Design and Construction
The hull is a lightweight, fully-cored structure built from CNC-cut, ready-laminated panels that are stitched and glued into one monocoque, with hull and deck joined in roughly three hours anchor. Ringframes and longitudinal stringers give the hull visible stiffness, and the builder engineered it to last at least 30 years anchor. A single transom-hung rudder and significant rocker forward, together with a hard chine, shape a hull the designer described as the only fully cored small cruiser in the world anchor. The defining visual is a prominent fixed dodger — a coloured GRP arch with a large moulded plexiglass windscreen — chosen because owners rarely lower loose sprayhoods; it gives a clear view of all halyards and sheets while keeping the cockpit dry in choppy seas anchor.
Rig and Handling
A deck-mounted mast keeps the hull watertight and supports a fractional sloop rig with a full-width traveller and a single coachroof winch, all lines led aft for straightforward short-handed control anchor. The standard rig is ample for coastal sailors across a wide range of conditions, while lake sailors can opt for a taller rig or enlarged inland rigging to lift performance on sheltered water anchor. A high ballast ratio of 602 kg against roughly 1,749 kg displacement gives stable upwind performance, and the wide, flat stern with a large gennaker drives good broad-reach speed; the transom-hung rudder makes the boat direct to helm, easily controlled, and exceptionally manoeuvrable at sea and in port anchor.
Accommodations
Below, the accommodation is basic but clever. A large double berth sits forward where freeboard allows seated headroom, and two single saloon berths use the curved hull sides as backrests, with long 2.6 m aft berths stowing gear above anchor. The offset companionway — extra-wide and sheltered by the dodger — lets you stand in the saloon at about 190 cm of weather-protected headroom, while a large skylight and big windows deliver a feel-good factor of daylight and air anchor. There is no timber on board and no real furniture; stowage is limited under the bunks, supplemented by canvas bags on the hull sides anchor. The galley is an innovative rail-mounted unit that retracts below or pushes aft so the cook can lift the cockpit seat lid and work on deck, with the sink draining straight into the heads for simplicity anchor.
Equipment and Power
Buyers choose between petrol and electric propulsion, the latter developed with Torqeedo as a 4 kW retractable unit weighing just 60 kg on a 23 kg lithium-ion battery anchor. A performance version adds a square-top main, bowsprit, and stainless steel fin for racing, and the boat carries a large range of accessories to customise dodger colour, waterline, and gear anchor. The Bente 24 is rated for coastal use in Force 6 conditions anchor.
The Verdict
The Bente 24 is a genuinely different pocket cruiser-racer: a trailerable, fully cored monocoque with radical styling, sheltered standing headroom, and a deck-cooking galley that punches far above its 24 ft length for the sailor who values sailing fun over interior luxury.
Pros
- Lightweight fully cored hull with ringframes, engineered for 30-year life
- Fixed dodger gives dry cockpit, clear sightlines, and 190 cm standing headroom at companionway
- High ballast ratio and wide stern deliver stable upwind and fast broad-reach performance
- Single winch, lines led aft, and transom rudder make for easy short-handed handling
- Rail-retracting galley and trailerable sub-1,700 kg empty weight
Cons
- Basic accommodation with limited stowage and no traditional lockers
- Rated only for coastal use in Force 6
- Canvas bag stowage and no timber furniture suit day and weekending more than long cruising
