Beneteau 44 Gran Turismo, a Used Buyer's Guide to the First Big GT

Where the Beneteau 44 Gran Turismo came from

The Beneteau 44 Gran Turismo began life in 2011 as the Flyer Gran Turismo 44, part of a range Beneteau pitched as sleek sporty express cruisers borrowing the gran turismo idea from luxury cars. Beneteau's autumn 2011 photo release paired it with the Flyer Gran Turismo 49 Fly, and by 2012 the Flyer prefix had been dropped, leaving the Gran Turismo 34, 38, 44, 49 and 49 Fly.

MBY traces its lineage clearly: the Gran Turismo 44 replaced Beneteau's Monte Carlo 42 of 2009, and in 2016 it was refined into the Gran Turismo 46. That makes the 44 the middle link in a family of Beneteau sportscruisers in the mid 40 ft range, and explains why its layout and engineering feel mature rather than experimental. YachtBuyer dates production from 2011 to 2017.

Diesel sterndrives on a 44 footer

The GT44's most distinctive engineering choice is its propulsion. Where most 44 ft express cruisers of its time used shafts or pods, Beneteau fitted twin Volvo Penta D6-370 diesels with sterndrives and a joystick at the helm. BoatTEST called it one of the few cruisers this size powered that way and said Beneteau did it to maximize speed and fuel efficiency and to free space for larger accommodations. The Air Step hull completes the package.

No magazine published a full speed and fuel curve for the GT44, and we will not invent one. As a reference only, MBY reported about 32 knots, lightly loaded and with a clean hull, from its successor the GT46 on the same D6-370 sterndrives. Treat any speed claim in a listing with caution until you have seen it on a sea trial.

Specifications that changed during production

Beneteau's own figures shifted over the run. In 2012 its site listed 13.50 m (44 ft 3 in) overall, a 13.20 m hull, a 3.93 m beam and 8,900 kg light displacement. By 2013 the light displacement was given as 10,177 kg (22,430 lb), and later material shows 13.45 m (44 ft 2 in) overall with a 3.96 m (13 ft) beam. YachtBuyer gives a 3 ft 5 in full-load draft and 14 ft 1 in height above the waterline.

Tankage did not change: two 400 liter fuel tanks (211 gallons) and two 200 liter water tanks (106 gallons), plus a 32 gallon black water tank. CE certification is category B for twelve people. Treat the heavier figure as the realistic one for a fully equipped boat.

Cockpit, galley and a garage for the tender

On deck, the cockpit seats eight around a table, with an outdoor galley and an optional cockpit grill. Optional glass doors opening to port and starboard let owners close in the cockpit, and a 1 m deep bathing platform sits over a garage that Beneteau says houses a 2.40 m tender with its outboard fitted. PMY measured the space as fit for a 7 ft 9 in dinghy. Beneteau sold the joystick on the dash as the key to squeezing into tight harbor berths.

Below, the galley is the GT44's showpiece. Beneteau called it king size: a 218 liter (57.5 gallon) fridge freezer, a microwave, a ceramic hob and good stowage, lit by a light shaft from the deck above. PMY singled it out as well lit and well equipped for a boat that started under half a million dollars.

Owner and VIP, each with panoramic windows

The GT44 is a two-cabin boat by design. Beneteau describes owner and VIP cabins, both with panoramic hull windows, and YachtBuyer lists two double berths and two heads, one ensuite to the owner's cabin. The saloon has a skylight and large ports. PMY saw it as ideal for an owning couple and one guest couple, and that is still the right way to think about it.

There is no third cabin option, which limits it for families with older children. In exchange, both couples get proper doubles and a separate shower to use, a level of comfort that many 40 to 45 ft sportscruisers of the period did not offer.

• Two double cabins with large hull windows
• Two heads with separate showers
• Large galley with 218 liter fridge freezer
• Saloon lit by a deck light shaft

What it cost new and what it costs now

PMY reported a US starting price of $459,900 when the boat arrived in January 2012. In Europe, Beneteau listed it from 309,600 euros excluding VAT in 2012, and by January 2015 the recommended price was 361,500 euros with D6-370 engines and joystick, discounted to 336,200 euros in a summer promotion.

Today the GT44 is a value buy. European listings show 2011 to 2014 boats from 195,000 to 319,000 euros, and YachtBuyer recorded five boats listed over three years, averaging about 199 days on the market. We estimate $190,000 to $340,000 in the US, with few boats listed at any time, so be prepared to look in Europe.

Survey priorities on an older diesel sterndrive cruiser

The sterndrives come first. Bellows, U-joints, gimbal bearings, steering rams, seals and anodes all need regular attention, and a drive rebuild on a boat this heavy is not cheap. Ask for Volvo service records, have the drives pulled and inspected if the history is incomplete, and get oil analysis on both D6s.

Next, run every system: joystick, bow thruster if fitted, generator, air conditioning, the cockpit glass doors and the garage door and tender winch. Inspect the bathing platform and garage area for impact damage, check the hull windows for leaks, and confirm the Air Step vents are clear. Annual running costs of roughly $28,000 to $50,000 in the US excluding depreciation are realistic for a boat of this size.