BoatsBeneteau First 235 SK

Beneteau First 235 SK

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · First built 1986

A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, built for versatile performance

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

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

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.49 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,220 kg of hull, so roughly 1,800 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.66 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 12 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 12
CoastalBluewater

At 2.35 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.35
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 145
EasygoingPowered-up

20.6 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.6
TenderStiff

28% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 28%

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

  • Draws more than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 615 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.6
Displacement / length
144.6
Comfort ratio
12.0
Capsize screening
2.35
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
591
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1986
Designer
Group Finot, Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)
Builder
Beneteau

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

O'day 226.61 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA prolific production success with over 3,000 hulls built, offering a nimble fractional rig for coastal daysailing
Why TODAY Is the Best Time to Buy a 22-Foot Sailboat2:24from Lady K Sailing
Catalina Yachts 227.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA prolific masthead sloop with 15,000 built, offering a versatile swing-keel design for trailerable coastal cruising
The ZERO KEEL and ALPHA RUDDER - Are Kraken Yachts Really THAT GOOD?9:27from Practical Sailor
Cal Boats 247.43 mSame hull family0.3 m longerThe inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatility
Aladino Sails The Pacific Alone.2:08from Sailing Magic Carpet
O'day 23-1 (Lift Top)7.01 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA popular C. Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop featuring a unique lift-top coach roof for added cabin headroom
Living on a Sailboat Doesn’t Have to Mean the End of Your Professional Life | #SAL #3583:10from Hashtag Sal
Macgregor 26X7.87 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA water-ballasted sail-power hybrid designed for versatile coastal cruising and easy trailering
Buying My Dream Boat (2001 MacGregor 26X)0:53from Adventureman Dan
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Sailing Is Way Scarier Than You Think - Ep 353 - Lady K Sailing6:44from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau First 235A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a light displacement and high sail area ratioBeneteau First 25 SKA Jean-Marie Finot-designed swing keel sloop built for shoal water versatility and coastal cruisingBeneteau First 285A Group Finot-designed fractional sloop balancing performance and cruising comfort in a compact 28-foot hullBeneteau First 24A 7.5-metre fractional sloop with a swing keel, built between 1982 and 1985 for performance in shoal waterBeneteau First Class 7.5A 2008-era fractional sloop with a high 30.49 sail area-to-displacement ratio for rapid accelerationBeneteau First Class 8A high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed for competitive one-design racing and trailerability

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Beneteau First 235 SK

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