A few years ago, Beneteau broke new ground with their Barracuda 9, a new type of pilothouse fishing boat. Now they've introduced a smaller sibling, the Barracuda 7. Join UK boat review expert Alex Smith for a quick video tour of this new model, which he spotted at the Dusseldorf Boat Show.


As you can see, Beneteau managed to pack an awful lot into the 24'3" LOA. Few if any competitors of this size can boast a cabin and a pilothouse, yet still maintain 360-degree fishability and a bow cockpit. The trade-off? As you saw, the aft cockpit isn't incredibly huge. Still, for a crew of four or five anglers this boat will have plenty of space. And although the package is small, the boat is built with a big attitude. Fittings are stainless-steel and look like they came from a much larger model, hatches are over-built, and unlike most boats this size there's not only a windshield wiper but also a freshwater windshield washer.

You can see why an Englishman like Alex would like this design, considering their North Sea conditions and seemingly endless rainfall. Does it make sense in the US of A? That depends on where you are. Florida anglers and those living on the Gulf Coast will likely wish for a little less enclosure and a little more open air. But everyone from the Mid-Atlantic northward, around the Great Lakes, and especially those angling in the Pacific Northwest will find the pilothouse design an excellent choice. For a 24-footer, you simply can't get better protection than a boat like this provides. And for those sunny days, Beneteau did an excellent job of making sure there's plenty of air flow through the cabin, thanks to the double doors and aft slider window.

Beneteau Barracuda 7 First Look Video

Another thing Beneteau got right was accommodating the way we fish over here. Europeans do things quite differently, and as a result, when the Barracuda 9 first hit our shores it didn't have a livewell. But on the 7, there's one built into the transom walk-through.

If you find the Barracuda 7 interesting, you can learn more by reading our full review of the boat, Beneteau Barracuda 7: Foul Weather Fishing Fun. For an in-depth look at this boat's bigger sister, watch Beneteau Barracuda 9: Video Boat Review.

Ready to shop? Check out a number of Barracuda listings. Or visit Beneteau USA.

Written by: Lenny Rudow
With over two decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to publications including YachtWorld, boats.com, Boating Magazine, Marlin Magazine, Boating World, Saltwater Sportsman, Texas Fish & Game, and many others. Lenny is a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and he has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.