Jeanneau Cap Caramat 7.5WA Series 3 2023 Review

French boat maker Jeanneau (owned by the Beneteau Group) has launched an updated version of its Cap Camarat 7.5 Walkaround. The 'Series 3' version has a number of interior tweaks and refinements along with a revised deep vee hull designed by renowned naval architect Michael Peters.

The debut of the latest 7.5-metre-long Cap Camarat brings the total number of walkaround cabin models in the Jeanneau range to six. The other models include the smaller 5.5- and  6.5-metre boats along with the larger 9.0-metre, 10.5-metre, and the flagship 12.5-metre Series 2.

Last year we tested the second-to-largest Cap Camarat Walkaround, the 10.5WA. This wide-beam boat impressed as a pocket-sized power cruiser with four permanent berths and multiple reconfigurable seating and lounging areas. 

The latest 7.5WA model is smaller, but equally capable, well-designed and outfitted.

With a maximum beam of 2.51 metres, the Cap Camarat 7.5WA is also readily trailerable, albeit behind a 3000kg-plus rated towing vehicle.

For this review, Brisbane’s Northside Marine presented the sleek, low-profile Cap Camarat 7.5WA paired with an ultra-longshaft (30-inch) 250hp Yamaha V6 Offshore outboard engine.

Northside Marine has the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA priced from $213,202 when rigged with a single (grey-coloured) 250hp Yamaha V6 Offshore outboard engine.

This is for a base model boat upon which customers can build their ideal craft, choosing only the options they want.

The entry package price includes only the essentials such as hydraulic steering; a Yamaha Command-Link 5 touchscreen engine display; Redco 3500kg tonne-rated dual axle aluminium trailer with electric-hydraulic brakes; twin bolster pedestal helm chairs; lock-up cabin with vee berth and head compartment; self-draining cockpit with a fold-out bench seat; and hull and trailer registrations.

As the Aussie launch model and Northside Marine demonstrator, our test boat was heavily optioned, lifting the package price to $287,404.

As well as the standard boat features, the test boat came with a leaning post helm station (replacing the bolster pedestal seats) with cockpit galley (fridge, sink, gas stove with gas bottle); alloy framed fibreglass hardtop; bow thruster; electric trim tabs; Premier trim level (cockpit seat cushions, bench seat backrest, cup holders, cold water shower); electric anchor windlass with control from helm station; anchoring kit; front sundeck mattress with lifting backrest; aft cockpit side seat backrests; cabin berth infill; cabin and door curtains; bow platform with ladder; teak-inlaid swimming platform; cockpit table; LED cockpit lights; electric toilet with holding tank; trailer spare wheel and carrier; console cover; front and side hardtop clears; roll-up front awning; ski pole; two rod holders; and an open water safety gear pack.

Electronics gear included a Garmin GSMap 8412xsv chartplotter/fish finder with GT56 UHD and GT51 UHD transducers, G3 Bluechart and NMEA starter kit; Fusion RA70N Bluetooth stereo with speakers; and a USB plug.

Similar to the larger Jeanneau Cap Camarat models, the 7.5WA has an updated hull shape designed by naval architects Michael Peters Yacht Design.

The new hull is a conventional deep vee monohull with a transom deadrise of about 20 degrees. It does not have the drag-reducing hull steps common to other Michael Peters hull shapes but it does have a neatly raked stem/bow, full-length spray/running strakes, and reverse-angled chines to firm up the boat at rest.

The Cap Camarat 7.5WA has an overall length of 7.74 metres from the bowsprit to the trailing edge of the transom boarding platforms. The centreline hull length is 6.98 metres by 2.51 metres across the beam.

Each Jeanneau Cap Camarat is crafted using the latest-tech vacuum-bag resin infusion moulding construction process in combination with composite materials to achieve a superior quality finish with increased strength and substantial weight savings.

The interior of the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA is nicely appointed, with quality timbers, fixtures and fittings used throughout.

The Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA has a walkaround cabin configuration with living/entertaining spaces at the bow and the stern, and below decks in the lock-up cabin.

For a couple, the Cap Camarat 7.5WA is nicely appointed for day cruising and overnighting.

The cabin has a full-size vee berth with an optional infill cushion to provide comfortable sleeping space for two people.

Varnished timber framed storage lockers are located underneath, alongside a centre locker/space used to locate the optional bow thruster fitted to the test rig.

On the starboard side, as you descend a few steps into the cabin from the helm station, you'll find a full-size head compartment with the option for a chemical toilet or an electric toilet with a pump out.

A sink with a cold water tap is to port above nicely finished walnut timber cabinetry with storage space.

The cabinet storage space can swap out for an optional 40-litre fridge.

Between the sink and the head compartment, the cabin has full standing headroom, though this height reduces as you move forward over the vee berth. That said, the cabin feels open, spacious and bright with large hull windows flooding natural light into the cabin.

Despite its walkaround/centre cabin layout, there is ample space at the helm for the two pedestal helm chairs included in the standard boat package. That said I think most people will option the boat with the dual-width leaning post/storage cabinet that has a built-in aft-facing galley.

The galley lean post can come with a number of options including a 49-litre fridge with port side opening door, a sink with a cold water tap, cup holders, and a single burner gas cooktop with a gas bottle stowed in a cabinet underneath.

For anglers, a large live well (with a viewing window) can replace the gas bottle cabinet.

The front of the leaning post has a cushioned helm seat for the skipper and first mate. Flip-up front bolsters make it possible to steer the boat whilst sitting or standing.

From the helm, the skipper has an unrestricted, panoramic view of the surroundings, beneath the optional, alloy-framed fibreglass hardtop.

The hardtop is a must-have for Aussie weather conditions. So too are the dealer-fitted front and side zippered clears that protect the helm station from the elements.

Fronting the skipper is a low-glare, light grey coloured dash moulding with a special starboard side mounting pad for the engine shift and throttle control, alongside a two-tier fascia panel. The steering wheel was mounted on the lower section, alongside controls for the optional trim tabs and bow thruster.

Overhead, a blacked-out fascia panel provides ample space for the Yamaha CL5 engine gauge and the optional Garmin GPSMap 8412xsv chartplotter/fishfinder.

Other neat helm features include a storage recess, cup holders, a moulded footrest, and an overhead compass.

To port is a heavily tinted, lockable, sliding door that provides entry to the lower cabin.

Jeanneau has maximised the available space on the Cap Camarat 7.5WA by using modular seating in the cockpit, and by turning the front cabin deck into a giant cushioned sun pad.

Recessed side deck walkways give safe, easy access to the bow, although the port side walkway/trench is wider than the walkway opposite.

Each walkway trench is elevated a full step up from the cockpit floor and topped with stainless steel handrails for security.

Sun lovers will spend plenty of time reclining/lounging up on the front, full-width sun pad.

A pair of backrests flip up to create two forward-facing chaise lounges.

A centre cushion removes to allow light to pass through a glass hatch into the cabin.

The sunpad cushions are all removable so anglers can use the front deck as a fishing platform.

Further forward there is a large anchor well with an optional electric windlass and a boarding step with a telescopic ladder that extends from the pulpit.

The self-draining aft cockpit is cleverly designed to perform a number of roles. The standard boat has a single bench seat that folds out from the transom wall.

When the bench seat is retracted, the transom wall is flush and the cockpit space is clear and uncluttered for fishing. Anglers can stand and fish from the stern and from the cockpit sides, leaning up against the 730mm high side coamings.

Our test boat was set up for family day cruising. To that end, it was optioned with two extra fold-out cockpit bench seats with padded backrests.

It was also optioned with a pedestal cockpit table that creates a comfortable cockpit eating/entertaining area close to the external galley sink and cooking area for three to five people.

