Boat test for the 2008 Jeanneau Prestige 42S with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2008 Jeanneau Prestige 42S.

Even though she's based on her predecessor's hull, the new 44-footer has much more than just a few modifications.

Back in 2007, we tested the Jeanneau Prestige 42 ("The French Connection," April 2007). You might assume that the new Prestige 42S ("S" stands for "Sport Top") would simply be a slightly upgraded version of the original, but the changes are much more dramatic. The most obvious difference between the two boats is that the 42 was a flying-bridge vessel while the 42S is an express. The 42 also had a cockpit where the 42S has a tender garage. But the differences go even deeper. From a new engine package to a new interior layout, she's truly a whole new boat.

According to Michael Peters, whose firm designed the original 42, the 42S even has a new hull. The 42's prop tunnels were removed to accommodate twin 370-hp Volvo Penta IPS 500s, whose installation also shifted the center of balance considerably aft. To offset this, Peters explains, "We had to put a little bit of a wedge in the stern. But top speed seems to be better."

Indeed, the new boat is faster. I put her through her paces just outside Norwalk, Connecticut, and average top speed exceeded 42 mph; her predecessor averaged a WOT speed of just over 36 mph with twin 425-hp Cummins QSB5.9 diesel inboards under similar conditions. Acceleration has also improved. My test boat was on plane almost from the get-go and reached her top speed within 20 seconds, five seconds faster than the older model. The IPS electronic steering, with a highly responsive three-turns lock-to-lock, created snappy handling and highlighted why this vessel earns her "S" designation.

But while acceleration and handling were exceptional, I was less impressed by seakeeping to windward. Heading into the two- to three-foot chop at 3000 rpm (about 33 mph), the 42S hopped over and dropped into waves instead of cutting through them. Two likely factors were the pair of 651⁄2-gallon water and graywater tanks, both forward under the saloon sole and both empty; full tanks would have put more weight forward, bringing her bow down and improving performance. And when I throttled back to a reasonable cruising speed of 2600 rpm (around 23 mph), she coasted right through the headsea.

Heading downsea, I brought the throttles up to 3250 rpm (around 35 mph), and popped open the 6'Lx7'10"W sunroof to let in the autumn air. Only moments afterwards, the vessel crested a roller and her bow went tumbling toward the trough ahead. I readied myself for a shoulder-drenching blast of cold Atlantic—"Had I remembered to wrap my camera in a sweater?" I thought. But the 42S' flare sent water spraying clear. Not to be fooled by a fluke, I repeated the exercise a few times, powering over the top of the rollers and into the back of the next wave. Each time the seas parted into a perfectly formed deluge without a drop entering the helm area, dryness more reminiscent of a sportfisherman than an express.

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