BoatsBeneteau First 345

Beneteau First 345

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1984–1988

A 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratio

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau First 345, on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

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 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.00
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 217
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.6
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 345, 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 345 is a Masthead Sloop sailboat designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau from 1984 to 1988. This fin-keeled vessel with a spade rudder measures 11.0 meters LOA, has a beam of 3.5 meters, a draft of 1.9 meters, and displaces 5499 kg. A shallow draft option of 1.35 meters was also available. The model features a tall rig.2:14

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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 First 345 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.6
Displacement / length
217.4
Comfort ratio
23.2
Capsize screening
2.00
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1198
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1984–1988
Units built
460
Designer
Jean Berret, Berret-Racoupeau
Builder
Beneteau

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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Beneteau First 36.710.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition
The Most Overlooked Sailboat on the Market | Beneteau First 36 7from Lady K Sailing
Catalina Yachts 3611.07 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile coastal cruiser offering optional tall rig and wing keel configurations to suit varying water depths
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Hallberg-Rassy 3511.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA shallow-draft fin-keeler with a 1.3-metre draft, built for coastal cruising and ease of access to shoal anchorages
BEST Bluewater Boats Under $50k9:20from Be The Captain
Sabre Yachts 3610.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performance
Spotting Land After 25 DAYS AT SEA!! (MJ Sailing - Ep 80)23:49from MJ Sailing
Hunter Marine 3610.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stable coastal cruising during a short early-eighties production run
#47 Investments to improve our life aboard!0:52from Sail Vessel Khalifa
Beneteau 36111.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 11.1-metre masthead sloop marketed under multiple names and cabin layouts to suit both private and charter use
How To Get Sailboat Insurance7:13from Practical Sailor

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 375A performance-oriented masthead sloop from Berret-Racoupeau, balancing a deep fin keel with a moderate displacementBeneteau First 285A Group Finot-designed fractional sloop balancing performance and cruising comfort in a compact 28-foot hullBeneteau First 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interiorBeneteau First 405A 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performanceBeneteau First 325Marketed in the US as the F325, this 33-foot masthead sloop offers optional shoal draft and tall rig configurationsBeneteau First 235A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a light displacement and high sail area ratio

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The fleet has more to say

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