On Test. Wellcraft 435: when luxury meets audacity

When something is beautiful, I mean really beautiful, you don’t need too many words… this is the case with the new Wellcraft 435 performance cruiser. The new flagship of the renowned American brand, part of the Beneteau Group for almost 10 years, is a perfect mix of power, comfort and elegance.

For over 65 years, Wellcraft has been manufacturing boats designed for the most demanding owners, exceeding all possible limits in terms of efficiency, performance, safety, and beauty. Wellcraft 435 is intended to be the new standard of ” uncompromised luxury”, succeeding in satisfying the most difficult market demands, thus making a step forward compared to the average of other cruisers.

Already beautiful to look at, this boat offers even much, much more when getting on board and testing it.

Night-time Sea Trial

The sun has already set behind the Suquet, the oldest part of Cannes, the sky is tinged with different colours ranging from orange to pink, and the view of the Cannes Yachting Festival from the quayside of Wellcraft 435 is truly impressive.

We climb aboard, unmoor and leave the marina at low speed… in a few minutes it is already dark. This time the test will be a bit special, we will do it off the coast of Cannes, but at night. The atmosphere is quiet, the darkness of the evening contrasts with the lights of the small restaurants and hotels on the Croisette, ready to welcome guests for dinner.

While underway, soft lights are on aboard the Wellcraft 435, the helm station has excellent all-round visibility thanks to the large windows, and we are well sheltered from the wind after closing both the side door on the starboard side-deck (useful for mooring manoeuvres) and the sliding cockpit door; however, we have left the roof glass slightly open to let some air through.

The wind and engine noise inside is not annoying, so much so that I can talk to people on board without having to raise my voice. The helm seat is comfortable and high, allowing a good view of the outside. The electronics and on-board displays are large, filling the entire dashboard, and for night navigation we put them in ‘night’ mode so they don’t bother the eyes.

After a while I take the helm and start speeding up, I immediately feel that the response of the three 350 hp Mercury Verado V10 outboards is snappy. Despite its size, this cruiser is born to be fast, it’s clear. I accelerate more and more and shortly after 20 knots the boat gets up on plane, I settle on 26 knots, its best cruising speed, and try to make a few turns.

The stability of the Wellcraft 435 is impressive, the stepless V-shaped hull designed by Michael Peters finds its fullest expression and conveys a sense of control that is by no means taken for granted. The turns and counter-turns are smooth, precise and clean, the impact with the waves is incredibly soft, the boat slices through the waves with a rare smoothness.

Comfort on board while underway is high, the side windows, so wide, provide a good visibility even in the dark, without clutter or annoying uprights. The silence is another thing that impressed me: despite the size, weight and the three powerful outboards outside, at 25 knots (with the doors closed) there was an impressive silence.

But there’s more: as soon as I left the controls, I went to test the navigation outside, as if I were a passenger, sitting on the relaxation area in the bow. The perception was strong, a mixture of emotions: the wind on my face, the lights of the coast reflected on the water and the feeling of softness and safety even under outdoor navigation.

This boat is not just a luxury performance cruiser….it’s a true experienced to be lived.

Wellcraft 435 – Exteriors

The new Wellcraft 435 has all the credentials to take its place on the podium of the most elegant and comfortable cruisers I have ever seen. More than 4 metres high, 13.4 metres long and with a maximum beam of over 3.80 metres, this imposing yacht immediately catches the eye in terms of both aesthetics and size.

Designed by the renowned Studio Garroni and American naval architect Michael Peters, the Wellcraft 435 is the answer to the toughest market demands. With this boat, the levels of comfort and elegance on board a cruiser are lowered, and the bar is now raised to another level.