The Antares 12 Coupe offers a luxurious ride. Courtesy BeneteauVisit BeneteauBuild Your BeneteauFind a Beneteau DealerOverviewThe Antares 12 Coupe, sistership to the Antares 12 Flybridge, is a three-cabin-plus cruiser that's ready, willing and able to take a large family or three couples along on a weekend or longer cruise. It also has the seating capacity to host get-togethers in style, and thanks to its outboard power, it's right at home at the sandbar.There's a dining area to port for up to eight guests in the salon. Courtesy BeneteauInterior and AccessoriesThe 12 Coupe has plenty of room to roam, with an overall length of 42 feet, 7 inches and a wide beam of 12 feet, 5 inches. An electronically actuated drop-down Sea View terrace on the starboard side adds even more space for use when the anchor is set. Interestingly, there is a dive door set into the terrace to assist with dockside boarding, and a swimming-pool-style ladder with large handrails for swimmers. A ladder on the side of the starboard swim platformette gives bathers another boarding option. Kudos for including a walkway with a grab rail across the transom, making it easy and safe for handling dock lines, checking engine oil, or for boarding from the port side.AdvertisementAdvertisementA large L-lounge on the aft deck is mostly protected by the hardtop's generous overhang. For horizontal lounging, the twin pedestal table drops, and filler cushions create a tanning zone, and a retractable sunroof is available to let in more sun.A large L-lounge provides ample space for entertaining. Courtesy BeneteauEntering the salon through the glass slider, there's a dining area to port for up to eight guests. The multifold table conserves space between meals. The clever seating arrangement allows the aft-most seatback to flip forward, so those sitting there can socialize with guests on the rear deck when the sliding door is open. The forward-most seat also has a convertible seatback that transforms into a forward-facing co-pilot seat. The galley on the starboard side of my test boat included an optional over/under refrigerator/freezer, a convection oven/microwave, and a twin-burner electric stove. There's plenty of countertop space and dedicated storage areas for glasses, plates, silverware and bottles.The helm station is compact, with just enough room for a pair of 12-inch Simrad MFDs. With the seat bolster flipped up, I noted plenty of room to stand without crowding the stylish wrapped wheel. A thoughtful touch is the optional sliding glass door next to the driver so they can quickly head fore or aft or control the joystick while standing in the walkway for a better view when docking.A thoughtful touch is the optional sliding glass door next to the driver. Courtesy BeneteauTo the left of the helm is the entrance to the three staterooms. The owner's cabin in the bow is well-lit with four windows and has a queen-size island berth, and there's a large ensuite head compartment. On the port side is the VIP cabin that also has an ensuite head that serves as the boat's day head. To starboard is a third cabin that can serve as a lounging area that converts to a double-wide bed or twins when needed. All cabins and heads feature a minimum headroom of 6 feet, 3 inches.The owner's cabin in the bow is well-lit with four windows and has a queen-size island berth. Courtesy BeneteauOne of the most amazing transformations happened when the glass door at the rear of the salon was slid shut during my sea trial. Suddenly, it got library-quiet, muting the already-quiet trio of Mercury 300 hp Verado V-8 outboards, the 20 mph wind, and the animated conversation of the group sitting on the aft deck. At its happiest cruise speed of 35.5 mph, my sound-level meter read a super-low 73 decibels. Give partial credit for its quietude to Beneteau's Infujection building process, which creates a one-piece stringer and hull by bagging the hand-laid hull and introducing resin via vacuum lines that draw it in, fully saturating the fiberglass before the excess is pulled out. The result is a consistent, strong, lightweight hull that also effectively deadens sound.A large ensuite head is nicely appointed. Courtesy BeneteauAdvertisementAdvertisementUsually, after an outboard-powered boat gets on plane, the procedure is to start trimming the engines to reduce drag. But other than bumping the trim up just enough to level out the engines, I didn't touch the trim button again until I made the top-speed run. It ran at a consistent 5-degree bow-up attitude when on plane, which felt just right. The Antares 12 is also tracked straight, needing minimal wheel input. It responded well during my simulated "look out for the crab trap buoy!" It also carved an admirably tight 180 degrees at speed.Read Next: Beneteau Antares 9The bow features plush seating. Courtesy BeneteauEnginesThe three Mercury 300 Verado outboards pushed the 12 Coupe on plane in just 4.9 seconds, to 30 mph in 12.7 seconds, and powered it to a top speed of 43.2 mph. Standard power is twin Mercury Verado 425 V-10s, and while more power is a good thing on this 10-ton-plus boat, the V-10s with their 150-amp alternators have nearly the same charging power as the trio of V-8 300s that have 115-amp alternators. With the triple 300s, the manufacturer's suggested retail price is $752,400. Going with twin 425 hp Verado outboards drops the price to $687,800.Three-cabin, outboard-powered monohull cruisers at this length are rare. Comparison shoppers can look at Tiara's 43 LE with twin 600 hp Mercury V-12 outboards, and the Jeanneau DB43 OB with triple Mercury 350 outboards, but both will cost substantially more and offer just two standard cabins.The drop-down Sea View terrace on the starboard side adds even more space for use when the anchor is set. Courtesy BeneteauHow We TestedEngines: Triple 300 hp Mercury Verado V-8sDrive/Prop: Outboard/Mercury Enertia 15″ x 15″ 3-blade stainless steelGear Ratio: 1.75:1 Fuel Load: 150 gal. Water on Board: 106 gal. Crew Weight: 990 lb. High PointsThree honest-to-goodness cabins on a boat this size puts it in a class by itself.The pop-up TV in the galley preserves the clean look when not in use.The large sunroof over the salon brings the outside in and the racks on top are ideal for paddleboards or kayaks.Low PointsThe low windshield header may obstruct the vision of taller drivers but the field of view increased when it got on plane.The piping on the middle of the seating groups' backrests were thick enough to be a comfort irritant.Pricing and SpecsPrice:$752,400 (base with test power)LOA:42'7″Beam:12'5″Draft:3'10" (outdrives down)Displacement:19,900 lb.Transom Deadrise:16.2 degreesBridge Clearance:14'5″ (with hardtop)Max Headroom:6'3″Fuel Capacity:310 gal.Max Horsepower:Triple 300 hp Mercury Verado V-8 outboards or twin Mercury 425 hp V-10 outboardsSpeed, Efficiency, OperationBeneteau Antares 12 Coupe Certified Test Results Boating MagazineContact BeneteauAdvertisementAdvertisementBeneteau Powerboats – Annapolis, Maryland; beneteau.comThe post Boat Test: 2026 Beneteau Antares 12 Coupe appeared first on Boating Mag.
