Among the new wave of pilothouse sports boats is one that deserves a little more attention than most. Simon Everett heads for Marseilles to search it out . . .

The pilothouse style of boat has found a great deal of favour of late - and not just among weather-beaten anglers. After four or five questionable summers, relatively young family boaters have also begun to consider the merits of a protective structure in preference to the blind optimism of a open boat. And while that sage approach to the decision making process is to be applauded, some of the latest pilothouse craft have left quite a lot to be desired. Most of them look very similar in profile and have virtually the same layout, but below the waterline, hull shapes tend to vary wildly, in many cases apparently abdicating any commitment to sporting ambition. Happily, the Antares 680 sets out to confront and confound that compromise. Here we have the promise of a pilothouse boat designed to satisfy the handling expectations of even the most ardent sports boat fan. As a fisherman, a cruise boater and a driving fan myself, I can’t wait to get her on the water . . .

Upgraded Facilities

Despite the pleasant subtlety of the stylistic tweaks, the Antares 680 is not just a mildly buffed version of a previous model. This thing has been purpose designed from scratch and the difference is noticeable. It can now accommodate three people in two berths and allow your guests enough room to fish without forever tangling their lines. It is also quite light on the water and while that tends to mean she is susceptible to excessive shifting of weight at rest, she becomes much more stable underway and, funnily enough, when drifting beam on too.

Anyone who wants a boat for the dual purpose of cruising and fishing will be pleased by the fact that a generously proportioned cabin is complemented by a clever wheelhouse dining area, which converts into a second double berth. It mans that a few days away are well within the capabilities of this boat, making all kinds of more adventurous trips perfectly realistic. How about a run out to the Channel Isles for turbot, or to Pembrokeshire for shark, or to the Western Isles for some nature watching? Try that in your bow rider . . .

The accommodation

The lower cabin is virtually filled with the double berth and a chemical toilet. There is also a neat little storage unit down here and two rod holders that allow made up rods to be stowed tip-first under the wheelhouse, keeping them secure until required. The cabin is also made a little more homely by wood trim for the lockers and storage spaces and that same theme is continued in the main accommodation space within the wheelhouse. Up here, your spacious, weather-proof cocoon doubles as a dining saloon. The entire space is enclosed with a three-panel sliding door that creates a very airy (almost open boat) feel when slid back. Close them up again, however, and you get that snug, cosy warmth that has given the pilothouse revival such impetus.

There is a wooden table on the port side with a seat at each end and a helm seat that swivels to face the table, creating a spacious eating area for three. The table drops to create the third berth in what is effectively the second cabin. If you want to use it as such, all-round curtains will be required to combat the light ingress through the wheelhouse’s vast areas of glazing but, on the plus side, with tinted glass throughout and very little structure to create blind spots, the visibility, even underway in a hard turn, is very good indeed.

The helm is given a superbly comfortable seat with a lift-up squab to create a higher perch for a well supported standing position. The dash console has also been kept neat and compact, with enough room for a built-in combination chartplotter, VHF and iPod dock. The engine and fuel gauges are set in line towards the top of the dash in easy view, while the switch panels and circuit breakers are set on either side, below the traditional looking wood and steel ship’s wheel.

The large screen gets two windscreen wipers as standard, plus a cabin heater on the options list, which would be a very useful addition, not just for warmth but also for keeping the windows fog-free. For ventilation or easy communication, there is a large sliding panel in the side window, which even enables you to reach out and tie a fender on the guardrail without leaving the helm seat.

The starboard after end of the wheelhouse is given over to the galley unit. This is immediately astern of the helm seat and consists of a sink with a manual pump tap and a single spirit burner hob. This isn’t going to win you any prizes on Masterchef, but it’s just about sufficient for a simple, reinvigorating hot meal.

It’s unusual outside

The cockpit on the test boat is empty of anything other than a single seat. There is the option for a different layout with a table and U-shaped seating instead, but this open format is ideal for fishing. The gunwale height is generous, creating a very supportive bulwark to lean against when playing a large fish and the coachroof overhangs the cockpit in such a way as to deflect spray and rain well away.

Where the Antares differs from out and out fishing boats, however, is in the use of the foredeck as a sunbathing area. When the cushions are laid out over the hatch, you get a decent sized sundeck and yet there is still plenty of flat deck for working an anchor. Getting up there requires a walk along some rather narrow side decks but they are ably assisted by a full length gaurd rail and some grab rails on the coachroof.

Sports boat handling

Having all the features in the world is no good if a boat is a pig to handle but the new Beneteau is without question one of the best handling pilothouses of her size. She is as nimble and stable as many other, more overtly sporting craft and, while the 115hp Suzuki doesn’t exactly set her alight in terms of straight line speed, she is nonetheless quick to plane and responsive at the throttle.

The hull does an excellent job of gripping the water, particularly as the Antares has a natural tendency to dip her bow whenever you put her into a turn. Even a bout of mismatched trim, throttle and wheel causes no great drama. Instead, if you just let her do her thing, she will run flat, level and controlled, treating a novice to the easiest of drives.

Her turning ability is also assured and accurate, with little heel angle, and yet she is able to turn at speed in a very short radius. Many of the earlier pilothouse boats were simply awful in this regard but the Antares 680 will even stay planted on top of a crest, again with minimal helm input.

What does let her down somewhat is the widespread use of self-tapping screws into the laminate to fasten fixtures. This is done to reduce costs but it is very poor engineering. I wish builders would go back to the time-honoured method of using bolts and backing plates. Is it really that much more expensive? If it were my money, I would insist on it.

Verdict

The Antares 680 is probably the best of her type in class. Certainly, in the handling and ride comfort stakes, she is head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, and she manages to combine that with a good mix of cabin and cockpit space, while also embracing a little stylistic flair. But she remains a bit lacking in outright speed. After all, a seven-metre boat should be able to take more than just 115hp and I would certainly be happy to swallow the extra cost involved. But as it stands, what we have here is a very well priced cruising package that hints at just how much more she could be.


The pilothouse stereotype
When you first see a pilothouse boat, the traditional lines come flooding through. It tends to be workmanlike and rather dumpy, a radical departure from the raked, style-intensive form of a high-end sports cruiser. More often than not, a stubby bow with a generous flare combines with an upright, squared off wheelhouse, to create the look of a distinctly old-fashioned fishing boat. Happily, the Antares 680 has addressed this issue, not with any radical reworking of boat structure but with the easing back of the angles, creating a boat that has sleeker lines as well as an explicit commitment to practicality.

Why you would

• Versatile wheelhouse
• Impressive sleeping capacity
• Excellent handling
• Very impressive price

Why you wouldn’t

• Too many self-tappers
• Walkways are narrow
• Could do with more power

Performance
Revs    Speed (knots)
600    2.4
1000    3.1
2000    5.7
3000    8.0
4000    13.9
5000    21.5
5800    27.1

Specifications
Length overall    6.72m
Hull length    6.43m
Beam    2.54m
Weight    1,250kg
Draft    0.53m
Fuel tank    135 litres
Fresh water tank    20 litres
Max power    115 hp
Engine    Suzuki DF115
Max people    seven
CE Category    C
Price as tested     £32,511

Contact
Dickies
01248 363414
www.dickies.co.uk