Beneteau Flyer 9, a Twin-Outboard Dayboat With a Terrace and Two Doubles

The Beneteau Flyer 9 and its 2021 award

The Beneteau Flyer 9 arrived in 2020 to fill the gap between the single-engine Flyer 8 and the much bigger Flyer 10, and it did so convincingly enough to be named European Powerboat of the Year 2021 in the up to 10 meter category. The results were announced on January 22, 2021, on BooteTV because the Dusseldorf show had been cancelled. The jury singled out two features that still define the boat: a side panel that drops down to port to form a terrace over the sea, and two double berths that let four people sleep aboard.

Like the rest of the Flyer line it comes in two deck plans. The SUNdeck borrows the Flyer 10's port-side Smart Walkaround and has a bow sun pad over the cabin; the SPACEdeck keeps high gunwales, a center console and an open foredeck with an optional bench that converts into a sun pad. Both share the 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in) hull, the 2.99 m (9 ft 10 in) beam and Beneteau's Air Step hull technology.

What Boating measured on Chesapeake Bay

Boating magazine tested a Flyer 9 Sundeck with twin 250 hp Mercury V8 FourStroke outboards on Revolution 4 stainless props, carrying 70 gallons of fuel, 13 gallons of water and 600 lb of crew. Top speed was 44.88 knots at 5,700 rpm burning 48 gallons per hour. The most economical cruise came at 3,500 rpm: 21.29 knots, 15.7 gph, 1.36 nautical miles per gallon and a calculated range of 171 nautical miles.

The more interesting numbers are in the middle. At 4,000 rpm the boat ran 27.55 knots on 21 gph, and at 4,500 rpm 33.46 knots on 26.5 gph, so it cruises comfortably in the high 20s without heavy penalty. The tester ran 25 to 30 knots through tight 2 ft chop with Auto Trim and Active Speed Control managing the engines, found it faster and more comfortable than expected, and noted it stays on plane down to 13 knots with tabs and engines trimmed fully negative.

Fold-down terrace and a cockpit built for a crowd

The port side of the cockpit hinges outward to create what Beneteau calls a sea-view terrace. It overhangs the water, widens the cockpit for entertaining and makes swimming access easy at anchor, and Boating found it rugged and simple to deploy. Aft, twin swim platforms flank the outboards.

In the SUNdeck the self-bailing cockpit has a large L-shaped lounge around a wood table that converts to a second sun pad, an exterior galley with sink and fridge and an optional cooktop, plus generous storage under the sole. Up front, the bow is almost as wide as the maximum beam, an idea borrowed from deck boats, which gives a broad walkway, a large sun pad with an optional shade and easy access to the anchor. Boating recommended the stainless T-top with a cockpit shade extension, priced at $8,060 in 2021.

• Port-side fold-down terrace on both versions
• SUNdeck: Smart Walkaround to port and a bow sun pad
• SPACEdeck: open bow with optional sea-facing bench that becomes a sun pad
• Optional rigid T-top with rod holders
• Seanapps remote monitoring and Garmin electronics options

Below decks, where it beats most 30 ft dayboats

This is the feature that makes the Flyer 9 a genuine weekender. Below the SUNdeck's foredeck is a cabin with two double berths, one forward and one aft under the cockpit, plus a head with a separate shower, a fridge and an optional microwave, and Boating measured 6 ft 1 in of maximum headroom. The sole is laminated oak and the joinery Alpi matte walnut. Air conditioning is optional and worth having in Florida or the Gulf.

The SPACEdeck also sleeps four in two berths, with a head that combines toilet and shower. Neither version has a real interior galley, so cooking happens outside, which suits the boat's mission. Compared with the Flyer 8, whose cabin is really for one couple, the Flyer 9 is the smallest Flyer that four adults can sensibly overnight on.

Engine choices and the fuel capacity question

Beneteau rates the Flyer 9 for up to 500 hp in single or twin installations. In the US the listed packages are twin Mercury 200s or 250s, while European buyers could also choose Suzuki, Honda or Yamaha power, and YachtBuyer shows a single Mercury Verado V8 300 option. Twins are the norm on the used market and the better choice for anyone running offshore to the islands.

Fuel capacity is listed by Beneteau as two 288 liter tanks, 152 US gallons in total, while Boating's spec box shows 140 gallons. Check the boat in front of you. Even on the lower figure, the economical cruise range of around 170 nautical miles makes Bahamas crossings in settled weather realistic, and the CE rating is category B for six people.

Prices, then and now

When Boating tested it, the Flyer 9 started at $148,250 and the test boat came to $168,520, and the magazine argued nothing else under $200,000 combined fore and aft sun pads, a four-berth cabin, an optional T-top and an expanding cockpit. Allowing for five years of price increases, expect roughly $180,000 to $240,000 new today depending on power and options.

Used boats are far more plentiful in Europe, where recent listings for 2020 to 2024 boats ran from about 99,000 euros for a SPACEdeck to 165,000 euros for a SUNdeck with twin 250s. In the US we estimate $105,000 to $190,000 depending on year and hours. Running costs with twin outboards, insurance and storage typically come to $10,000 to $22,000 a year excluding depreciation.

The other Flyer 9 in the archives

Beneteau's heritage catalog also lists a Flyer 9 Grand Prix, a cruising boat drawn by Andre Beneteau in the 1987 to 2004 Flyer era. It has nothing in common with today's outboard Flyer 9 beyond the name. If a listing describes a Flyer 9 with inboard power or a build year before 2020, it is that older family, not the boat on this page.