BoatsBeneteau First 35

Beneteau First 35

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1980

An IOR 3/4 ton racer with a masthead rig, built for offshore speed and later marketed in the US as the R/C 35

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau First 35, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

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

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.23
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 195
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.6
TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 35, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Beneteau First 35 is a masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and Berret-Racoupeau, built by Beneteau from 1980 to the present. This 10.7-meter sailboat, with a 3.7-meter beam and 1.9-meter draft, is based on an IOR 3/4 ton racer, also known in the US as the Beneteau R/C 35. Its displacement is 4755 kg. Aboard SEILmagasinet, Øyvind and Morten Knudsen raced their First 35 in the Doublehanded European Championship, where they finished fourth on the first day, attributing their success to efficient spinnaker maneuvers and quick sail changes.watch They planned to manage fatigue during a 48-hour offshore leg by rotating 90-minute sleep shifts, tethered to the deck for safety.1:21 The First 35 is seen among a diverse fleet of performance cruiser-racers and one-designs, including Arcona 370s and Pogo 36s, at events like the Race to the Arctic.watch

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
46.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.6
Displacement / length
195.3
Comfort ratio
18.9
Capsize screening
2.23
Hull speed
7.2 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1254
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1980
Units built
455
Designer
Jean Berret, 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.

X-362 Sport10.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented fractional sloop with a 2.03-metre draft and a high 21.06 sail area-to-displacement ratio
Sailing under a low bridge2:24from SEILmagasinet
J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/10910.74 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.74-metre fractional sloop offering a shoal draft keel option and powered by a reliable Volvo D1-30 diesel engine
15 years of bucket-list sailing – summarized by "Mr. Blur" Peter Gustafsson5:09from SEILmagasinet
Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 3410.71 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.71-metre fractional sloop from J&J Design featuring a 1.93-metre draft and a balanced, moderate displacement hull
Claes Eliasson on tacking sailboats0:01from SEILmagasinet
Waarschip 36 LD10.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop featuring optional water ballast and a deep-draft keel for serious speed
The Man's (and Boat's) Fight Against Osmosis and Rain | #SAILING #367from Hashtag Sal
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
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

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau First 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interiorBeneteau First 35-2A Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop featuring multiple keel options for IRC optimization and a Nauta-styled interiorBeneteau First 35s7A rare fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, balancing a performance-oriented rig with a stiff, modern hull designBeneteau First 35.7A rare IOR-influenced fractional sloop that served as the design precursor to the Beneteau First 36S7Beneteau First 35-2 Carbon EditionA Bruce Farr-designed performance cruiser featuring a carbon spar, lead keel, and a distinctive rocking wheelBeneteau First 345A 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratio

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