Jeanneau 42 Prestige

French boatbuilder Jeanneau was building powerboats well before it turned its hand to yachts. Though it trails the latter in terms of local sales of sails, the powerboat line is fast catching up. As with its yachts, Jeanneau powerboats offer a huge amount of interior volume, yacht-like storage for packing everything aboard, generous accommodation – this 42-footer has twin staterooms – and cruising comfort in fair weather and foul. Predictably, there were stylish European lines with designer bumps and curves on the high-volume Prestige 42. The distinctly Euro-inspired interior with avant-garde styling is the work of a design house. Two things stand out about the layout: the huge interior volume and lofty head room sold fishing star Rex Hunt on this very boat, and the indoor and outdoor helms turn the Prestige 42 into a genuine all-season, all-weather cruiser.

Thank heavens for the latter point. Not long after we cast the lines, dark clouds rolled overhead and the rain, at times torrential, pounded the flybridge. We scuttled back inside the saloon and, though visibility was reduced on the waterways, we still cruised in comfort. During the sunny breaks, meanwhile, the Prestige 42 revealed itself to be a user-friendly cruiser in other respects, not least being the exceptionally generous walkaround decks.

Kids and crews can move forward with ease on this boat and such is the inherent safety from the moulded bulwarks and high bowrail with lifelines that the Prestige 42’s foredeck doubles as an additional lifestyle deck. Couple that with a decent cockpit that opens into the saloon, and the extended flybridge with sunpad, and you have a cruiser tailor-made for hanging out.

JEANNEAU FACTS
Though it has taken some time for Trade-A-Boat to get aboard a Jeanneau powerboat, the stylish craft have been slowly but surely infiltrating the fleets of some of the more successful boat-share businesses. Speaking with those operators, I’m told there have been very few problems and a 32-footer is still going strong after surviving 800 hours of punishment.

On a wider scale, the powerboat range is growing worldwide with craft now ranging up to a 50 Sports – sportsyachts are the go in Europe and a new 30S has just been released – and a Prestige 46 in the flybridge line. While bigger is a universal direction for boatbuilders, I consider a 42 to be a perfect size for a couple to operate and maintain. So I had special interest in this Prestige 42.

All Jeanneaus are built to European standards, using solid GRP hulls and cored decks, and are backed by a three-year structural guarantee. Besides contemporary lines, the 42 Prestige also had the latest Cummins QSB 425hp electronic motors. Electronics included a Raymarine E120 and aftermarket flatscreen television in the saloon. Importantly, there was a 7kVA Onan gennie for AC power and reverse-cycle air-con for all-weather comfort.

Maintenance was made easier by the walkaround decks and, moreover, the use of GRP internal liners and, especially, the deletion of the saloon carpet for full timber instead. Post-party cleanups will be a simple matter of pulling out the vacuum.

The lazarette houses the generator, well away from the accommodation. I also noted underwater exhausts and half-prop tunnels to lower the shaft angles for efficient cruising. The boat’s distinctive flared bow helps to shed water and provide buoyancy to what is, below the waterline, a hull with a fine entry, as per most French powerboats I’ve driven.

I noted good access into the lazarette to labelled seacocks, strainers and waterpumps, and room for stowing fishing gear and watertoys. Engine access is gained through the lazarette hatch for day to day checks and through the saloon floor for more serious operations. Though there wasn’t a lot of room, the Cummins are compact motors and I spotted the coolant reservoirs forward, the fuel filters and strainers aft, and the dipsticks on the centreline. That’s me done. Hatch down.

AL FRESCO
The outdoor entertaining and lounging areas make the Prestige 42 rather tempting. You can’t ignore the huge extended boarding platform, which adds considerably to the waterfront real estate, with customary swim ladder, grabrails, big aft cleats and hot/cold shower. There’s room to plonk a deck chair here and fish, or just watch the world drift by.

The cockpit is similarly generous, with room for a lunch setting for four to six, an icemaker nearby for cocktail hour, teak flooring and a built-in aft lounge for three. There are moulded steps to the safe walkaround decks leading forward, a windlass with remotes on deck and at the helms, and room in a moulded recess to plonk towels, drinks, and kick back.

