Jeanneau NC 1295
If you haven’t been paying attention, France’s Beneteau Group acquired Jeanneau in 1995, making them the 900-pound gorilla amongst European—and even global—boatbuilders. They have used that leverage to create delightful yachts, such as the new Jeanneau NC 1295. Taking the hugely successful 34-foot NC 1095 and stretching the concept to over 41 feet, they have built a yacht that is as appealing as croissants and espresso.
The broad strokes are three staterooms (all with doors!), including a larger-than-queen master and two mirrored twin cabins whose berths slide together into doubles if needed. The master features an en suite head with an ample stall shower (yes, I tested it) while a day head, with an equally large shower, serves the two aft cabins.
When I first boarded the 1295, I puzzled over how Jeanneau achieved so much space in the salon before realizing that the house is actually asymmetrical on the 12-foot, 6-inch beam. The starboard side has a wide and kid-safe walkway with double-welded rails to the bow, while the port side also has full rails but is best suited for tippy-toe fender hanging.
The salon exudes Frenchness, but that’s not a bad thing. They like their comforts, including the full U-shaped dinette and liquor locker with Lucite fitments that would hold three nice pinots with perhaps a merlot or trois. Six bottles—because this is, of course, French.
The galley is another French kiss, tucked all the way aft to port. But fear not, the entire after-end of the salon, with sliding and hinged doors, opens wide to the cockpit and a café comptoir (that’s a bar counter) flips down so guests can sip that pinot while watching the chef at work. The wrap-around settee with hi-lo table in the cockpit is predictable, but all these dinettes allow, oh, say a dozen people to sip the vin ordinaire.
Of particular note is that Jeanneau has embraced the fold-down cockpit, and a big chunk of the starboard coaming creates a mini-terrace with swim ladder. One reason this is important is that the NC 1295 is powered by a trio of 300-hp Yamaha outboards, which leave only a petit transom platform on each side. The terrace makes for easy boarding (a boarding door is to port) from water, dock or tender.
Adding to the cockpit is the clever teak-and-stainless ladder to the bridge (good handrails!) that slides neatly out of the way to increase the cockpit floor space when not needed.
The French have placed another comfy J-shaped settee on the bridge around—no surprise—another table. While the lower galley, with its two-burner cooktop, under-counter oven and twin drawer fridges whispers, “Let’s eat ashore”, the outdoor galley on the bridge with optional grill and fridge fairly shouts, “Steak au poivre!”
The skipper resides in lordly comfort on a functional swiveling throne in the salon, allowing it to face either the dinette or the black dash with rows of toggle switches and a pair of Garmin screens. Throttle controls are well-placed on a mini-island outboard, and our test boat was fitted with the Sleipner bow thruster and Lenco trim tabs. I particularly liked the large sliding door next to the helm, allowing the skipper to quickly step onto the side deck to help with lines. On the bridge, a low venturi windscreen protects both the helm and the oversized sunpad, and a companion seat is created by flipping the back of the dinette.
As if there aren’t enough lounging areas, the foredeck sports three sunpads, each with armrests and (I suppose) wine glass holders. To prevent grilled skin, the cockpit has an extending awning and the foredeck offers a Bedouin-style shade on posts.
Having the power hanging off the stern opens up vast storage spaces where an engine room might have been, and you can easily store water toys or even a few cases of wine. Our test boat was fully outfitted with a Seakeeper 3 (it worked great in the rocking Gulf Stream) and a Panda 3kW genset.
Underway, the NC 1295 is a performer. We topped out at an easy 40-knot top speed in spite of a lumpy sea, thanks to the nearly 16-degree deadrise that softened the ride. Wide chine flats threw spray to the side, and we returned without a drop on the windshield.
All told, this is a truly delightful French pastry hauler that checks a multitude of boxes for North American owners, from family fun to extended overnighting to entertaining dockside.
Jeanneau NC 1295 Specifications:
LOA: 41’2”
Beam: 12’6”
Draft: 2’6”
Fuel: 314 gal.
Water: 106 gal.
Power: 3/300-hp Yamaha outboards
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This article originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.
Source: https://www.powerandmotoryacht.com/outboard/jeanneau-nc-1295-yacht-review
