Beneteau Flyer 7, Two Decks on One Air Step Hull

The Beneteau Flyer 7 in the current range

The Beneteau Flyer 7 is the smallest boat in Beneteau's 2026 Flyer lineup, below the Flyer 8, 9, 10 and the new Flyer 30, and it is still in production: the latest European equipment lists are dated July 2026. It was announced in August 2019 alongside a new Flyer 6 as part of an 18-month renewal of the whole range, and the Flyer 7 made its public debut at the Grand Pavois show in La Rochelle that September. Beneteau said it wanted sleeker, sportier lines without losing deck space, and room for up to nine people.

Every Flyer 7 shares one hull and is sold in two deck versions. The SUNdeck puts a sunpad over a small forward cabin; the SPACEdeck is a true center console with a forward lounge. Both come in Standard and Elegance trim, and a Pilot Edition with a grey hull has been offered across the Flyer line since 2023.

SUNdeck or SPACEdeck, which deck to buy

The SUNdeck is the one to pick if you want to get out of the weather or stay aboard for a night. Under the raised foredeck sunpad, about 6 ft 5 in long, a sliding tinted door opens to a cabin with 4 ft 9 in of headroom, storage lockers, a place for a chemical toilet and an optional cushion set that makes a 6 ft 11 in berth. MBY found that the asymmetric bed is a decent length even with the optional fridge, but that the cabin is dim with the door shut because there are no hull windows. Lightship displacement is 1,735 kg (3,824 lb) and air draft 1.80 m.

The SPACEdeck trades the cabin for a lower foredeck with seating that converts to a sunpad and a console with 4 ft 11 in of headroom inside for stowage and an optional toilet. It is lighter at 1,473 kg (3,246 lb) and has a lower 1.68 m air draft, which makes it the better choice for watersports, fishing and frequent trailering. Both versions are rated CE C for eight people and D for nine.

• SUNdeck Elegance: bolster seats, cockpit bench back that converts to a sun lounger, forward sunpad included
• SPACEdeck Elegance: bolster seats, forward saloon seat and cup holders
• Options include a ski mast, graphite bimini, T-top on the SPACEdeck and a cabin fridge on the SUNdeck

What changed from the Flyer 6.6

MBY's 2020 test made the point that the changes from the outgoing Flyer 6.6 looked incremental but added up. The hull length stayed at 21 ft (6.41 m), yet the console moved to the centerline on a wider internal beam of 7 ft 2 in, which created symmetrical walkaround side decks. A walk-through bow pulpit adds an extra boarding point, the stern bench back folds flat to make a second sunpad, and a far more substantial wraparound windscreen with a steel grab rail replaced the frameless screen and grey plastic columns of the old boat. The tester said the 6.6 had felt slightly toy-like and the Flyer 7 felt more grown up.

In the cockpit, rotating helm seats and fold-down side benches turn the space into a six-person dining area in seconds, and the aft bench is offset to starboard so you can still walk from the swim platform to the bow with the sunpad in place.

37 knots on a DF200 and how it feels

MBY tested a Flyer 7 SUNdeck with a Suzuki DF200, the most powerful engine Beneteau offers on the boat. It planed in 6.5 seconds, reached 37.0 knots and burned 24.1 liters per hour at 20 knots, which is about 6.4 US gallons per hour. With the 170 liter (45 gallon) tank that works out to roughly 125 nautical miles at 20 knots after a 10 percent reserve, by our calculation.

The numbers are not extreme, but the tester found the handling balanced and engaging, with lots of trim sensitivity and strong throttle response between 14 and 32 knots. The Air Step 2 hull, which ducts air under the steps to reduce drag, gets onto the plane steadily rather than aggressively. MBY thought the standard 150 hp engine would save money, but recommended the 200 for extra passengers, gear and towed watersports.

Outboard brands and rigging options

Beneteau sells the hull with engine pre-rigging and lets the dealer fit the outboard. The 2026 list covers Suzuki keyless mechanical rigging for 150 to 200 hp and electronic rigging from 115 to 200 hp, Honda for 150 to 200 hp, Yamaha mechanical, electronic and integrated steering systems for 150 to 200 hp, a Mercury mechanical package for 150 hp and Mercury Verado V6 electronic rigging for 150 to 200 hp. All use a 25 inch shaft. In the US the engine choice usually follows the local dealer, so check where warranty service will happen before you commit.

Steering is hydraulic as standard, and the dashboard takes a 9 inch screen; Beneteau lists Garmin as its electronics partner for the Flyer range.

Owning a Flyer 7

This is an inexpensive boat to run. A single four-stroke outboard, trailer or dry-stack storage, insurance and an annual service put typical US costs at around $4,500 to $10,000 a year excluding depreciation. At 6 to 7 gallons per hour at a 20 knot cruise, a 50 hour season uses about 300 to 350 gallons of fuel.

Because the hull is unchanged since 2019, used boats from the first model year are mechanically very similar to new ones, and the outboard's age and hours are the main variable. The Flyer 7 is mostly sold in Europe, so expect a smaller US pool than for domestic brands.

Flyer 7 versus the older Flyer 701, 750 and 7.7

Three older Beneteaus share the 7 in their names but are different boats. The Flyer 701 was a sterndrive cruiser built at the turn of the century, the Flyer 750 of 2004 introduced the Air Step hull at 7.2 m, and the Flyer 7.7 of the mid-2010s was a larger 7.64 m boat usually found with 250 hp outboards. Each has its own hull and spec, so make sure a listing labeled Beneteau Flyer 7 is actually a 2019 or later boat before comparing prices.