Beneteau Power's Barracuda 9

Yes, yes I would. Speaking of Barracuda, these lyrics and a searing guitar riff (courtesy of ‘80s hard rock sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart) are ready made to accompany Beneteau Power’s latest offering for the United States powerboat market—the Barracuda 9. An aggressive, bold design move geared toward serious inshore and offshore anglers, the lines of this 28-foot fishing machine are more reticent of reverse pilothouse commercial fishing vessels than the center-console, walk-around, and cuddy-themed fishing machines most often seen around Bay and coastal fishing haunts. And certainly don’t let the fact that the French manufacturer is generally better known for its sailboat offerings steer you away from this rugged, high-performance boat.

So what’s the Barracuda 9 all about? In no particular order, it seems Beneteau has put its pencils to work on three focus areas in the Barracuda’s design: speed, comfort, and seaworthiness. The Barracuda 9 has a deep-vee with generous flare forward that carries well aft, providing ample freeboard around its perimeter for comfort in big seas. The Barracuda 9 hull uses Beneteau’s Air Step technology for quick planing and performance (think of it as a positive vent setup that creates a layer of air under the hull).

But probably the most unique piece of the Barracuda 9 is her fully enclosed pilothouse with optional flybridge and helm station. Inside the pilothouse (accessed by two handy sliding access doors) are two captain-style chairs that can face forward, or be swiveled 180 degrees aft to create a casual dining area using two flip-up tables and a full-width bench situated in the aft portion of the cabinhouse. Below is a V-berth and enclosed head that expand the Barracuda 9’s capabilities to short-range cruising and overnighters.

The optional flybridge, which is situated on the aft portion of the cabin top, is accessed via a sturdy stainless and teak ladder. Unlike many flybridge setups, the Barracuda 9’s flybridge actually feels as if it truly is part of the boat, not detached and bolted on like some can feel. The fore and aft decks offer plenty of room to move around, rig fish rods, and play fish, but anglers with a bit more mid-section girth may find the side decks a bit narrow for comfortable movement, due to the Barracuda 9’s high freeboard. Not a deal-breaker by any means, but worth noting.

With a maximum 450 horsepower pushing her along via two Yamaha 225-horsepower, four-stroke outboards, the Barracuda 9 is capable of speeds topping 40 knots. More comfortable cruising speeds happen around 25 knots at 3500 rpm, where the engines use a reasonable 32 gallons of fuel per hour. The Air Step design works as advertised—very little bow rise and quick out-of-the hole launches. You’ll find a wee bit of chine walk when you push the Barracuda to her limits, but her Lenco trim tabs seem to calm this tendency when used in the right combination.

Our Boat Notes vessel was equipped with almost every option available, including refrigeration, flybridge, genset, reverse-cycle heat/air conditioning, windlass, bowthruster, and electronics, which pushes the MSRP to around $199,000. But you can build your own to suit staring at around $100,000, and still feel the bite of the barracuda.

Barracuda 9 Specifications:

Length Overall (LOA): 28’ 10"
Beam: 9’ 9”
Dry Weight (Without Engines): 7053 pounds
Fuel: 106 gallons
Maximum Horsepower: 450 horsepower
MSRP: Base: $140,000,
As equipped: $199,000

by Gary Reich