Cheeky Botnia rip-offs from Beneteau and Jenneau

stuartwineberg

stuartwineberg

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The Benny Barracuda and the Jenny Marlin are both mini-walkarounds. They even call the Marlin an "SUV of the sea" - have I ever heard a maker call their boat the 4x4 of the sea ??

I don't really mean they are rip offs but they are going for a market slot somewhere round there. As a boatless person looking for a nippy Solent runabout they look appealing - any comments out there? I have looked hard at the Barracuda brochures which are a triumph of gloss over information and I don't think it has a galley of any sort whatosoever - am I right? If so that's a bit spartan even by Botnia standards.

Other half would need a cooker, a loo and the opportunity to fit decent heating - how do you do that on a petrol boat?

end of ramble!!
 
stuartwineberg said:
The Benny Barracuda and the Jenny Marlin are both mini-walkarounds. They even call the Marlin an "SUV of the sea" - have I ever heard a maker call their boat the 4x4 of the sea ??

I don't really mean they are rip offs but they are going for a market slot somewhere round there. As a boatless person looking for a nippy Solent runabout they look appealing - any comments out there? I have looked hard at the Barracuda brochures which are a triumph of gloss over information and I don't think it has a galley of any sort whatosoever - am I right? If so that's a bit spartan even by Botnia standards.

Other half would need a cooker, a loo and the opportunity to fit decent heating - how do you do that on a petrol boat?

end of ramble!!
Click to expand...

Have you seen this months MBM? The Barracuda is the cover boat with a test inside.
 
The Targa doesn't aim for the same market as the Barracuda and Marlin. The latter are very much posh sportfishers and as such they are the fishing versions of the Antares and Merry Fisher ranges.
Very good at what they do, but not even trying to be in the same league as a Targa.
 
Ta

Nautibusiness said:
The Targa doesn't aim for the same market as the Barracuda and Marlin. The latter are very much posh sportfishers and as such they are the fishing versions of the Antares and Merry Fisher ranges.
Very good at what they do, but not even trying to be in the same league as a Targa.
Click to expand...
Yep just saw it

Off to the newsagents
 
All fur coat and no knickers ?

"Very good at what they do, but not even trying to be in the same league as a Targa."

Err what league is that then,as a police boat braving the dangerous choppy waters of the Thames (above Tower Bridge only ) or as a water sampler boat for the EA,sunny flat calm days only.

Anybody ever seen one of these being used as an all weather boat ....Na... me neither.
Ever seen one as fishing boat,offshore tender perhaps...nope,Private owners toy more like.
A neat advertisng campaign to pull private buyers looking to kid others that they are rufty toughty sea dog types who cannot quite see themselves mincing about in a flybridge.
Bit like those doubtful hairdressser Landrovers with the metallic paint and enourmous alloy wheels. :)
 
oldgit said:
"Very good at what they do, but not even trying to be in the same league as a Targa."

Err what league is that then,as a police boat braving the dangerous choppy waters of the Thames (above Tower Bridge only ) or as a water sampler boat for the EA,sunny flat calm days only.

Anybody ever seen one of these being used as an all weather boat ....Na... me neither.
Ever seen one as fishing boat,offshore tender perhaps...nope,Private owners toy more like.
A neat advertisng campaign to pull private buyers looking to kid others that they are rufty toughty sea dog types who cannot quite see themselves mincing about in a flybridge.
Bit like those doubtful hairdressser Landrovers with the metallic paint and enourmous alloy wheels. :)
Click to expand...

Well I have seen them...well one of them used as an all weather boat...there is a 27 or 26.5 or whatever they call them at my marina.....and christ that boat can take some seas!
 
Since you ask...

stuartwineberg said:
Ah - the sweet smell of thread drift. I wasn't trying to reopen the lovers and haters of Botnia Targa conversation - I was asking what people think of the new Benny and Jenny boats
Click to expand...

Mind you - I have had a test run in a Botnia and if I had the cash and enough extra to have someone do the servicing on the legs every year, I would have one in a flash
 
stuartwineberg said:
The Benny Barracuda and the Jenny Marlin are both mini-walkarounds. They even call the Marlin an "SUV of the sea" - have I ever heard a maker call their boat the 4x4 of the sea ??

I don't really mean they are rip offs but they are going for a market slot somewhere round there. As a boatless person looking for a nippy Solent runabout they look appealing - any comments out there? I have looked hard at the Barracuda brochures which are a triumph of gloss over information and I don't think it has a galley of any sort whatosoever - am I right? If so that's a bit spartan even by Botnia standards.

Other half would need a cooker, a loo and the opportunity to fit decent heating - how do you do that on a petrol boat?

end of ramble!!
Click to expand...

Like you, I am currently boatless. One of my ambitions is a Botnia Targa - I wouldn't consider a copy. They are clearly trying for that slot by nicking Botnia's slogan. I bet that, under the skin, they just don't compare.
 
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