Motor Boat & Yachting – August 2019

hen you step onto the swim
platform of the new Jeanneau
7.5 DC and enter the cockpit
via the starboard step-through,
it really doesn’t feel like the
deck of a 24ft weekender.
On the contrary, with nearly four square metres
to play with, the cleverly organised cockpit feels
like it belongs to something much larger. It
features sociable, inward-facing seating for
eight, plus a reversible backrest on the aft
bench that helps generate a long aft-facing
lounger on the port side. It makes fi ne use of
the extended swim platforms, enabling you to
recline in comfort and keep an eye on the kids
without compromising access either to the
cockpit or the stern ladder.
There’s some clever thinking factored into the
expansive C-shaped cockpit seating too – not
least in features like the lightweight infi ll for the
convertible sun lounger. Built from a welded
latticework of interlinked aluminium struts, it
weighs about 80% less than a conventional
plywood offcut, which means you can carry
it one-handed and fi t it without the threat of

HELM

D i g i t a l displays

replace analogue dials

but some switches are

retained for key items

JEANNEAU

CAP CAMARAT 7.5 DC S2

LOA 24ft 1in (7.35m) BEAM 8ft 4in (2.54m) ENGINE OPTIONS Single 200-300hp outboard TEST ENGINE Single Yamaha F250

TOP SPEED ON TEST 42.1 knots FUEL CONSUMPTION at 20 knots 30.1 L/H DISPLACEMENT 1,500 kg FUEL CAPACITY 285 litres

PRICE FROM £60,839 PRICE AS TESTED £77,439 CONTACT http://www.jeanneau.com

of any cushions; and in the co-pilot’s reversible

seat, which features an optional fold-down

table to port.

SLEEPING FACILITIES

Down below, the main double berth runs

diagonally to accommodate the starboard

heads compartment and, at 6ft 2in long and

6ft 6in wide, it’s perfectly serviceable for long

weekends away. Headroom of around 5ft is

also very decent for a boat of this type, and

there’s some impressive light down here too.

You get four raked windows (two on the hull

sides and two on the foredeck), plus an opaque,

curved sliding door that brings a lot of extra

light in from the cockpit. You even get some

neat little hatches set into the cabin’s skylights

to provide extra ventilation.

However, it’s the second berth that’s the

real treat – and not because it’s especially

accommodating but because it’s so

unexpected. A footprint of 6ft 9in long and

around 2ft 5in wide is certainly impressive for a

boat of this size, but with a vertical height of just

1ft, you need a very low-profi le pillow to make

catching your fi ngers. And this thoughtful

design approach is also evident in the lid for

the huge under-deck storage locker, which can

be lifted on a powerful ram without the removal

BOAT TEST

The cockpit feels like it belongs to a 30ft

sportscruiser rather than a 24ft weekender

W