Beneteu Oceanis 35 – A true chameleon of the sea

Written by Marin @Danielis on April 04, 2017 in Yacht Reviews

Most of the new boat models offered on the market try to be everything for anyone, but none has made it possible in just a way as Oceanis 35. Developed by the likes of its bigger cousin Oceanis 38, 35 features a unique three-in-one interior layout concept – there are three available interior designs: Daysailer, Weekender, and Cruiser. Depending on your choice, the boat is transformed drastically, changing the number of cabins, number, and quantity of utilities to suit your preference. Not only that, but the yacht can be easily transformed and upgraded on the fly, according to your needs.

Design and layout

The Beneteau Oceanis 35 is made for an avid sailor who enjoys days sailing or weekending with a family or a group of friends. The renowned Finot-Canq company is responsible for developing a very capable hull with expressed chins while its wide stern reminds us that it was developed in the likes of ocean speeders. For the modern deck design as well as a tasteful interior, laureates go to world-famous Italian studio Nauta Design.



The 33ft (10.1m) Oceanis 35 has an obviously stronger preference on cruising rather than racing but can handle herself quite nicely in the seasonal club sponsored races. The cockpit and the rig are well laid out which makes line handling quite easy. The way space is used topside and below provides an uncluttered and light feel. The boat comes with three different keel options to choose from the 1.85m deep keel, 1.45m shoal keel, and a 1.15m one so that it can adjust according to local waters.

beneteau oceanis 35

One of the Oceanis 35 greatest strength is its versatility in the utilization of the interior as we have mentioned before, so the avid sailor can choose between three options:

  • Daysailer
  • Weekender
  • Cruiser

By choosing the Daysailer option, the interior layout becomes minimalistic with the basic electrical system, lack of hot water and one cabin so it becomes clear it is made for a single day excursions. By choosing the Weekender or Cruiser, the choices expand rapidly. The Weekender features two cabins while the Cruiser has three, making it ideal for three couples or a large family. All three plans feature a tremendous amount of open space from the companionway to the bow, with removable bulkheads available in Weekender and Cruiser layout plans.

The deck

The Oceanis 35's large cockpit is useful for daysailing and provides an ample room for long cruises. The cockpit has twin helms and a fold-down transom which makes boarding from the deck easy or makes an ideal snorkeling platform. For an even improved access, there are fold-up helm seats on both sides that can be flipped out of the way.

oceanis 35 sailing

The Oceanis 35 has an ample amount of storage space, there are two larger lazarettes aft and an enormous locker space under the starboard cockpit seat.

The interior

From the three layout plans available, the most popular by war is the Cruiser, which is the only one that includes a proper stove. A three cabin layout – two cabins in the stern and one forward, created two nearly identical aft cabins. The forward cabin bulkhead, salon table, and U-shaped settee can all be removed or installed in just a few minutes.

The interior is incredibly spacious and ventilated, allowing for plenty of comforts during a prolonged stay at sea. The aft stateroom is large with good vertical clearance, while the head one is also very impressive with two segregated compartments, one for the toilet and sink and another for the shower.

oceanis 35 interior

The open space of the companionway is light and airy, with a long settee to port and furnished with minimalistic galley with Reichsman stove and Vitrifrigo fridge to the starboard.

The fuel and water-tank capacities are all designed with an idea for coastal cruising, making it perfect for island hopping along the coast of the Adriatic.

Under sail

The twin steering stations available on the yacht was a trend started in America's Cup racing so that the captain could better optimize his view of the sails, sea, and the competition. Sometimes it meant steering from leeward, but sometimes from the high side so having twin wheels was a definite advantage during maneuvers.

When sailing short.handed as will mostly be the case, the captain can be positioned near the sheet that requires the most of his attention and steers at the same time. Some sailors prefer to sit leeward while some windward close to the rail so having two wheels accomplishes just that.

The helmsperson sits on seat outboard of the helm or on twin bench seats that fold out of the way when using the full width of the stern swim and boarding platform. Each helm includes additional handrail and space for electronics, but having redundancy is good, if one navigational station fails, you are left with the second one.

Visibility is excellent and maneuvering alongside a dock is quite easy with having two helms located far outboard.

Equipped with an optional 30hp Yanmar diesel motor (regular is 20hp), accomplishing 7 knots is more than easy and can even go as far as 9 knots in favorable conditions. The yacht is quite easy to control, turning the boat around will give you no trouble even during stronger winds.

Concluding notes

All the features that make a winner are present in Oceanis 35, from modular design, to ease of use. Its a great boat for an experienced sailor who prefers easy-to-handle coastal cruiser that maximizes comfort while taking his family or a small group of friends on a coastal trip.