Prestige. It’s a strange, intangible thing, yet it is also a hugely marketable commodity. I’m looking at the brochure for the new Jeanneau 64, and the tagline reads ‘an exclusive and luxurious world’. It’s a new tack for the French production boatbuilder, whose various models show in pretty much every marina in the civilized world. The new 64 is a monster of a yacht that takes over as flagship from the successful Jeanneau 57. She’s not far off the superyacht bracket when it comes to size; indeed, Jeanneau understands she is about as big as it dared go before a full-time crew was mandatory.

As it stands, the manufacturer believes she can be comfortably handled by a couple. Put aside the question of what sort of a couple needs a 64ft (19.5m) yacht – because the healthy order book suggests there are plenty out there. I wanted to see whether she lives up to her short-handed billing.

Superyacht-Styled Sailboat

At first sight on the quayside in Palma, Mallorca, the 64 exudes a certain aura. In the rarefied company of this yachting Mecca, she certainly doesn’t look out of place. That might be because Jeanneau 64 was designed by Philippe Briand. He is a French naval architect and the creative force behind many 100ft-plus superyachts (as well as Jeanneau’s Sun Odyssey range). I have always been impressed with his ability to turn out beautiful yachts that look thoroughly modern.

Step aboard, and the impression lingers. The cockpit is simply huge. The sense of space is enhanced by the uniquely lopped step in the middle. This was specially designed to provide more headroom in the saloon down below.

It’s a real step up from yachts I’ve sailed in the 50ft-plus bracket. You feel rather like you are on the flybridge of a motor yacht. This impression is underlined by two giant pods located in the central section of the cockpit.

One contains a mini-fridge for drinks, with a sink and barbecue grill in the other. Further forward, there are twin cockpit tables (yes, it really is that big). These whirr down electrically to create a truly huge lounging space amidships with the addition of a couple of cushions.

The mainsheet is out of the way on one of those distinctive arches that the French manufacturers love. Hence, there is very little to interfere with your cruising pleasure.

Further aft, the bathing platform comes down in three sections. It reveals a huge dinghy garage with a retractable, pivoting ramp capable of getting a decent sized RIB in and out with ease.

Everything points to a yacht tailor-made for summer cruising in the Mediterranean.

Jeanneau has the jump on many other manufacturers in the 60ft to 70ft (18.3m to 21.3m) bracket. The emphasis is often on serious bluewater cruising, with much more enclosed cockpits. By contrast, the 64’s cockpit is the yacht’s focal point, accounting for fully 40% of deck space. The side decks are wide but not expansive, and the foredeck feels like that of a smaller boat. Flush hatches and a general lack of clutter create a very clean, thoroughly modern look. There is also deck access to a forward cabin, which can be used as crew quarters or as storage.

Comfort and Luxury

Upon close inspection, the rig reveals a few touches that you don’t usually find on a production yacht. First, the mainsail winch is hidden away down below, moving the mainsheet near-silently with a push of a button. 

The Jeanneau 64 features an in-mast furling main and cutter rig for ease of handling, with a self-tacking Genoa, making handling near effortless. Both headsails are on large electric furlers, and I was surprised that they weren’t recessed into the deck. It is one of the few pointers on deck that the Jeanneau is at heart a large production yacht. 

Stepping below deck, you enter a very bright, open space. The volume is accentuated by the split-level layout. The saloon is raised to accommodate generators, tanks, watermakers, and any other gizmos of that type you may wish to add below. Her 17ft 8in (5.4m) beam really shows in the thoroughly modern saloon. 

Her interior feels pretty top end; in fact, my test yacht was finished in light oak with a dark laminate floor, which looked very stylish.

>>Also Read: How Much Money Can You Make Renting Your Sailboat? A Realistic Guide

Customization Choices

Jeanneau doesn’t encourage customization, so major rejigs of the layout are completely non-negotiable. However, there are many layout options to choose from, including a huge stateroom aft or a pair of more modest twin berths, with the stateroom forward. Some traditionalists will wince, but even the chart table is optional and can be replaced with a small single berth. The yacht I tested has a huge stateroom aft and two more modest twins forward. 

All three cabins have en suite heads and showers. In the starboard forward cabin, there is an access door through to potential crew accommodation. I thought that the dividing panel between the two fore cabins was a bit light. Perhaps the floorboards creaked a little more than they would do on a custom superyacht, but there was a feeling of high-end opulence in general. 

There was also a feeling that the design team at Jeanneau paid attention to every little detail when designing the 64. Like the free-standing wooden bathroom sink in the master head. The galley is a nice self-enclosed space with plenty of room and lots of extra work surface area, and plenty of bracing points if you are cooking at sea. It has the usual luxuries such as a dishwasher, but even more impressive is the wine cooler, which should surely be standard on all French yachts? My only complaint here was the pair of rather minuscule sinks, which looked wholly inadequate for a yacht of this size. I have worked on enough charter yachts to know the value of a decent-sized sink. 

