BoatsBeneteau 50

Beneteau 50

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1995–2004

A Farr-designed masthead sloop with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and a versatile layout marketed under multiple names

Designed by Farr Yacht Design, Armel Briand & Bruce Farr.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau 50, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Lady K Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

1.92 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.92
LightHeavy

137 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 137
EasygoingPowered-up

17.6 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.6
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Draws more than ~76% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1605 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau 50, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Beneteau 50 is a 15.5-meter masthead sloop designed by Bruce Farr and built by Beneteau between 1995 and 2004, known for balancing performance with cruising comfort.0:06 With a 4.5-meter beam and 12,999 kg displacement, it features a fin with bulb and spade rudder, offering a hull speed exceeding nine knots. The design has a comfort ratio of 26.35 and a capsize screening score of 1.92, indicating stability for offshore passages. It was also marketed as The Moorings 503, 504, and 505, and other variants like the Stardust 505.0:48 The Beneteau 50 offers three- or four-cabin layouts, often including twin helms, bow thrusters, and electric primary winches.4:36 Aboard *White Squall*, a Beneteau 50 used as a sailing school boat, the original bimini and interior layout remained, though a modern chart plotter was added.0:02 Crews sailing Beneteau 50s have coordinated social activities with other Beneteau 50s in places like Fakarava, French Polynesia.10:09

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 7 times across 6 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau 50 on video

My Crew are SHOCKED to see my old Boat I sailed 15,000 miles inThe host inspects his former Beneteau 50 in Pattaya and reviews a 25.5-kilowatt RoyPow lithium battery system.Sailing DoodlesSailing in Malta - one of the most beautiful islands in the Med (S3 E1 ) | Paper Boat ProjectA charter captain navigates a 52-foot Beneteau between Malta and Sicily while managing Mediterranean anchoring and provisioning.The Paper Boat Project (Stefan Heiberg)Summer 2024 in Croatia - Come say hello - Testing the catamaran!Max and Ale sail a Lagoon 52 for the first time, routing from Sebenico south toward Dubrovnik.Ale & Max - Y2K Sailing AdventureBeneteau and Farr - Luxury FAST SailboatsThe Beneteau 461 balances performance and comfort through a moderate displacement-to-length ratio and a modern fin-keel configuration.Practical Sailor

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Beneteau 50 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
32.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
136.6
Comfort ratio
26.4
Capsize screening
1.92
Hull speed
9.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2381
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1995–2004
Units built
200
Designer
Farr Yacht Design, Armel Briand, Bruce Farr
Builder
Beneteau

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Solaris 5015.40 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.4-metre performance cruiser with a deep 2.8-metre draft and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 23.88
Solaris 50 “INDIGO” Yacht for Sale | Significant Savings | Tour with Alan McIlroyfrom Berthon International
Bavaria Yachts 50 Vision15.70 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 15.7-metre cruiser with a high 24.85 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for powerful, efficient passage-making
3 phases 🛠️❄️☀️ RENTAL SAILBOAT MAINTENANCE4:50from Allende los Mares · Vuelta Vertical
Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 4915.39 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.39-metre fractional sloop with a high 25.5 sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance
When the feeding frenzy goes wrong, a shark gets stuck under the boat! #549:35from Vagabond Voyages
Jeanneau Yachts 5115.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop balancing a high comfort ratio with a performance-oriented sail plan
But who are we? The story that brought us to the Fiji Islands (Ep. 15 2025)24:27from Ale & Max - Y2K Sailing Adventure
Beneteau Oceanis 50015.32 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a wing keel, widely produced as the Moorings 500 and Prestige 500
The Wind Vane Snapped! Atlantic Crossing in 19 Days2:11from Practical Sailor
Beneteau Oceanis 51015.29 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop also marketed as the Moorings 510 and Stardust 515
I left my boat to sail in GREECE?!1:03from Lauren Landers Sailing

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Beneteau Oceanis 50A 15.1-meter fractional sloop with a 1.7-meter draft, built for high-volume cruising on a proven hull platformBeneteau First 50A Philippe Briand-designed performance cruiser balancing a high sail area-to-displacement ratio with a stiff bulb keelBeneteau Sense 50A masthead sloop with a 4.86-metre beam and dual rudders, engineered for stability and high-volume livingBeneteau 49A 15-meter cruiser with a 4,300-kilogram ballast for stability and an optional deep-draft keel for improved windward workBeneteau Cyclades 50.5A high-volume five-cabin cruiser by Berret-Racoupeau designed for the charter trade on a versatile shared hull platformBeneteau First 51A German Frers-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio and performance-oriented sail area for fast cruising

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