Beneteau Oceanis 41 Review, the Forty With a Crease in Its Topsides

The Oceanis 41 and the arrival of the chine

The Oceanis 41 was one of two new models (the other was the Oceanis 45) that Beneteau brought to the fall 2011 boat shows, and it was a SAIL Best Boats nominee for 2012. Its defining feature is visible from the dock: a crease about halfway up the topsides that runs the full length of the hull. Cruising World's review called the 41 and 45 a case of chine syndrome, noting that the feature had moved from Beneteau's First and Sense lines into the cruising range and that Bavaria, Jeanneau and Hunter were doing the same.

Finot-Conq drew the hull and Nauta Design styled the interior. US boats were built in Marion, South Carolina, with a solid fiberglass hull, a bonded internal grid that carries keel, mast step, chainplates and engine loads, and a resin-infused balsa-cored deck. Cruising World quoted a price of $220,000 and noted a five-year structural warranty when new.

If you are searching for a Beneteau 41 or a 41 foot Beneteau, be aware that three boats answer to the name. This page covers the 2012 to 2015 Oceanis 41. The Oceanis 411 (also sold as the Beneteau 411) is a 1997 Groupe Finot design with a traditional round-bilge hull, and the Oceanis 41.1 of 2016 is the updated, lighter version of the boat described here.

A wide stern on a single rudder

The 41 carries near-maximum beam all the way to the transom, and Practical Sailor observed that this shape almost begs for twin rudders. Beneteau instead fitted one deep, semi-balanced spade rudder. In Practical Sailor's test the boat refused to round up in 17 to 20 knots with gusts, kept a comfortable helm at more than 20 degrees of heel, and only lost its grip when puffs held at 25 knots, at which point it came gently head to wind rather than broaching.

The rig is a 9/10 fractional sloop stepped on deck, with the mast moved aft to about 47 percent of the boat's length. That allows a barely overlapping 104 percent genoa and outboard chainplates, which keeps the side decks clear. Standard sail area is 449 sq ft of main and 453 sq ft of genoa, with a 1,400 sq ft asymmetric spinnaker on the options list. Two keels were offered: a 7 ft 2 in deep fin carrying 5,071 lb of cast iron, and a 5 ft 7 in shoal fin carrying 5,527 lb.

• LOA 40 ft 9 in, waterline 37 ft 4 in, beam 13 ft 9 in
• Light displacement 19,350 lb per Beneteau's North American spec
• Air draft 61 ft 10 in, so check bridges on your route
• Fuel 53 gal, water 98 gal with an optional 53 gal tank

What Cruising World and Practical Sailor recorded

Cruising World sailed the 41 on Chesapeake Bay in steady winds in the mid-teens during its Boat of the Year trials. With a full main and a slightly overlapping jib it made 7.1 knots hard on the wind and peaked at 8.4 knots on a beam reach, and judge Ed Sherman said the boat sailed beautifully. The panel preferred the 41 to the larger 45 because its interior proportions and handholds felt more manageable for rough weather.

Practical Sailor's deep-draft test boat had the optional furling mainsail. Reefed, it still exceeded 7 knots on a close reach with heel reduced to about 15 degrees, and it ran at about 7.5 knots off the wind with the reefed sail area unrolled. The testers noted that the transom stayed clear of the water and the quarter wave was small, and they credited the 40 hp Yanmar with enough power for the conditions.

The arch, the sliding table and the button-operated stern

Two cockpit features set the 41 apart from earlier Oceanis models. A composite arch slopes aft over the companionway and carries the mainsheet, which runs forward along the boom to the mast and back to a coaming winch. That removed the traveler, opened up the companionway for 45 degree steps instead of a ladder, and gives a strong mounting point for a dodger and bimini. The trade-off is a higher boom. Practical Sailor put the air draft at 64 ft, while Beneteau's spec sheet lists 61 ft 10 in, so measure before you commit to a route with fixed bridges.

Aft, the transom is electrically hinged. At the push of a button it folds down into a swim platform about 9 ft 4 in wide, then closes again to make a protected stern when the anchorage turns lumpy. Twin wheels with Goiot helms flank the walkway, and a long central table with gull-wing leaves doubles as a brace, a chartplotter mount and a place for an optional fridge.

Three layouts and a walk-in pantry

Below, the 41 was offered with two cabins and one head, three cabins and one head, or three cabins and two heads. Every version has a forward cabin with a central 6 ft 7 in double and an L-shaped galley to port. The saloon has a U-shaped settee to starboard and, to port, a navigation table that slides fore and aft along a straight settee. Pushed to either end it becomes a work station; centered between two seats it is a breakfast nook. Practical Sailor missed a traditional chart table and proper sea berths, which matters if you plan passages.

In the two-cabin version the space aft to port becomes a walk-in pantry and workroom with its own door into the huge cockpit locker. Cruising World's judges singled it out as a smart use of space for extended cruising, and it is the layout we would look for. The aft head has a separate shower, headroom in the saloon is about 6 ft 5 in, and the galley carries a 34 gallon front-opening fridge plus a top-loading icebox.

Saildrive, Dock & Go and the 53 gallon tank

Standard power is a 40 hp Yanmar with a saildrive and a fixed three-blade propeller, fed by a 53 gallon tank under the port aft berth. Beneteau's optional Dock & Go system replaced the saildrive with a rotating POD 60 linked to a bow thruster and a joystick. Cruising World's judges thought most experienced sailors could save the money, while Practical Sailor said it made docking a dream but worried about long-term maintenance cost on a complex system.

If you are looking at a Dock & Go boat, have the pod, its steering actuator and the joystick controller checked by a dealer who has worked on the system, and ask for the service history.

Buying a 2013 or 2014 Oceanis 41 in 2026

The 41 sits in an attractive spot on the used market. It has the modern cockpit, transom and interior that buyers want, yet it typically costs tens of thousands less than a comparable 41.1. Expect Beneteau Oceanis 41 for sale listings in the US to range from about $165,000 to $235,000, and allow $12,000 to $24,000 a year for slip, insurance, haul-out, saildrive service and canvas.

Late boats may carry the Platinum Edition trim that Beneteau listed on its North American equipment sheet, which bundled B&G instruments and autopilot, a Zeus chartplotter, VHF with AIS, a Fusion stereo, a freezer in place of the icebox and a solid-surface galley counter. That package is worth a premium if the electronics have been kept current.