BoatsBeneteau First 31.7

Beneteau First 31.7

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 1998

A 9.6-metre fractional sloop with a deep 1.9-metre fin keel and bulb, optimised for club racing and fast cruising

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

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

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 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.10
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 153
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.5
TenderStiff

27% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 27%

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

  • Draws more than ~80% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2722 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

On the water

The Beneteau First 31.7 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.5
Displacement / length
153.4
Comfort ratio
18.6
Capsize screening
2.10
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1093
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
First built 1998
Designer
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.

Spirit 329.48 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Bavaria Yachts 3009.55 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 9.55-metre fractional sloop from 1989, featuring a deep 1.65-metre fin keel and bulb for efficient coastal sailing
Beneteau 319.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop balancing a modern fin-and-bulb hull with a comfortable, stable cruising interior
First 30 E (Beneteau - Berret)9.30 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 1981 International 1/2 Ton Cup winner based on the King One design, built as a masthead sloop for competitive racing
Beneteau Oceanis 319.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop balancing a modern hull form with a stable 1.8-meter bulb keel
Aphrodite 1019.94 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 9.9-meter fin-keeler with a 57% ballast ratio, designed by Elvstrom and Kjaerulff for high-speed, stiff sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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