Beneteau Flyer 6 Buyer's Guide, the Smallest Modern Flyer

The Beneteau Flyer 6 closed an 18-month redesign

The Beneteau Flyer 6 was the last piece of a range overhaul that Beneteau described as an 18-month redesign of the Flyer 6, 7, 8 and 10. Announced with the Flyer 7 in August 2019, it was shown to the public at the Paris Nautic boat show in December of that year. Beneteau's outboard product manager Michael Guinet said the aim was to keep the range's sporty identity while softening the lines, and the company stressed more deck space and better access for families.

The Flyer 6 was the entry point to the range, pitched by Beneteau as simple, affordable and convenient multi-purpose boating, and sized for up to six people. Equipment lists were still being issued in July 2023 for the SUNdeck and March 2024 for the SPACEdeck, but the model is no longer part of the 2026 Flyer lineup, which now starts at the Flyer 7. Beneteau's archive groups it with the Flyer generation that began in 2017.

Console with a lounge, or sunpad with a cuddy

Both versions share a 5.52 m (18 ft 1 in) length without the engine, or 5.96 m (19 ft 7 in) with optional platform extensions, on a 5.30 m hull and a 2.23 m beam. Both have a wide, deep self-draining cockpit of about 1.56 by 1.98 m with a sliding central bench, a lockable locker, a rotomolded 100 liter fuel tank in the back of the cockpit and a telescopic swim ladder to port.

The SPACEdeck is the open boat. Its console has a translucent sliding door into a locker with 4 ft 11 in of headroom and space for a chemical toilet, and the foredeck carries a two-person seat that converts to a sunpad. Side decks around the console are about 29 cm wide. Lightship displacement under the CE method is 1,204 kg (2,654 lb). The SUNdeck raises the foredeck into a sunpad about 1.5 m long and 1.87 m wide and puts a small cabin underneath with 4 ft 10 in of headroom, lockers, an optional toilet and an optional cushion and panel kit that makes a 2.00 by 1.80 m berth. It weighs 1,251 kg (2,757 lb).

• Standard trim: Marlin Auster upholstery, leaning post, stainless pulpits
• Elegance trim: Silvertex Plata and cognac upholstery, bolster seats, extra cockpit seats, forward cushions
• Pilot Edition from 2023: pearl grey hull, special decoration and Linetex upholstery
• Options: ski mast, graphite bimini, extended swim platform, rod holders, Garmin Echomap UHD2 electronics pack

Why the 140 hp ceiling matters

Beneteau certified the Flyer 6 for a single outboard of up to 140 hp, and the factory pre-rigging covers Suzuki keyless mechanical rigging for 90 to 140 hp, Suzuki electronic rigging for 115 to 140 hp, Yamaha and Honda mechanical rigging for 90 to 140 hp, and Mercury for 80 to 115 hp. Nearly every used boat we found carries a 140 hp four-stroke, which suits the boat's weight and keeps fuel use modest.

One detail separates it from its bigger sister. Beneteau's launch release said the Flyer 7 has the Air Step 2 hull, and the Flyer 7 equipment lists include an Air Step section, as did those of the earlier Flyer 5.5; the Flyer 6 lists do not mention Air Step. Treat it as a conventional planing V hull. We found no independent speed and fuel test of the 2019 Flyer 6, so we have left performance figures blank rather than estimate them.

The 2014 boat that was also called Flyer 6

This is the single most important thing to know when shopping. Beneteau used the Flyer 6 name before. In December 2013 it introduced a Flyer 6 at the Paris boat show as one hull with three decks, Sportdeck, SPACEdeck and SUNdeck, on an Air Step hull, and Motor Boat and Yachting tested the Sportdeck in Palma in 2014 with a 150 hp Suzuki. Used listings for 2014 and 2015 Flyer 6s carry 175 to 200 hp outboards, more than the 2019 design is rated for.

So a Flyer 6 built before 2019 is a different boat with a different hull, power rating and value. Confirm the build year from the hull identification number and match the capacity plate to the engine before comparing prices.

Who a Flyer 6 suits

This is a boat for short, sunny days: swimming off a beach, towing a tube, a picnic run along the coast, or a little fishing from the SPACEdeck's open bow. The 100 liter tank and a 140 hp four-stroke make for cheap outings, the 2.26 m overall width keeps it legal to trailer without permits in the US, and the light weight means a modest tow vehicle will do.

It is not a family cruiser. The SUNdeck cabin is a place to change, nap or stow bags, and six people is the CE limit for inshore and sheltered waters (categories C and D). Buyers who want a real overnight berth should look at the Flyer 7 SUNdeck or larger.

Keeping costs low

Annual US costs for a boat this size, on a trailer or a rack, typically run $3,500 to $8,000 excluding depreciation, covering outboard service, registration, insurance, storage and occasional bottom cleaning. A Seanapps monitoring unit was available on the range for checking battery and tank levels from a phone, a useful feature for boats kept on a mooring.

Because the boat was mainly sold in Europe, parts that are specific to the hull, such as windscreens, pulpits and upholstery, come through Beneteau dealers, so allow time for orders.