Moulded stairs lead to the fair-weather flybridge, where the foul-weather comfort could be improved with the addition of a decent bimini top. Once up top, guests can kick back on the big aft sunpad that continues into a sunlounge. If used as seats – the seating is low-slung – that lounge can take four people around the small lunch/drinks table, alongside the twin helm seats. An optional drawer fridge improves the amenity, while storage exists under the seats.

The tested Prestige 42 had Raymarine electronics including an E120 and autopilot, plus marine radios, at both stations. As such, it would make a decent passagemaker. Though there was no radar, the radar arch had a spotlight. The electronic Twin Disc shifts, bowthruster, SmartCraft engine gauges, sports wheel and Bennett trim tabs make for simple operation.

INDOOR LIVING
The bi-slide door back into the saloon lets you integrate the indoor and outdoor areas, assisting with serving food and entertaining in general. Besides the optional cherrywood flooring, there was cherrywood joinery and cream leather upholstery for a timeless Euro look.

The main breaker panel is near the doorway, alongside a two-person club lounge to port, which can be relocated before the dinette opposite for a dinner setting for six. The dinette also converts to a daybed or impromptu double for the kids. And there was a 42cm LCD TV/DVD that can be easily viewed from the lounge/bed. Think Sunday sports and cosy winter days cocooned indoors.

 Abundant glass and natural light add to the cheery atmosphere and there are opening saloon windows forward for natural ventilation when at anchor. The internal helm station with two-person bench seat, slightly raised from saloon seating level before the wraparound windscreen with wipers, makes for plenty of social discourse while underway.

Though it is set down to port, the galley is separated only by a glass servery from the saloon. There was a small domestic-sized fridge and freezer, optional dishwasher, white Corian counters, twin sinks, and a two-burner cooktop. The microwave was a tiny token thing, but the storage for appliances, pots and pantry items wasn’t too bad.

FLOATING FAMILY HOME
The two-cabin, two-head layout turns the Prestige 42 into the perfect family or two-couple cruiser. The large foyer off the galley, which has a sub-floor area for stowing provisions, leads into the portside guest’s cabin. A utility room off it contains the boat’s plumbing, pumps, hot-water system and engine diagnostics. Manuals, by the way, are impressive on the Jeanneau.

At first glance the guest’s cabin appears to have twin single beds, that it does, but with a simple push and shove the outer bed sidles up with the inner bed and, voila, a double, quick as that. There was head room at the foot of the bed, not over the bedhead, and hanging space.

The master cabin in the bow was graced with a welcoming island double bed flanked by opening ports, trick lights and his and hers hanging lockers. And abundant head room.

Both the owner’s ensuite and the day/guest’s head have a circular booth-type shower screen on tracks, smart bathroom fittings and (noisy at night) Jabsco electric loos.

One doesn’t have to think too much to see this boat working on several levels, including the role of floating family holiday home. The 520lt of water is generous, though the 1200lt of fuel seems rather light on. That is, until you crunch the consumption numbers.

STORM FORCE
'Smooth, quiet, and cutter' are the three adjectives I jotted down in my notebook to describe this boat’s engines. The new-generation Cummins are compliant, smoke-free, and the installation added to their smooth operation. But some credit goes to Jeanneau for the inherently smooth-riding hull.

Given the 31.2kt top speed at 3060rpm from twin 435hp motors, the relatively light boat is lithe. Proving its eagerness, the Prestige 42 accelerated snappily to 16kts at 1980rpm, and a contented 20kt cruise at 2200 to 2230rpm. At 2500rpm the boat galloped along at 22.5 to 24.7kts, depending on the direction of the tide, where the twin 425hp Cummins consumed 87 to 91lt/h. That would give a safe cruising range of about 300 nautical miles. Terrific efficiency.

Just as importantly, the views were good to all quarters and, with the lower helm and wipers going, we retreated inside and escaped the deluge to have no less fun. The boat needs a tender, which you can carry on the boarding platform, and a crane to dispatch it. But for the most part the Jeanneau is rearing to go and will get you there in half the time of its sailing cousins.

HIGHS

LOWS