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.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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

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.

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
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
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
Columbia Yachts 3610.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1967-era masthead sloop with a 41% ballast ratio, designed for a balance of stability and coastal performance
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
Contessa 3510.82 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots

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.

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