BoatsBeneteau Oceanis 500

Beneteau Oceanis 500

Masthead Sloop · Wing Keel · First built 1988

A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a wing keel, widely produced as the Moorings 500 and Prestige 500

Designed by Briand & Philippe Briand.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau Oceanis 500, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

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 moderate beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

1.99 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.99
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 156
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 35%

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

  • Heavier than ~77% of boats her size on file
  • Draws less than ~80% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~90% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1671 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau Oceanis 500, 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 500 is a 15.3-meter masthead sloop designed by Philippe Briand, built by Beneteau from 1988 to the present, and also sold as the MOORINGS 500 and PRESTIGE 500 charter variants. It displaces 13,925 kg with a wing keel drawing 1.8 meters. Aboard *Practical Sailor*, a 1990 Beneteau Oceanis 500 Clipper completed a 19-day Atlantic crossing from the Canary Islands to St. Lucia with six people.12:06 The crew sailed with two furled genoas poled out for the trade-wind run, one on the spinnaker pole and one on the boom, allowing quick furling and eliminating jibe risk.20:54 During the crossing, a Hydrovane wind vane mounting bolt snapped, but the crew repaired it at sea.6:32 Starlink provided daily weather updates and communication, while ARC safety requirements necessitated backup navigation lights and AIS.10:18

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

What they go for

Market signal

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

1seen for sale

  • The owner is trying to sell the boat in Norfolk, Virginia, but faces tariffs if importing it to the US, limiting the market to Canadians unless imported

    from Practical Sailorseen August 202510:11

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
35.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.8
Displacement / length
155.5
Comfort ratio
26.5
Capsize screening
1.99
Hull speed
8.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2477
Hull
Hull type
Wing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1988
Designer
Briand, Philippe Briand
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 51015.29 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop also marketed as the Moorings 510 and Stardust 515
landfall after 28 days at sea alone! I'm in love with French Polynesia already! [ep 167]from Lauren Landers Sailing
Bavaria Yachts 50 Vision15.70 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 15.7-metre cruiser with a high 24.85 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for powerful, efficient passage-making
Brazilian heading to Gaza on the Global Sumud Flotilla3:07from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
Beneteau Sense 5014.98 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a 4.86-metre beam and dual rudders, engineered for stability and high-volume living
The INSANE PRICE of a Beneteau Sense 50! - Ep 333 - Lady K Sailing7:56from Lady K Sailing
Hanse Yachts 50815.55 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 15.5-meter cruiser featuring a versatile Solent rig and a choice between deep and shallow keel configurations
Crew Cabins: Where does the skipper sleep?4:13from 45 Degrees Sailing
X Yachts X-5015.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.24-meter performance cruiser with a 3-meter draft and a 40% ballast ratio for balanced, high-speed handling
The Launch of X yacht 49 Electric – A Green Sailing Experience in Denmarkfrom SeaTV Sailing Channel
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 DS14.98 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA Philippe Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser balancing a spacious 4.99-meter beam with a performance-oriented hull
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT + We Almost Bought a Dismasted Sailboat! EP 2015:30from Leading the Escapade

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.

Moorings 500A 15.37-metre masthead sloop with a 37% ballast ratio, built for stable, high-volume cruisingBeneteau Oceanis 510A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop also marketed as the Moorings 510 and Stardust 515Beneteau Oceanis 50A 15.1-meter fractional sloop with a 1.7-meter draft, built for high-volume cruising on a proven hull platformBeneteau Oceanis 390A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop featuring a spacious beam and an optional wing keel for shoal draft versatilityBeneteau Oceanis 350A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop that launched the Oceanis line and became a staple of the charter tradeBeneteau Oceanis 370A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop built for cruising comfort with a stable, moderate displacement hull

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The fleet has more to say

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