I have a little knowledge of this boat. I had looked at the 473 at its U.S. introduction in Annapolis. I really liked the
lines of the boat compared to the earlier boat that the 473 it replaced. I was less taken with the interior arrangement which has the galley stretched along the port side and a centerline bench and that is part of a large dinette.
The two cabin (vs three cabin) seems to be a better layout for distance cruising. (At least according to the sales materials) Beneteau has tried to engineer the 473 more for offshore use than some of the earlier Beneteaus. In particular they have gone to bonding bulkheads on all sides (including the deck) rather than simply to the hull. This typically results in a substantially stiffer hull and deck struuture.
I am not a fan of the stowaway mast. I would absolutely not buy one of these boats with the stock sails or the in mast
furling option. This will cost you some money but the stock (and even their ''upgraded. Neil Pryde sails) are so poorly shaped (at least based on my experience with previous stock Beneteau sails) that they really hurt the boat''s performance to the point that you will spend a lot more of your life motoring than sailing if you go with the stock sails rather than a higher quality set of sails.
Good luck
Jeff
Linear Mode
