BoatsBeneteau Oceanis 351 (1997 Version)

Beneteau Oceanis 351 (1997 Version)

Masthead Sloop · Wing Keel · 1997–1999

A Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop featuring a wing keel for shoal-draft cruising with a generous sail plan

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Wing Keel

See her sail

The Beneteau Oceanis 351 (1997 Version), 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 light displacement on a beamy beam gives 20 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.20
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 173
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 19.8
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

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

  • Beamier than ~82% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2974 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau Oceanis 351 (1997 Version), as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau Oceanis 351 is a 10.5-meter masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and Berret-Racoupeau, built by Beneteau from 1997 to 1999. It features a wing keel, a 3.8-meter beam, a 1.5-meter draft, and displaces 5299 kg. The model has a sail area to displacement ratio of 19.8 and a comfort ratio of 19.5. It is part of the Oceanis line, which includes larger models like the Oceanis 47 and 52, known for offshore performance and modular cockpit layouts.3:10

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

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
39.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.8
Displacement / length
173.4
Comfort ratio
19.5
Capsize screening
2.20
Hull speed
7.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1386
Hull
Hull type
Wing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1997–1999
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 Oceanis 34.110.77 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Marc Lombard-designed cruiser featuring a hull with dual rudders and multiple keel options for versatile performance
A Liveaboard That Sails Like a Race Boatfrom Practical Sailor
X-Yachts X-3410.36 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed fractional sloop balancing performance and comfort with a stiff, bulb-keeled hull
Sailing Insights: Sigmund Hertzberg on the Massive Success of Race to the Arctic3:10from SEILmagasinet
Catalina Yachts 3410.52 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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 Boatbuildingfrom Practical Sailor
Catalina Yachts 35010.80 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 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 350from Practical Sailor
Tartan Marine 34-210.49 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop featuring an extended stern and refined interior based on the Tartan 33R
Teak and Holly Sole Repair The RIGHT Way! Sailboat DIY Projects0:45from Practical Sailor
Beneteau First 3510.72 mSame hull family0.2 m longerAn IOR 3/4 ton racer with a masthead rig, built for offshore speed and later marketed in the US as the R/C 35
Øyvind and Morten Knudsen on the Doublehanded European Championship in Finland3:12from SEILmagasinet

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 351A shallow-draft masthead sloop with a 1.22-metre keel, designed for accessible cruising and coastal explorationBeneteau Oceanis 35.1A modern fractional sloop featuring dual rudders and a bulb keel, evolved from the 2014 Oceanis 35 designBeneteau Oceanis 350A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop that launched the Oceanis line and became a staple of the charter tradeBeneteau Oceanis 381A masthead sloop from Berret-Racoupeau designed for stable, comfortable cruising with a fin keel and bulb configurationBeneteau Oceanis 331A versatile Group Finot-designed masthead sloop offered in multiple keel and cabin configurations for cruising or charterBeneteau Oceanis 361A Berret-Racoupeau masthead sloop designed for charter versatility, widely produced with varied cabin configurations

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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