BoatsBeneteau 323

Beneteau 323

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2001

A masthead sloop with a 1.45m draft and bulb keel, optimised for coastal cruising comfort since 2001

Designed by Groupe Finot & Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot).

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau 323, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Gently

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

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.05
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 168
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.8
TenderStiff

26% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 26%

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

  • Draws less than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2879 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau 323, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau 323 is a masthead sloop designed by Groupe Finot and built by Beneteau from 2001 to the present, also known as the Oceanis 323 or Oceanis Clipper 323, with a similar version sold as the Moorings 32.2. It measures 10.0 meters LOA, has a 3.3-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 4229 kg. Aboard *Sailing Gently*, the Beneteau 323 *Golden Haze* was delivered from Lymington, Hampshire, to Boulogne, France, in early March 2020, a passage of roughly 20–45 miles per leg in persistent easterly winds of 10–17 knots.0:06 The autopilot was inoperative for most of this trip, but a newly installed Raymarine ES78 7-inch hybrid touch multifunction display with AIS and radar was fitted before departure.4:50 The owner of *Gently* keeps the boat in a Martinique marina during hurricane season, where a local management company performs weekly checks for £120 per month.9:38 The owner uses two solar panels on the bimini to maintain batteries while disconnected from shore power.2:46 The owner has found that keeping the boat in the Caribbean offers a viable, more economical alternative to the UK or Mediterranean, with annual marina fees in French Caribbean islands averaging approximately £3,200, compared to £8,500 to £9,500 for a 32-ft vessel in central UK ports.10:50

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 14 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau 323 on video

My Caribbean MarinaBas-du-Fort Marina in Guadeloupe offers secure berths, comprehensive boatyard services, and proximity to Caribbean cruising grounds.Sailing GentlyThe best of CARIBBEAN MARINASA Beneteau 323 owner breaks down Caribbean marina costs from Trinidad to Bonaire, with berth rates and chandlery realities.Sailing GentlyMediterranean or Caribbean?Consistent trade winds and lower marina costs make the Caribbean superior to the Mediterranean for cruising.Sailing GentlyHome for the Hurricane SeasonA Beneteau 323 owner details hurricane season layup procedures and Caribbean marina logistics for seasonal cruisers.Sailing GentlyCaribbean Logistics and CostsRelocating a Beneteau 323 to the Caribbean can reduce annual marina costs compared to UK-based mooring fees.Sailing GentlyWindvanes and AutopilotsHydrovane and servo-pendulum wind vanes provide reliable, power-free steering for long-distance offshore sailing and ocean crossings.Sailing GentlyEXPENSIVE MARINE FAILURESA Beneteau 323 experiences multiple equipment failures, including a lost anchor and a malfunctioning Raymarine autopilot system.Sailing GentlyAnchor chain broke Lost my anchor!A failed chain connector caused the loss of an anchor in Prince Rupert Bay, Dominica.Sailing GentlyHow I shipped my Beneteau 323 to the SunA Beneteau 323 is shipped from Southampton to Antigua via the cargo vessel Ryderland for Caribbean cruising.Sailing GentlySAILING IN THE PANDEMIC?Golden Haze, a Beneteau 323, makes a solo Lymington-to-Boulogne passage during the March 2020 COVID lockdown.Sailing GentlyWorld Cruising BoatA 36-to-45-foot monohull provides the best balance of comfort and manageability for couples planning long-term blue water cruising.Sailing GentlyCaribbean Insurance, Coms and MosquitosAnjo Insurance provides hurricane coverage for a Beneteau 323 after other providers mandated impractical storm-avoidance procedures.Sailing Gently

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.

  • FailedRaymarine

    The touchscreen was unresponsive to wet fingers or raindrops.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen August 202423:01

  • ComparedStarlinkweighed against 4G mobile router with local SIM

    The speaker compares Starlinks high cost and power requirements to a cheaper 4G mobile router for internet access.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen December 202416:15

  • ConsideredGarminalongside Raymarine

    The speaker expressed intent to purchase from this brand in the future.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen August 202424:45

  • ConsideredFurunoalongside Raymarine

    The speaker expressed intent to purchase from this brand in the future.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen August 202424:45

  • ConsideredSimradalongside Raymarine

    The speaker expressed intent to purchase from this brand in the future.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen August 202424:45

  • WorkingFortressalongside CQR

    The sailor found the Fortress Lightweight useful as a kedge anchor.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen July 20244:10

  • WorkingVolvo

    The speaker purged air from the Volvo shaft seal after the boat was launched.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen May 202438:46

  • WorkingNavionics

    The speaker already has Navionics charts for the Caribbean installed on his plotter.

    aboard Sailing Gentlyseen May 202411:35

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Beneteau 323 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
25.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.8
Displacement / length
167.6
Comfort ratio
20.1
Capsize screening
2.05
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1121
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2001
Designer
Groupe Finot, Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)
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 3219.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile cruiser from Groupe Finot, widely produced as the Moorings 321 and Stardust series for charter fleets
Are YACHTS only for MILLIONAIRES? / THE LOW COST SAILOR / Bohemia's Journey17:00from El Viaje de Bohemia
Feeling 329.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop from the Joubert-Nivelt studio, designed with a light displacement for spirited sailing
How Much Space Do You Need to Be Happy? | #SAL #3275:52from Hashtag Sal
Contention 33 (Peterson)10.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop that proved its competitive pedigree with a 3rd place finish at the 1979 3/4 Ton Cup
Veleiro Velho Marujo: expeditions in Paraná9:37from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
X Yachts X-33210.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10-metre fractional sloop produced for over a decade, balancing a 41% ballast ratio with a lively sail-area-to-displacement of
Sigurd Boasson and Rune Wiborg go shorthanded.0:51from SEILmagasinet
J J/999.94 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop by Alan Johnstone, designed for competitive offshore racing and fast shorthanded sailing
Peter Gustafsson on the Færder Race 20250:41from SEILmagasinet
Salona 349.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA J&J-designed fractional sloop balancing a performance-oriented SA/D ratio with a stable, modern fin-and-bulb hull
Salona 34from SVN solovelanet

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Beneteau Oceanis 323A Groupe Finot-designed masthead sloop available with a swing keel, offering a stable platform for coastal cruisingBeneteau Oceanis 321A versatile cruiser from Groupe Finot, widely produced as the Moorings 321 and Stardust series for charter fleetsBeneteau Oceanis 320A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop from 1987, balancing a light displacement with a high sail area for lively performanceBeneteau 423A masthead sloop featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, offered with both shallow and deep draft options

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Beneteau 323, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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