German-built Bente 24 is part of a wave of planning, trailerable performance boats that also includes Seascape, Saphire, Focus, Django and Reacher. These boats focus on the fun factor of sailing, and not necessarily in a racing environment. They are fast, but also fairly simple and cruising-oriented. Small, new manufacturers have succeeded in this market where the big, traditional ones have failed. Or maybe more precisely, where they never really tried.
Bente Yachts has entered into a partnership with an expert on sustainable boat building, Friedrich Deimann (Greenboats). As a result, you can choose a version where the core material is recycled plastic or cork—and the fiber is plant-based (hemp/flax). Even the resin is organic. About 80% of the boat is made from renewable materials. This comes of course with an added cost, but this boat starts off at a low price point, so even the “organic” version ends up being a reasonably priced boat.
It might be a bit early to call this a trend, but it is definitely something new that fits in very well with the megatrends in the rest of society. Green Bente 24 won the biocomposite of the year award in December last year. Bente 24 will soon have a big sister—Bente 39.
Read more about cruising sailboats on NauticExpo website.
