BoatsBeneteau 43

Beneteau 43

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 2006

A Berret-Racoupeau fractional sloop designed for comfortable cruising with a shallow draft and balanced performance

Designed by Berret-Racoupeau.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau 43, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Zephyr

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

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 158
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.1
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

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

  • Draws less than ~84% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2574 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau 43, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau 43 is a Berret-Racoupeau-designed fractional sloop built by Beneteau from 2006 to the present, featuring a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull. It measures 13.1 meters LOA, with a 4.1-meter beam, 1.6-meter draft, and 8875 kg displacement. Aboard *Zephyr*, a 43-ft Beneteau, the crew installed a Barnacle remote monitoring system at the mast base for GPS, battery voltage, and salon video surveillance.6:32 They replaced transom hinges with oversized hardware, filled old mounting holes with polyester resin, and applied new hull decals after cleaning waterline stains.2:22 The crew also replaced two worn toilet seats and swapped a malfunctioning chartplotter for an identical unit.11:31 They planned to address a leaking water tank and inspect standing rigging before their next passage.14:22

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
31.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.1
Displacement / length
158.2
Comfort ratio
23.9
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
8.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1837
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 2006
Designer
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.

Hunter Marine 42013.23 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 42-foot cruiser with a performance-oriented fin keel and spade rudder, built for efficient coastal and offshore travel
Cruising the Northern Exuma Cays, Bahamas - Shipwrecks, Snorkeling, Sharks & Pig Beach! - Ep 18from Sailing Jibsea
Grand Soleil 4413.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA deep-draft fractional sloop with a 2.65-meter keel, engineered for stability and speed in a 13-meter hull
Discover the Grand Soleil 44 Performance Yacht in Detailfrom 45 Degrees Sailing
Beneteau 42313.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop featuring a fin keel with bulb and spade rudder, offered with both shallow and deep draft options
Don McIntyre & Jane - "2000 miles under Bimini" - Papeete to FIJI! on a 2003 Beneteau Oceanis 42320:23from Golden Globe Race Official
Ct-44 (Pilot House)13.16 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Tanton-designed pilot house cutter featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for offshore stability
How We Learned to Live on a Sailboat FULL TIME | (EP.030)12:11from Plan-Sea
Landmark 4313.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Mark Mills-designed fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for competitive performance
The Night Before the Night at KNS: Hot boats and the meaning of life3:33from SEILmagasinet
Italia Yachts 12.9812.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop by Matteo Polli, balancing a powerful sail area with a modern, light-displacement hull
From Bergen to Bass Strait: Lars Henrik Hjellestad on Sydney Hobart | Sailing insights8:15from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau 46A 14.4-metre cruiser from 2007 featuring a fin keel with bulb and a balanced 1.96 capsize screening ratioBeneteau Oceanis 46A Berret-Racoupeau fractional sloop featuring a Nauta-designed interior and an optional shallow keel for cruisingBeneteau Oceanis 45A high-performance fractional sloop from Finot-Conq designed for efficient cruising with a generous sail areaBeneteau Oceanis 40A spacious fractional sloop from Berret-Racoupeau featuring a versatile optional shallow draft keelBeneteau 49A 15-metre cruiser with a 4,300-kilogram ballast for stability and an optional deep-draft keel for improved windward work

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The fleet has more to say

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