Beneteau Flyer 8 Review, Two Generations and Two Decks

Why the Beneteau Flyer 8 sells in such numbers

The Beneteau Flyer 8 sits in the busiest part of the European dayboat market: just under 27 feet, a single outboard, an 8 ft 4 in beam that tows legally, and enough deck to entertain ten people. Beneteau sells it in two deck plans, the SUNdeck with a raised bow sun pad over a small cabin, and the SPACEdeck, an open boat with a center console and seating forward. Both ride on the builder's Air Step 2 stepped hull and are rated for a single engine up to 350 hp.

It is also one of the most heavily searched Beneteau powerboats, partly because there are two generations. The first, built from 2018, belongs to what Beneteau now files as the 2017 to 2022 Flyer generation. The second, restyled by Andreani Design and still in production in 2026, reached dealers around 2022 and 2023. They share the 8.17 m hull length and 340 liter fuel tank, but the decks, styling and some layouts differ, and asking prices follow.

First generation or current boat, how to tell

On the first-generation Flyer 8 SUNdeck, black rails, a Style & Design interior and walkways on both sides of the cabin trunk define the look, and Beneteau listed it at 2,314 kg (5,100 lb) dry with a 7 ft 9 in bridge clearance. The open first-generation SPACEdeck weighed 2,156 kg (4,752 lb). US boats came with a choice of Mercury Verado 300 or 350 power, a 42 liter fridge in the SUNdeck cabin and an optional T-top.

The current SUNdeck adopts the asymmetric Smart Walkaround idea from the larger Flyer 10: a single wide gangway to port leads to the foredeck, freeing the starboard side for the cabin. Beneteau also gave it a longer deck profile, sloping hull windows and a bow sun pad with two reclining backrests. Its listed dry weight is 2,251 kg (4,961 lb) and bridge clearance 8 ft. The current SPACEdeck gets a flush deck from swim platform to bow, lowered pulpits and 180 degree pivoting bolster seats, at 2,126 kg (4,687 lb) dry.

• Two side walkways and Style & Design interior: first generation SUNdeck
• One wide port walkway and sloping hull windows: current SUNdeck
• Brokers in France often add V2 to the name of the current boat
• Hull length, fuel and water capacity are the same on both
• The Flyer 8 Grand Prix is unrelated, a cruising boat from the 1987 to 2004 Flyer era drawn by Andre Beneteau and J. Braud

SUNdeck for nights at anchor, SPACEdeck for doing things

Choose the SUNdeck if you want to sleep aboard occasionally. Its cabin has a bench and table that convert to a double bed, a separate toilet compartment and a fridge, with opening ports for air. The cockpit has two sun pads, the convertible aft bench and the bow pad, which is unusual on an 8 m boat. Beneteau offers a fishing station that replaces the aft bench, a ski pole and a T-top.

Choose the SPACEdeck if your days revolve around swimming, towing or fishing. The open deck lets you walk from the twin swim platforms to the bow without climbing, the forward side and center benches convert to a big sundeck, and up to six people fit around the cockpit table with the helm seats turned. The console hides a head, plus room for a fridge or a child's berth, which covers a family's day needs.

On test with a Suzuki 350

Motor Boat and Yachting tested a first-generation Flyer 8 Sundeck with the most powerful option, a Suzuki DF350. With four adults and nearly 300 kg of fuel aboard, it hit 40 knots in 15 seconds and recorded a top speed of 44.8 knots, with the magazine noting a light, flighty bow at the very top end unless the engine was trimmed well in. Fuel consumption at 20 knots was 38.6 liters per hour, about 10.2 US gallons per hour.

The tester's advice is worth repeating for anyone specifying a boat or choosing a used one. The 350 is thrilling but heavy on the transom and expensive. A DF250, about 275 kg and much cheaper, would still deliver close to 40 knots, tow a skier comfortably and make the boat more forgiving to drive. Rated power starts at 200 hp, and for most owners 250 to 300 hp is the right answer.

What the cabin can and cannot do

MBY liked the first-generation cabin's clean grey fabrics and panoramic hull windows but was candid about space. A six-footer could not sit upright on the seats, the bed did not fill the full width of the bow, and headroom was about 5 ft (1.53 m) in the head compartment and 5 ft 5 in (1.66 m) at the worktop. That is the price of the low, raked profile that makes the boat look and handle so well.

In practice the Flyer 8 SUNdeck is a dayboat for a couple who might stay one night, not a family weekender. MBY suggested the larger Flyer 8.8 of the previous generation for more cabin, and today the step up is the Flyer 9 SUNdeck, which sleeps four in two doubles.

Running costs and trailering

One outboard keeps ownership simple. At around 10 gallons per hour at 20 knots, a 100-hour season burns roughly 1,000 gallons, and service is a single engine. With trailer or rack storage, insurance and routine maintenance, US owners should plan on roughly $6,000 to $14,000 a year excluding depreciation, more with a 350 hp V8 or marina storage.

At 8 ft 4 in wide and about 5,000 lb dry, the Flyer 8 tows behind a full-size pickup once engine, fuel and trailer are added, and the 90 gallon tank gives useful range for island hopping. Beneteau rates it CE category C for ten people, meaning sheltered and coastal waters, which matches how most owners use it.

Values and the used market

The Flyer 8 is far more common in Europe than in the US. Recent French and Spanish listings show first-generation 2019 to 2021 boats from about 58,000 to 90,000 euros, with one 1,100-hour SUNdeck at the top of that band because of its equipment, and later boats from 72,500 to 104,000 euros. A new 2025 SUNdeck was offered at 129,500 euros. In the US, expect roughly $60,000 to $120,000 used and $130,000 to $170,000 new depending on engine and options.

Engine hours matter more than year. A 2020 boat with 200 hours and a warranty-backed Verado is a better buy than a 2022 boat with heavy charter use. Watch for listing errors: we found boats labeled Flyer 8 that were clearly older 7 m or 12 m Flyers, so confirm the hull identification number.