BoatsBeneteau 343

Beneteau 343

Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 2005–2008

A 10.8-metre cruiser featuring a bulb-fin keel and a high-volume interior, produced between 2005 and 2008

Designed by Berret-Racoupeau.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau 343, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

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

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.92
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 205
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.4
TenderStiff

25% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 25%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau 343, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau 343 is a Berret-Racoupeau-designed sailboat produced by Beneteau from 2005 to 2008, also known as the Oceanis Clipper 343.6:15 It has a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull, measures 10.8 meters LOA with a 3.5-meter beam, and displaces 6099 kg.6:18 The standard draft is 1.9 meters, though a shallow keel option with a 1.45-meter draft was initially standard and later optional, and an additional lifting keel option was available. The model run saw changes in reported displacement figures and keel options. Sailors looking for comfort on a budget, including an aft cabin and a sugar scoop transom, can find these features in mid-30-foot production boats like the Beneteau 343.1:26

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
25.3%
Rig & sail area
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.4
Displacement / length
204.9
Comfort ratio
25.2
Capsize screening
1.92
Hull speed
7.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1258
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Cast Iron
Production
Years built
2005–2008
Designer
Berret - Racoupeau, 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
The Most Overlooked Sailboat on the Market | Beneteau First 36 7from Lady K Sailing
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 350from Practical Sailor
Contessa 3510.82 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots
BOAT TOUR - Erik Aanderaa's solo sailing MACHINE!0:49from Alluring Arctic
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
#48 We bought a 1 kg anchor for a 100 kg boat! ⚓14:50from Sail Vessel Khalifa
Dufour Yachts 3710.77 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern fractional sloop from Felci Yacht Design, balancing a performance-oriented hull with a stable, comfortable beam
Dufour 37 - a boat with exceptional volumes0:03from SVN solovelanet
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 Boatfrom Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau 373A Berret-Racoupeau designed cruiser featuring a bulb-fin keel and a high-volume hull optimised for comfortable coastal cruisingBeneteau Oceanis 393A high-volume masthead sloop designed by Berret-Racoupeau for comfortable cruising, also marketed as the Moorings 403Beneteau 393A masthead sloop offering a shallow 1.55m draft option for coastal access, built with a high-volume hull since 2002Beneteau 43A Berret-Racoupeau fractional sloop designed for comfortable cruising with a shallow draft and balanced performanceBeneteau Oceanis 34.1A Marc Lombard-designed cruiser featuring a hull with dual rudders and multiple keel options for versatile performanceBeneteau Oceanis 323A Groupe Finot-designed masthead sloop available with a swing keel, offering a stable platform for coastal cruising

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