The Beneteau 373 was chosen for BOTY based on several of its signature traits from her larger sisterships such as the Beneteau 423 and 393.
“This 37 footer features a stall shower, panoramic forward-facing windows that bring plenty of light into the cabin, and the same fiberglass grid system the manufacturer uses in its other models to take the sailing loads.
““For our purposes, I like seeing stall showers...the Beneteau 373 delivers a whole lot of bang for the buck,” commented Bill Lee, Boat of the Year Judge.
“The standout feature on both the 373 and its new little sister, the 323, is a patented wheel that rotates 90 degrees; it is Beneteau’s answer to the industry-wide desire to open the passage straight through the cockpit from the transom, and it’s simpler than twin helm stations. Designed by naval architects Berret/Racoupeau, the 373 replaces the 361, of which hundreds have been built since its introduction in 1999,” said Murphy. The Beneteau 373 features the similar force disbursement components that
Beneteau uses in other boats in its line, which all are tied to a fiberglass grid bonded to the hull that distributes all the sailing loads.
“That grid system is superb”, said Ralph Naranjo, Technical Editor. The Beneteau 373 will join the ranks of previous BOTY winners, an award series that has crowned the standout designs launched for the coming year for nearly two decades.