Beneteau Antares 10.80 for sale

The Yachting Address Review — Bénéteau Antares 10.80

The Antares 10.80 is the boat boating professionals have quietly recommended for twenty years — and that the general public often discovers far too late, after looking elsewhere first.

At 9.98 meters hull length and 10.80 meters overall, powered by twin Volvo Penta diesel shaft-drive engines, it offers an architecture very few boats of its era managed to equal: three cabins, two bathrooms, a bright central saloon, a generous flybridge and a rear cockpit large enough to seat eight people for dinner. All of this within a used-market budget starting around €49,000 and rarely exceeding €92,000 for the best recent examples. Mathematically, it remains one of the strongest space-to-price ratios on the French family motor-cruising market.

What the Antares 10.80 really is

The Antares 10.80 was born in the late 1990s as the large-format flagship of the inboard Antares lineup — before Bénéteau later expanded upward with the Antares 30 and Antares 36. Produced roughly between 1997 and 2010, it was built in two clearly distinct generations that the market still differentiates today.

The early generation (1997–2004, Volvo KAMD 44 or KAMD 300 engines producing 200 to 300 hp per engine) is the founding version. These boats, with slightly dated yet elegant lines, often navigated extensively — Mediterranean, Atlantic and even Caribbean waters — and now form the entry segment of the market between €49,000 and €68,000. They are structurally solid hulls with extremely well-known and documented engines, combined with interiors that have aged surprisingly well when owners maintained them correctly.

The later generation (2004–2010, Volvo D4-260 or D4-280 engines with EDC electronic controls) represents the model’s peak evolution. These examples benefit from improved ergonomics — more precise electronic controls, modernized dashboards and updated interior finishes — as well as potentially healthier mechanical condition simply because they are newer and often have fewer engine hours. Well-kept 2004–2009 examples generally sell between €62,000 and €92,000.

What the Antares 10.80 offers that almost nothing else does at this price

Three genuinely enclosed cabins — a forward owner’s cabin with double berth, a starboard aft guest cabin with double sleeping area and, on certain layouts, an additional third sleeping space. This is effectively 12-meter-level accommodation inside a 10-meter boat.

A full flybridge with helm station, instruments, seating and dining table — an additional living space effectively doubling the usable surface area in good weather. On a €65,000 boat, this remains a level of luxury many modern boats at the same price simply no longer provide.

The twin diesel shaft-drive setup remains one of the most reassuring propulsion configurations for offshore cruising: two independent engines, two shafts and two propellers. In the event of one engine failure offshore, the boat still returns safely on the second engine. That level of mechanical redundancy remains extremely difficult to match with outboard-powered boats.

The cruising autonomy is another major strength. Two 360-liter fuel tanks (720 liters total on some configurations) provide a realistic cruising range between 200 and 300 nautical miles at economical speed — enough to cruise from the French Riviera to Sardinia or from the Languedoc coast to the Balearic Islands without refueling stopovers.

The Volvo Penta engines: what really matters

Almost every Antares 10.80 available today is powered by twin Volvo Penta diesel engines — most commonly the 200 hp KAMD 44, the 260–280 hp KAMD 300 and the later 260 hp D4-260 with EDC electronic controls.

These engines remain among the most respected references in marine diesel reliability — with thousands of documented operating hours across Europe, one of the densest Volvo Penta support networks on the continent and parts availability that remains very good even today. Finding a qualified mechanic for these engines in major Mediterranean or Atlantic ports is generally not difficult.

Before any purchase, buyers should absolutely verify: complete maintenance history with invoices (timing-belt replacement intervals, yearly oil and filter servicing, condition of heat exchangers and seawater pump impellers), shaft-line and Cutless bearing condition during haul-out inspection and the watertightness of stuffing boxes. A correctly maintained Volvo KAMD or D4 can still provide another 2,000 reliable operating hours on healthy examples — a longevity many modern engines struggle to guarantee.

The EDC electronic controls fitted to D4-powered 2004–2010 versions are a genuine comfort improvement — smoother and more precise than the older mechanical controls. Their operation should be tested carefully throughout the full range of maneuvering, particularly in reverse gear.

The two architectural versions: Fly and Standard

The Antares 10.80 Fly is by far the most common version on the used market. Its full flybridge — accessible through an integrated staircase from the wheelhouse — is both its signature feature and its strongest commercial argument. It is the version most owners originally chose and the one the market consistently favors at resale.

The Antares 10.80 Standard (without flybridge) is significantly rarer. Its silhouette is lower and slightly sportier, its sea behavior marginally more dynamic thanks to the lower center of gravity and its maintenance simpler without a flybridge structure. For owners who prioritize navigation over anchorage lifestyle, it remains a coherent choice — although resale is generally slower because the market overwhelmingly prefers the Fly version.

What buyers must anticipate

Beyond the engines, several areas require careful attention on a boat of this age.

Hull osmosis on boats older than fifteen years is the first major risk. Full moisture readings across the hull during haul-out inspection — ideally after winter storage ashore — are absolutely non-negotiable before signing anything. Bénéteau hulls from this generation were well built, but twenty years continuously afloat in Mediterranean marinas without regular drying cycles can create significant osmosis issues. Proper treatment generally costs between €6,000 and €12,000 depending on severity.

Interior and exterior upholstery on 1999–2004 examples is often nearing end-of-life condition. Cockpit and flybridge cushions, cabin carpets and interior linings rarely survive twenty-five years without significant refurbishment. A full interior refresh can represent €4,000–€8,000 and should be included in negotiations when necessary.

The electronics installed on 2000–2006 boats are effectively obsolete by modern standards. Early Garmin or Furuno GPS units, older Autohelm or Raymarine autopilots may still function, but they no longer meet today’s navigation expectations. A realistic electronics upgrade budget ranges from €3,000 for a basic modern chartplotter/VHF/AIS package up to €12,000 for a complete radar-autopilot-sonar installation.

Cockpit enclosures and biminis — when present on well-equipped examples — age and eventually lose watertightness. A quality cockpit enclosure and flybridge bimini in good condition can represent €1,500–€3,000 of real value on these boats.

Antares 10.80 market prices in 2025–2026

Indicative ranges, May 2026 market. VAT included unless otherwise stated.

Who is the Antares 10.80 really for?

This is the boat for families wanting to cruise seriously — not simply spend a few afternoons at sea, but cruise Corsica for a week, Sardinia for ten days or the Greek islands for an extended summer voyage. Three cabins, a flybridge, twin reliable diesel engines and genuine cruising autonomy form a combination perfectly suited to owners who take their navigation seriously without wanting the complexity of a 14-meter yacht.

It is also the boat that often reconciles owners with diesel inboard propulsion — not because it is fashionable anymore (it is not), but because for real cruising programs, the reliability of a properly maintained marine diesel with full mechanical redundancy still carries enormous value.

Our verdict: the Antares 10.80 remains one of the best bargains on the French used motor-cruising market. Between €65,000 and €85,000 for a properly maintained 2005–2008 example, buyers gain access to a level of onboard space, autonomy and cruising architecture that modern new boats at the same budget simply cannot provide. The condition is clear: serious pre-purchase expertise and a realistic refurbishment reserve budget from day one. For buyers who approach it correctly, the reward is a boat capable of cruising another decade without major surprises.

• Overall Length: 11.08 m
• Overall Beam: 3.51 m
• Light displacement: 6,148 kg
• Air draft: 4.64 m
• Maximum draft: 0.97 m
• Fuel capacity: 2 x 400 L
• Freshwater capacity: 200 L
• Maximum engine power: 2 x 300 HP
• CE certification: B8/C11 (C5 on the Fly)