Beneteau 1 Ton Sloop
Description
he Beneteau 1 Ton (also known as the Beneteau First 40 Evolution) is a high-performance French racing sailboat designed by Groupe Finot (Jean-Marie Finot), Jean Berret, and Jacques Fauroux specifically for the International Offshore Rule (IOR) One Ton class. Built by Beneteau from 1983 to 1984 in a limited custom run at their advanced yard in Croix-de-Vie, France, only 11 units were produced using cutting-edge materials like Kevlar-reinforced fiberglass for superior strength and lightness. This collaboration marked a pinnacle of IOR-era design, emphasizing speed and seaworthiness for offshore racing. The boat evolved into the production-oriented Beneteau First Class 12 (1985–1987), which toned down some extremes for broader appeal while retaining the core hull form. A Beneteau 1 Ton named Phoenix, skippered by Harold Cudmore, dominated the 1985 Admiral's Cup, winning overall on individual points against 17 competitors (including three sisterships), showcasing its exceptional upwind and downwind prowess. With a PHRF rating of 60–72, it's a true "rocket" for its era—stiff, fast, and responsive—but demands skilled handling due to its narrow beam and high ballast ratio. Today, it's a collector's item for vintage racers, though its minimalist interior limits cruising appeal.
Construction Details
| Designer | Groupe Finot and Jacques Fauroux |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 39.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 56.45 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.19 ft |
| p | 50.50 ft |
| e | 18.20 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56.45 ft | 14.19 ft | 50.50 ft | 18.20 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 50.5 ft - (15392 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.2 ft - (5547 mm) |
| Leech | * 52.7 ft - (16063 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 53.08 ft - (16179 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 467.86 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 46.56 ft - (14191 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.17 ft - (5538 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.88 ft - (12765 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.01 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.32 ft - (4974 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 379.9 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 55.3 ft - (16855 mm) |
| Foot | * 22.39 ft - (6824 mm) |
| Leech | * 52.81 ft - (16096 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.28 ft - (6486 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 588.35 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 55.3 ft - (16855 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.41 ft - (7135 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.88 ft - (15508 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 971 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 55.3 ft - (16855 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 25.54 ft - (7785 mm) |
| Foot | * 25.54 ft - (7785 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1201 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 32.01 ft - (9757 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.16 ft - (3097 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.79 ft - (8470 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 59.97 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.51 ft - (2594 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.03 ° |
| Area | * 136.16 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.