BoatsBeneteau First 305

Beneteau First 305

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1985

A Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop offering versatile keel and rig configurations for coastal cruising

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau First 305, on the water

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

Footage from Piratas Aderiva

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 20 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

2.08 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.08
LightHeavy

192 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 192
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 305, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau First 305 is a masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau, produced from 1985 to the present. It measures 9.3 meters LOA, with a 3.2-meter beam, 1.7-meter draft, and displaces 3738 kg. Beneteau offered the First 305 with multiple keel and rig combinations, including a shoal draft option of 1.32 meters and an alternative short rig. It was initially promoted in the US under the name F305.9:45 The model is considered suitable for solo sailors or couples, offering a balance of versatility, ease of handling, and comfort for vessels in the 30- to 35-foot range.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
192.2
Comfort ratio
19.9
Capsize screening
2.08
Hull speed
6.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1004
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1985
Designer
Jean Berret, Berret-Racoupeau
Builder
Beneteau

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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 First 405A 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performanceBeneteau First 285A Group Finot-designed fractional sloop balancing performance and cruising comfort in a compact 28-foot hullBeneteau First 325Marketed in the US as the F325, this 33-foot masthead sloop offers optional shoal draft and tall rig configurationsBeneteau First 300A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited club racingBeneteau First 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interiorBeneteau First 345A 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratio

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