There is ample storage space. A storage/mechanical room is below the centre cockpit floor, alongside a sub-floor fish box/storage bin to port. 

Other features include a pair of cup holders that double as rod holders, a port side transom step with an entry gate and rope locker, and optional teak-surfaced extended swim platforms.

The upgraded Michael Peters-designed hull beneath the Cap Camarat 7.5WA Series 3 has just the right blend of ride comfort and stability to make it smooth, safe, stable and predictable on the water.

This is perfect for mixed boating applications and for novice through to experienced boating skippers. 

In rough Moreton Bay sea conditions, I found the test rig to be easy to drive, easy to trim to suit the conditions and travelling direction, and well-balanced.

Dropping the nose into the water does push some spray about when heading into the chop, but it also presents the finely drawn bow and stem to the waves to smooth out the ride.

The optional Lenco trim tabs were useful in the blustery conditions, but not essential, as the Cap Camarat 7.5WA has quite a low profile and doesn't catch the wind as much as cruisers with taller cabins/super-structures.

The Cap Camarat 7.5WA turns sharply, but safely, with the boat and engine gripping up nicely through the middle of the turn before slipping just enough to keep you from falling out of your seat.

The Cap Camarat 7.5WA is rated for a single ultra-longshaft outboard engine of up to 300hp, but I believe the test boat's 250hp Yamaha has ample power and poke for most applications.

Conditions were too rough to undertake performance trials, but data supplied by Yamaha reveals a top speed for the test boat of 38.5 knots and a best/most economical cruise speed of 23.6 knots at 4000rpm.

Performance

Range on 95% of the 330L fuel supply at 4000rpm: 216nm

The Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA has proven to be a best seller for the brand, and it continues to be very popular with boaters all around the globe.

This isn't surprising, as this large, yet still trailerable cruiser has the ride and performance, safety and seaworthiness, design and layout to excel as an all-rounder for mixed boating applications.

With its clever, multi-use interior layout, the Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA Series 3 works as a family day cruiser and sports boat, as a two-person weekender, and as a coastal fishing rig.

Specifications
Model: Jeanneau Cap Camarat 7.5WA Series 3
Length overall: 7.74m
Hull length: 6.98m
Beam: 2.51m
Draft: 590mm
Hull weight: 1554kg
Towing weight: 3200kg (est)
Maximum power: 300hp (ultra-longshaft 30-inch)
Engine as tested: Yamaha 250hp V6 Offshore four-stroke
Fuel: 330L
Water: 80L
Passengers: 8

Priced from: $213,202 including a 250hp Yamaha V6 Offshore ultra-longshaft (30-inch) outboard engine with hydraulic steering, digital throttle box and Yamaha Command-Link 5 touchscreen engine display; Redco 3500kg-rated dual-axle aluminium trailer with electric-hydraulic brakes; twin bolster pedestal helm chairs; lock-up cabin with vee berth and head compartment; self-draining cockpit with fold-out seating (no cushions); hull and trailer registration

Price as tested: $287,404. As above but a with leaning post helm station (replacing the bolster seats) with cockpit galley (fridge, sink, gas stove with gas bottle); alloy framed fibreglass hardtop; bow thruster; electric trim tabs; Garmin GPSMap 8412xsv chartplotter/fishfinder with GT56 UHD and GT51 UHD transducers, G3 Bluechart and NMEA starter kit; Fusion RA70N Bluetooth audio system; USB plug; Premier trim level (cockpit seat cushions, bench seat backrest, cup holders, cold water shower); electric anchor windlass with control from helm station; anchoring kit; front sundeck mattress with lifting backrest; aft cockpit side seat backrests; cabin berth infill; cabin and door curtains; bow platform with ladder; swimming platform with teak; cockpit table; LED cockpit lights; electric toilet with holding tank; trailer spare wheel and carrier; console cover; front and side hardtop clears; roll-up front awning; ski pole; two rod holders; and an open water safety gear pack.

Supplied by: Northside Marine