The (1999) Beneteau Oceanis 44CC is a distinguished center-cockpit cruiser from the board of Bruce Farr, the naval architect whose designs have powered numerous competition models. This lineage delivers a hull that marries genuine performance with forgiving, predictable handling—qualities that draw dedicated sailors, committed liveaboards, and especially seniors determined to keep sailing well into later years in comfort and in safety.
The cutter rig stands out for its versatility and ease. As her previous owner often described, even in the full force of a Meltemi (Mistral) in the Aegean, the boat maintained impressive speed and balance with almost no trimming required. Once the sails were set—frequently relying on the staysail for drive—the autopilot handled the majority of the passage, leaving only occasional light touches on helm or sheets. Complementing this is the wing keel, drawn from America’s Cup origins and widely emulated in production yachts, which provides excellent directional stability, minimal leeway, a light helm and reduced steering effort—ideal for extended short-handed or autopilot-driven cruising.
Maneuvering under power is equally straightforward: electric winches handle the large genoa, mainsail and in-mast reefing without physical strain, while the bow thruster and remote controls for both thruster and windlass make berthing and anchoring in confined spaces far less demanding. These elements combine to remove much of the effort from sailing, letting the crew concentrate on the passage itself.
Inside, the French approach to layout shines through in thoughtful ergonomics and intelligent storage—plenty of lockers, cupboards, and cleverly utilised spaces that create a genuinely comfortable, practical liveaboard environment suited to long Mediterranean seasons or longer voyages.
Proven in the Mediterranean sea, and with sisterships well received in the United States (particularly around Bermuda and comparable cruising grounds), she is fitted with premium Hydranet sails: a high-tenacity polyester fabric interwoven with Ultra-PE (Dyneema/Spectra) fibers, widely praised for exceptional durability, shape-holding, UV resistance, and longevity—often called the last sails a boat will ever need. The working set, installed from new, is accompanied by an unused spare genoa and mainsail, plus a serviced folding propeller and a spare fixed-blade unit.
In a market full of alternatives, this 1999 Oceanis 44CC offers a rare combination of Farr performance, short-handed usability, and genuine liveaboard comfort—ready for the next owner who values capability without compromise, combined with reasonable running costs for maintenance and upkeep.