BoatsBeneteau 461

Beneteau 461

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1996–2001

A 14.2-metre masthead sloop produced between 1996 and 2001, featuring a balanced 3400kg ballast for stable cruising

Designed by Bruce Farr & Armel Briand.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau 461, 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 narrow beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.03
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 153
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.6
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

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

  • Draws less than ~81% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~77% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2175 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau 461, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau 461 is a 14.2-meter masthead sloop designed by Bruce Farr and Armel Briand, built by Beneteau from 1996 to 2001. Also known as the Oceanis 461, it features a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder, displacing 9500 kg. Beneteau and Farr designed the 461 to balance performance with cruising comfort, resulting in a moderate displacement-to-length ratio. The model was produced in approximately 210 units, many of which entered charter fleets.4:39 Aboard *Lady K Sailing*, a 2000 Beneteau 461 with a three-cabin layout is seen with a high-combing cockpit, a walk-through transom, and a V-berth island bed.8:56 This specific boat includes updated B&G electronics and a life raft, but lacks a substantial arch for solar arrays or dinghy storage.10:19 The interior offers multiple configurations, including two, three, and four-cabin layouts, prioritizing volume for families or charter use.4:05

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau 461 on video

Retire Into Sailing! Get Experience, Buy a Boat, GO SAILING! Ep 250 - Lady K SailingFind sailing experience through local yacht club racing or the Lady K Sailing East Coast Crew Finder.Lady K SailingSailboats Are Getting Fatter - Why it's BAD - Ep 298 -Lady K SailingWide, flat-bottomed hull designs improve interior space and downwind speed but compromise upwind performance and maneuverability.Lady K Sailing$650,000 Yacht Tour : Hanse 460 – This Luxury Cruising Sailboat Does Things Big and FancyThe Hanse 460 offers luxury coastal cruising features but lacks the offshore-ready design elements of its competitors.Practical SailorA Rival for Island Packet, Made in China – Outbound 46 ReviewThe Outbound 46 features a 190-gallon fuel capacity and a dedicated lazarette workroom for offshore maintenance.Practical Sailor

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
US$112,000Median asking

  • A 2000 Beneteau 461, described as a hidden gem on the market, is reviewed for potential buyers

    from Lady K Sailingseen October 20238:40

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
35.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
153.2
Comfort ratio
23.3
Capsize screening
2.03
Hull speed
8.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1962
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1996–2001
Designer
Bruce Farr, Armel 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.

Salona 4614.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA J&J-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and a stiff hull
Going Back to ALL ELECTRIC: No Diesel, No Genset, No gas | Step 42217:51from Sailing Uma
Arcona 435 MKII14.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2022 evolution of the 435 platform, featuring increased beam and headroom for enhanced interior volume
New Sailing Technologies | Ideas to the Wind #314:00from Hashtag Sal
Tripp 4714.33 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA powerful 14.33-metre fractional sloop with a 26.3 SA/displacement ratio and a deep 2.74-metre fin keel
Let Libra Give You a Tour of Ft. Jefferson!from Sail Libra
X-Yachts X414.08 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 14-metre performance cruiser with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and spade rudder, optimized for speed and stability
Jon Amtrup // Sailboat science in the High Arctic8:05from 59° North Sailing
Beneteau First 4414.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern performance cruiser by Biscontini and Argento featuring a fractional rig and dual rudders for precise control
First 44 - the Beneteau fast cruiserfrom SVN solovelanet
Beneteau First 47.714.33 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Farr-designed performance cruiser balancing a high sail area-to-displacement ratio with offshore capability
First sail to Catalina Island in a year!7:38from Flight Level Zero

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau Oceanis 461A Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop built for comfortable cruising with a stable fin-and-bulb keel configurationMoorings 463A Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop based on the Beneteau 461, built for high-volume charter comfort and performanceBeneteau Oceanis 46A Berret-Racoupeau fractional sloop featuring a Nauta-designed interior and an optional shallow keel for cruisingBeneteau 46A 14.4-metre cruiser from 2007 featuring a fin keel with bulb and a balanced 1.96 capsize screening ratioBeneteau Oceanis 46.1A high-performance fractional sloop from Groupe Finot featuring a stepped hull design for maximum interior volumeBeneteau Oceanis 411A versatile Finot-designed masthead sloop built for comfortable cruising, widely adapted for charter and private use

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Beneteau 461, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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