Interview with Jim & Carol, owners of an Oceanis Yacht 60
Could you please introduce yourselves?
I’m Carol Martin, and this is my husband, Jim Martin. We’re from the USA.
How did you get started with sailing?
We have always loved sailing with other people. We lived all over the world, and for me, Aruba (Caribbean Island) was kind of the starting point.
Carol
Actually, I started earlier. I used to sail small boats (Hobicat) with friends. We sailed a lot when we were younger. Later on, like Carol said, we sailed with people who owned boats. Sometimes as crew, sometimes as observers, sometimes just as guests on charters. We just loved it.
Jim
We lived in Aruba in the Caribbean, so there was a lot of sailing. We also sailed in Australia and Venezuela. Sailing was always something we wanted to do more seriously, learn properly on big boats, have one but because of my job, we were constantly moving. So we had to wait until retirement.
Yes, when we retired, we decided to move to France. We went from Tokyo to France, and our dream was to sail in the Mediterranean. We went to the Canary Islands to get certified. We spent two weeks there, sailing every day. A year or two after, we went to the Cannes boat show, that’s when we bought our first boat: Princess Lily, an Oceanis 45.
Why that name?
We had a Siamese cat who traveled the world with us. She lived almost 24 years. We were sitting in our dealer’s office, and he asked if we had chosen a name, we hadn’t. Jim said, “How about Princess Lily?” So that’s how it was born.
What are your most memorable sailing experiences?
One of the most memorable was actually being terrified in the Canary Islands. 35-knot winds, big waves, sailing between islands. But in the end, it was amazing. We learned how to handle those conditions.
Jim: Another time, we were sailing along the Italian coast. We saw a storm coming and just made it into port before it hit. The next day, we had to leave in rough conditions, big waves, rain, it took a long time to get back. That was memorable. But honestly, sailing along the south coast of France… it’s always beautiful.
Who do you usually sail with?
Mostly just the two of us. But when friends visit, the first thing they want is to go sailing.
Why did you choose a BENETEAU sailing yacht?
I sailed with someone who had a BENETEAU from the 1980s. It was the First 30 if I remember well. It was fast, stable, very well built. He convinced me BENETEAU was the best brand. Since then, we’ve always followed the brand. And when we started going to boat shows, we could really see the difference to other brands. The design, the finishing, the quality, it just stands out.
We were told early on: buy the biggest boat you can afford. We started with an Oceanis 45 because we were new to sailing together. But that changed, we wanted something bigger.
Jim
At the boat show, we looked at the Oceanis Yacht 54… and then we saw the Oceanis Yacht 60. The moment we stepped onto the 60, we knew. It was the one. It’s just beautiful, inside and out.
Carol
Why the Oceanis Yacht 60 specifically?
The 60 gives us space, comfort, storage and better ceiling height. No more hitting your head. The galley is perfect, I love cooking in it. It’s gorgeous. The owner’s cabin has so much storage. It’s also a fantastic sailing machine, but comfortable enough to live on. And importantly, we can handle it just the two of us.
Did you customize the boat?
Yes, we took almost every option available. Anything that made sailing easier for just the two of us, we chose. We also worked on making it beautiful inside.
What are your future sailing plans?
Go farther and stay longer! We’ll stay mostly in the Mediterranean sea, Spain, Italy, maybe Greece.
Jim
Yes, longer trips, maybe overnight sailing around the Mediterranean.
Carol
In your opinion, what are the best services offered by BENETEAU?
Everything. Honestly, everything. There is always an answer or an explanation. They didn’t just sell us a boat, they helped us solve real problems.
It’s not just sales, it’s a relationship. I would recommend BENETEAU to anyone. If you are looking for a boat you should check BENETEAU.
Carol
There is one thing that happened to us. We love the port we are in in Cannes but our port had a maximum length limit, and our boat exceeded it.
The BENETEAU team worked with the harbor to find a solution, it was incredible. We get to stay in the port we like.
They give advice, answer every question, quickly and patiently. They explained everything in detail at the boat show, every question, every feature. They have done a remarkable job.
This whole experience has been perfect. Many thanks to the BENETEAU team.
Jim
Published on 20.04.2026