Walk aft from the galley. You pass a small communal heads compartment on the way to (on the yacht I tested) the master cabin: a big space with masses of light coming from a huge pair of skylights set into the bridge deck arrangement in the cockpit. These skylights also allow easy access to the cockpit from the cabin – handy for changing after a swim. The master heads are well-appointed, although not particularly huge. And yet, it’s here that Jeanneau presents its trump card: a small doorway gives access to the walk-in engine room, which features enough space to stroll around. It’s a mechanic’s heaven.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

Jeanneau 64 Sailing Performance

All well and good, but even the most luxurious yacht has to sail well, and the 64 is a pretty substantial chunk of glassfibre to get moving. The first challenge was to get her out of the berth. With bow-thrusters coming as standard and the option of stern-thrusters, maneuvering was pretty straightforward. 

We started the test in about 15kt of wind, but this gradually died off to 10kt as the afternoon progressed. The 9/10ths fractional rig is stepped well aft, allowing for a more generous foretriangle. However, it’s still not a massive rig for her 31-tonne displacement. We initially started out with the self-tacking jib and full main, and progress was, well, a little stately in the moderate breeze. It’s a shame because, besides the prestige, there is a more vital reason to own a 64-footer: the joy of slicing through the waves at 10kt-plus. Alas, 10-15 knots of wind just wasn’t quite enough to get her going. She managed a respectable 7kt in the fickle breeze, but you really want half a gale to sail a yacht like this fully. Palma just didn’t supply one. A Code 0 would have helped. 

Despite this, the yacht demonstrated her ease of handling. Almost everything is push-button, and most controls are accessible from a panel in the helming position. The mainsheet whirred away inaudibly beneath the deck, and the self-tacking jib ensured that you really didn’t have to think about much at all. Switch to the genoa, and the winches are well-positioned within easy reach of the helmsman. The helming position is good, giving you a commanding view. 

It’s perhaps a little more exposed than on some of those hardcore bluewater yachts. Still, it is partially enclosed, and the high freeboard is also reassuring. All in all, she was well mannered and effortless to sail. All that was left was to whistle for a 25kt wind that would show off this mighty vessel to best advantage.

>>Also Read: How Fast Can a Sailboat Go?

Jeanneau 64 Review – Final Thoughts

At first, I was a little confused with this huge sailboat. She is just so big. Jeanneau 64 is essentially a very well-appointed superyacht that can also be used for sailing for about half the price tag of a custom yacht. 

The truth is that the Jeanneau 64 is a beautiful looking boat with lots of features and lots of comforts onboard. It also provides most of the things that you need on the deck. If you think about it, you spend almost 80% of your day on the deck, so Jeanneau made sure that everything that we need can be found on the deck. It provides dedicated spaces for cooking, eating, lounging, resting, etc. 

It also has a lot of storage, better showers, and all kinds of extra fittings and spaces that make the Jeanneau 64 extremely comfortable. You also have many choices to customize the boat without going into custom boat prices. 

Overall I fell in love with the Jeanneau 64. It is an extremely comfortable and capable sailboat. During my stay, I always felt that this is something that I would get used to very fast: the large spaces, the beautiful large deck, and the overall feel of extreme luxury. However, upon looking at the price tag, I came to my senses and quickly realized that this is not gonna happen anytime soon. 

Jeanneau 64 Specs

LOA	65ft 11in (20.1m)
LWL	59ft 1in (18m)
Beam	17ft 9in (5.4m)
Draught	9ft 8in (2.95m)
Displacement	31,000kg (68,343lb)
Sail Area	2,197sq ft (204m2)
Berths	6-10
Engine	180hp Volvo
Water	1,000lt (220gal)
Fuel	825lt (181gal)

Jeanneau 64 Performance

Sail Area/Displacement	21.0
Disp/LWL	148

Jeanneau 64 Price

Jeanneau 64’s base price is $850,000 but can be spec’d up to 1.50 million dollars. You can see the price list and the available extras here. However, the yacht tested in this review has a price tag of approximately 1.2 million. You can’t call that cheap but if you can afford it, it is an excellent choice.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboat Brands

Jeanneau 64 Alternatives

Hanse 675 

Price New: Around $900,000

Hanse has recently launched its new 675, which it terms a ‘mini superyacht’. This Judel/Vrolijk design features a full electric sunroof over the saloon, which in turn features very modern ‘loft-style’ decor. Just like Jeanneau, it aims to offer all that at production yacht prices.

Moody 52 

Price: $950,000

A big boat made even bigger by that enormous deck saloon from designer Bill Dixon. These days Moody yachts are built by the Hanse group, so production is efficient, and prices are competitive. Fast, comfortable, with good bluewater potential, this yacht could present a viable alternative.

Oyster 625 

Price: $2.6M 

If you are seriously looking at the Jeanneau 64, it’s important to know what else is out there, and it is well worth having a look at Oyster’s 625. High on quality, effortlessly luxurious, and with an excellent pedigree for bluewater sailing. And with a very different price tag.