Groupe Beneteau acquired Jeanneau in 1995 and has created delightful yachts ever since, including the Jeanneau NC 1295 Fly. Taking the popular 34-foot NC 1095 and stretching the
concept to more than 41 feet, Jeanneau has built a yacht that is as appealing as croissants and espresso.
The broad strokes are three staterooms (all with doors), including a master with a larger-than-queen berth, and two mirrored guest staterooms with twins that slide together into doubles. The master has an en suite head with a stall shower, while a day head with an equally large shower serves the twin staterooms.
When I first boarded the 1295, I puzzled over how Jeanneau achieved so much space in the salon. Then, I realized that the house is actually asymmetrical on the 12-foot, 6-inch beam. The starboard side has a wide, kid-safe walkway with double-welded rails to the bow, while the port side also has full rails but is best suited for tippy-toe fender hanging.
The salon exudes space with a U-shaped dinette and a liquor locker whose Lucite fitments would hold three nice Burgundies with perhaps a Côtes du Rhône or trois. The galley is another French kiss, tucked far aft to port. The entire after end of the salon, with sliding and hinged doors, opens to the cockpit with a bar counter that flips down so guests can sip those wines while watching the chef at work. A wraparound settee with a high-low table in the cockpit is ready for alfresco dining.
Jeanneau also embraced the idea of a fold-down cockpit. A big chunk of the starboard coaming creates a mini-terrace with a swim ladder. One reason this is important is that the NC 1295 is powered by a trio of 300-hp Yamaha outboards, which leave only a petit transom platform on each side. The terrace makes for easy boarding (via a boarding door to port) from the water, the dock or a tender.
From the cockpit, a clever teak-and-stainless ladder leads up to the bridge with good handrails. (This ladder slides neatly out of the way to increase the cockpit floor space.) Up top is a J-shaped settee around another table. The optional grill and fridge on this deck fairly shout, “steak au poivre.”
The helm is in the salon, with a swiveling skipper’s chair that can face either the dinette or the black dash with rows of toggle switches and a pair of Garmin multifunction displays. Throttle controls are well-placed on a mini-island outboard, and the NC 1295 that I got aboard was fitted with a Sleipner bow thruster and Lenco trim tabs. I particularly liked the sliding door next to the helm, which lets the skipper step quickly onto the side deck to help with lines. On the bridge, a low venturi windscreen protects the helm and the sunpad. Flipping the back of the dinette here creates a companion seat.
As if there aren’t enough lounging areas, the foredeck sports three sunpads, each with armrests and (I suppose) wineglass holders. To prevent grilled skin, the cockpit has an extending awning. At the foredeck, there’s a Bedouin-style shade on posts.
Having the power hanging off the stern opens up vast stowage where an engine room might have been. Owners can easily stow water toys or even a few cases of wine. This boat was outfitted with a Seakeeper 3 (it worked great in the rocking Gulf Stream) and a 3-kW Fischer Panda genset.
Underway, the 1295 Fly is a performer. We topped out at an easy 40 knots in spite of a lumpy sea, thanks to the nearly 16-degree deadrise that softened the ride. Wide chine flats threw spray to the side, and we returned without a drop on the windshield.
All told, this is a truly delightful French pastry hauler with features that North American owners tend to like. It’s a boat ready for everything from family fun to extended overnighting to entertaining dockside.
JEANNEAU NC 1295 FLY
LOA: 41ft. 2in.
Beam: 12ft. 6in.
Draft: 2ft. 6in.
Construction: FRP
Displacement: 18,036 lbs.
Fuel: 314 gal.
Water: 106 gal.
Engine: 3x 300-hp Yamaha F300 outboards
Info: jeanneau.com
This article was originally published in the January/February 2024 issue.
