Bente 39 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Bente 39 is a funky looking pilot saloon design with expansive use of glass, and the glass-roofed pilothouse is its defining visual and functional element anchor. Construction is serious: fully cored hulls and decks use vacuum-infused vinylester, and there are no liners, which helps keep weight down anchor. The doghouse frame is built in carbon from a four-piece mould and hydraulically pressed into the deck mould, while the polycarbonate windows were pressure-tested to 3.5 tonnes per square metre. Bente subcontracts its builds to Yacht Services in Poland, laminating specialists 5km from the German border. Interior mouldings use a plant-based epoxy and hemp, the galley worksurfaces are recycled PET finished with recycled paper, and the fridge uses cork for insulation — a lightweight, low-impact material set.

Rig and Handling

The fractional sloop carries two spreaders with a 29-degree sweep and a masthead clearance of 18.10 metres standard. Running rigging is organised through Constrictor clutches neatly mounted under the rigid canopy, and all halyards, sheets and reefing lines route under the dodger directly into the cockpit anchor. The traveller is mounted outside the main cockpit and led to cam cleats each side so the helmsman can actively play it; two winches on each side handle trimming, though masthead runners can get a little busy. Test sailors found her a stiff boat that reacts instantly, almost jerkily, to helm command, with twin rudders giving an easy, light and direct feel anchor. On the wind in 16–20 knots she clocked 8–8.4 knots at 40 degrees true, and once the log touches 10 knots she starts to plane, sitting on the plane for 90 percent of the time in 22–30 knots with a masthead gennaker, logging 10 to 13.5 knots without ever threatening to broach.

Accommodations

Below, the Bente 39 is a study in removable weight. Approximately 350kg of furniture can be removed for racing, and the forward master cabin is minimalist, with rolled-up fabric in place of doors to save weight anchor. The saloon seats seven around the table and includes a 2.1m berth to port, though it only has seated headroom and feels more like a snug; production versions lowered the sole 5cm to increase headroom. The galley spreads across the beam with a central fridge that also disguises the future swing-keel option, and the separate wet room uses Perspex doors. The aft cabin has a huge double berth beneath the cockpit sole and a hatch giving quick access up to the cockpit, and the pilot station is offset to starboard on the cockpit level. The distinctive fixed sprayhood with customisable dodger brings a clear view forward and plenty of daylight; its Gekko seat navigation station gives a weather-protected 360-degree view of sails and course.

Performance Character

The hull shape that makes her plane so readily has a downside: sailing upwind in waves could make life aboard uncomfortable due to the nature of this hull shape anchor. That same shape, with its wide aft shoulders, is what lets her easily achieve speeds in the double-digit knot range and plane well, and the builder cites excellent upwind performance. She is manoeuvrable and safe, suitable for single-handed sailing, and fits categories from family pilot saloon to ocean racer or short-handed cruiser — though the coachroof and cockpit design won't suit round-the-cans racing.

Refits and Ownership Notes

Production boats differ from the test platform in measured ways. The boom was shortened by 20cm on production versions, and Bente claimed a third winch option was under consideration anchor. A reflective coating on the glass was planned. The semi-custom build means tank capacity can be increased by around 50 percent, with water tanks placed below the saloon berth for optimum weight distribution even though they take stowage space.

The Verdict

The Bente 39 is a genuinely different 39-footer: a lightweight, cored, carbon-framed pilothouse racer-cruiser that planes in earnest and protects the crew while doing it. Her removable interior and minimalist cabin doors signal a boat engineered for speed first, comfort second, yet the glass dodger and Gekko seat make protected navigation a pleasure. The trade-off is a hull that can be harsh upwind in a seaway.

Pros