard weekender, perfectly optimised for leisure activities, but also offering passengers good protection. It capitalizes on the developments of the Antares 8, particularly when it comes to modularity. The Antares 7 can cater to all types of activities at any time of day, so that passengers can enjoy lunch or spend a night on board in great comfort, while enjoying the ideal conditions for water sports. Another important feature of the Antares 7 is its style, which is very distinctive. It has clean powerful lines with a blend of energy and elegance. We are delighted to be showing the new generation of Antares 7, which pushes the boundaries a step further in terms of life on board in this market segment.” – Alexis Chas, Antares product manager
A DISTINCTIVE ELEGANT DESIGN
The stylish new Antares 7 proudly boasts energy and elegance. The rubbing strake positioned near the top of the freeboard, lengthens the boat’s lines. True to the DNA of the line, the weekender has kept all its hallmarks, such as the arch formed by the wheelhouse roof – by adding a more distinctive look and a touch of modernity. The Cruising and Fishing versions of the Antares 7 have their own specific decorations applied to the wheelhouse and hull.
AN INGENIOUS BOAT: MODULARITY DELIVERING COMFORT AND LEISURE
For fishing, swimming, tanning yourself, sharing a meal, and fully enjoying all the pleasures of the water, the Antares 7 always delivers. The boat’s beam does not exceed 2.5 m, so it is trailerable by road, perfect for exploring lots of new places. Its fittings facilitate life on board and leisure activities. Access is easy, with a starboard boarding door, which is practical when docking.
The large U-shaped cockpit comfortably seats 5 people for lunches and relaxing in good company. There is a fold-down port bench in the freeboard and a bench facing forward, which can also contain a cooler. Naturally, all these seats are easily converted into a spacious sunbathing area.
A PRACTICAL FUNCTIONAL BOAT
The many storage areas throughout the cockpit provide the ideal space to stow away equipment on board for one or two days. A new feature: the Antares 7 cockpit has been displaced slightly to port. This frees up space for a large starboard walkway, making it easy to access the forward sun pad and anchor locker.
The wheelhouse can be extended by a Bimini top, to offer passengers full protection in the cockpit. It can also be fitted with longitudinal bars to securely store additional equipment, such as a paddle board.
The Antares 7 has a pleasant saloon with an unprecedented level of comfort. The modularity is enhanced with a rotating driver’s seat and a co-driver’s bench that flips round in no time. With the second bench or berth, this creates facing seats. The small galley, located behind the driver’s seat, is fitted with a hob, sink and fridge.
The focus on detail and ergonomics can be seen in the saloon, with a particularly comfortable driving station, with a black single-piece dashboard.
BELOW DECK, MORE COMFORT AND STORAGE
The cabin of the Antares 7 demonstrates BENETEAU’s know-how in fitting out such a large space, which can be configured with a preference for comfort or for storage space. Along with the double berth, in the standard version, the Antares 7 has a large storage space to starboard, fitted with a chemical toilet. In the Weekender version, this space is partitioned and now has a sink as well as the chemical toilet, making the Antares 7 a comfortable boat suitable for small cruises. The many windows and ventilation points provide an all-round view and perfect ventilation for all the passengers.
THE JOY OF BOATING IN COMPLETE SAFETY
With a 200-HP engine, the Antares 7 can reach maximum speeds of 33 knots if needed. However, its hull has been optimised to provide stable handling at a cruising speed of 21 knots. The Antares 7 is designed to make access to leisure activities on the water easier and is fun to drive while delivering passenger safety. It is worth noting that the Antares 7 may be equipped with a bow thruster option, to make docking even easier.
ANTARES 7 FISHING: FITTINGS DESIGNED FOR FISHERS
A direct follow on from the Antares 8, the Fishing version of the Antares 7 has all the same ingredients, much to the delight of the most demanding of amateur fishers. The aft bench gives way to a fishing station including rod holders, drink holders, cutting board and storage for bait and tackle. A live bait well is located on the port side. There is additional storage under the starboard walkway.
With a completely open deck plan, the Antares 7 Fishing makes it easy for fishers to move about and position themselves as they wish. There is still a folding bench seat in the fishing station and another removable bench can be positioned in the port freeboard. As for the side access gate, it makes lifting large fish much easier. Lastly, the roof can be equipped with five additional rod holders, as well as a spotlight and an additional 9-inch display connected to the depth sounder.
The new Antares 7 will have its world premiere at the Southampton International Boat Show (16-25 September) and will then be exhibited in La Rochelle and Barcelona.
