Motor Boat & Yachting — February 2018

mullions ensure there are very few

blind spots, and quick access to that

starboard deck makes single-handed

crewing a breeze.

We had the middle option of

a 115hp Suzuki outboard but you

can have a 90hp or 140hp. I would

recommend the latter as the 115hp

felt laboured and made noisy work

of getting us up to a top speed of

27 knots. At the top end, the engine

became ‘boomy’, a side effect most

likely of the hooded transom acting

as an echo chamber.

For regular coastal work,

the 140’s extra grunt will

be necessary and should

hopefully help the 6 on to

the plane a little quicker

than the 115 could.

The handling isn’t

particularly engaging

but the boat turns tidily

enough and it’s well

weighted, so there isn’t the need to

make constant minor adjustments

at the wheel. And despite only being

21ft 4in (6.5m) long, the Barracuda

handled our choppy test conditions

admirably. It wasn’t carving through

the crests with the grace of a Cormate

or a Goldfish, but it stood its ground

and would look after you and your

family if it did kick up in the afternoon.

It’s easy to be critical of the

Barracuda 6 with its potting shed

looks and basic fit-out, but it fills

a crucial void in the new boat

market for low-cost products that

allow people to get into boating

for a sensible sum of money,

turn the key and go. It lacks

grace and needs to have

the right spec but for the

price, it’s hard to complain.

Contact See Bénéteau

website for dealers.

Web: http://www.beneteau.com

19

QUICK SPIN

Open bow is ideal
for anchoring and
enjoying the view

The toilet is

fairly basic but

also very handy

Flip-down

seats enable

easier fi shing

Practical design

makes it a good

sports platform

All-round view

from the helm

is excellent

Useful storage

in the offset

wheelhouse