Beneteau Excess 11 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull of the Excess 11 is all-new, with twin chines leading aft that open up interior volume and lend a different exterior character from her larger sisters anchor, while a marked flare above the waterline widens living space without adding drag and the chines themselves help keep spray down. Construction is in three vacuum-infused sections, with balsa coring in the deck and the hull above the waterline, and the keels are moulded as part of the hull, foam-filled, laminate-capped, and vacuum-infused with resin. Those shallow, long-chord keels carry extra GRP-reinforced shoes for vertical load bearing so the boat rests comfortably on them, and they are engineered to fail under a severe side impact without breaching the hull's watertight integrity—there are no keel bolts to concern the owner. Patrick Le Quement shaped the exterior flair and Nauta Design handled the interiors; the builder is Excess Catamarans in Bordeaux, France. A hard Bimini edge is left unrounded to save weight, and much of the foredeck is trampoline to keep mass and slamming loads well aft.

Rig and Handling

All models in the Excess line carry twin helm stations aft and no flybridge, and on the 11 those wheels sit on the main deck level, aft and outboard of the superstructure, with a high bulwark outboard improving the sense of security. Steering uses Dyneema cables rather than hydraulics, with a short cable run that minimizes play and maximizes feel; the helm proved light and responsive, sensitive enough to read the fore-and-aft balance of the sailplan even though the boat stays on an even keel upwind. A 57ft Z-Spar rig with laminate Incidence sails was on the test boat, and a self-tacking jib keeps handling simple—most owners choose it. The mainsail is large and powerful, the boom low enough to make stowing from the coach roof easy, and a two-to-one halyard runs to a powered winch ahead of the starboard helm. A foldable bowsprit hinges away to shorten her in harbour, and a 54m² Code Zero delivered a measured top speed of 10.1 knots when the wind gusted to its upper range. Twin 29hp Yanmar diesels with saildrive sit wide apart and set well aft, driving her at 6.8 knots wide open and 5.9 at a 2,500 rpm cruise; she'll even walk sideways when needed.

Accommodations

The Excess 11 is offered with three or four cabins, both layouts carrying two heads, and most owners favor the three-cabin version: a starboard owner's suite running nearly the full hull length with a huge aft double, a forward bathroom with separate shower, and a sliding door sealing it from the rest of the boat, while the port hull holds double cabins fore and aft around a heads with its own shower. The master berth has cutaway corners so sheets fit and occupants move without gymnastics. The saloon and galley are compact but well equipped with ample refrigeration, counter, and seating, including an L-shaped settee forward, a nav station to starboard, and an L-shaped galley with fixed oven, two-burner hob, and front-opening fridge. Six seats span the stern, seats fold down behind each helm, and the interior is deliberately light on drawer pulls and hardware. Clear rather than tinted saloon windows let the helmsman see through to the opposite corner.

Known Issues

Testers noted the optional soft accordion sunroof, which opens manually, can complicate dropping the main because you cannot step on it to tuck reefing lines into the bag. The non-skid on the hardtop needs extending toward the edges, which get slippery when wet, and single long handrails along the cabintrunk would be safer than the two small rails fitted. The anchor weight sits well forward toward the bows, not ideal, though the bow-roller launch from the crossbeam keeps the chain off the hulls at anchor. On the engineering side, the engines are mounted saildrive-aft, leaving the alternator, impeller, and water strainer tucked forward and hard to reach head-on, and the Dyneema steering cables run immediately above the engine; those cables have a 70ºC maximum operating temperature while some engines run hotter, so an engine fire could sever one cable though the opposite wheel retains steerage through the tie bar.

Refits and Ownership

The optional PulseLine package adds 3ft of mast and 59ft² of sail for more drive, and many owners add the walkable hard-top cockpit canopy to mount solar panels, or a folding canvas targa top for more light. A second 300-litre water tank fits the nacelle locker, and bow lockers can convert to berths for a stated capacity of twelve. Engine bays hinge aft for deck access without perching on the bathing platform. Forward pulpit seats and engine controls at both helm pods are options that broaden short-handed command.

The Verdict

The Excess 11 packs genuine performance-DNA catamaran design into a sub-40ft footprint that slips into marinas and anchorages where larger cruising cats cannot go, with a from-scratch hull, thoughtful keel engineering, and a bright, compact interior that punches above its length. The trade-offs are the tight engine access and a steering-cable routing that demands respect near hot machinery.

Pros