Beneteau First 35

BoatsBeneteau First 35

See her sail

The Beneteau First 35, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

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 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.23

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 195

EasygoingPowered-up

18.6 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.6

TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 35, 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 35 is a masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and Berret-Racoupeau, built by Beneteau from 1980 to the present. This 10.7-meter sailboat, with a 3.7-meter beam and 1.9-meter draft, is based on an IOR 3/4 ton racer, also known in the US as the Beneteau R/C 35. Its displacement is 4755 kg. Aboard SEILmagasinet, Øyvind and Morten Knudsen raced their First 35 in the Doublehanded European Championship, where they finished fourth on the first day, attributing their success to efficient spinnaker maneuvers and quick sail changes.watch They planned to manage fatigue during a 48-hour offshore leg by rotating 90-minute sleep shifts, tethered to the deck for safety.1:21 The First 35 is seen among a diverse fleet of performance cruiser-racers and one-designs, including Arcona 370s and Pogo 36s, at events like the Race to the Arctic.watch

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

46.3%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

18.6

Displacement / length

195.3

Comfort ratio

18.9

Capsize screening

2.23

Hull speed

7.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1254

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1980

Units built

455

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.

Catalina Yachts 3410.52 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA high-volume production cruiser with 1,438 hulls built, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal performance

What’s Really Happening to Catalina & Tartan Yachts? | Michael Reardon and American Boatbuilding from Practical Sailor

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/10910.74 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.74-metre fractional sloop offering a shoal draft keel option and powered by a reliable Volvo D1-30 diesel engine

15 years of bucket-list sailing – summarized by "Mr. Blur" Peter Gustafsson5:09 from SEILmagasinet

Beneteau First 36s710.90 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a bulb keel and an optional taller IMS rig

Sailing for Beginners | Top 10 Questions Everyone Asks9:21 from Practical Sailor

Moody 34610.52 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 10.5-metre masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, offering a stable and comfortable platform for coastal cruising

Moody 346 - A Yacht Delivery from Sardinia to Greece (Via Albania).0:50 from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

Beneteau Oceanis 34.110.77 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed cruiser featuring a hull with dual rudders and multiple keel options for versatile performance

A Liveaboard That Sails Like a Race Boat from Practical Sailor

Catalina Yachts 35010.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 2.03-metre draft and a high-volume hull designed for comfortable coastal cruising

Is This the Best 35-Foot Sailboat Ever Made? Catalina 350 from 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 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interior Beneteau First 35-2A Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop featuring multiple keel options for IRC optimization and a Nauta-styled interior Beneteau First 35s7A rare fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, balancing a performance-oriented rig with a stiff, modern hull design Beneteau First 35.7A rare IOR-influenced fractional sloop that served as the design precursor to the Beneteau First 36S7 Beneteau First 35-2 Carbon EditionA Bruce Farr-designed performance cruiser featuring a carbon spar, lead keel, and a distinctive rocking wheel Beneteau First 345A 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratio

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