Beneteau 343
Description
The Beneteau Oceanis 343 (also known as the Beneteau 343 in the US) is a versatile French cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built by Beneteau from 2004 to 2008, with approximately 400 units produced. An evolution of the earlier Oceanis 331, it emphasizes ease of handling, spacious accommodations, and balanced performance for coastal cruising, weekend getaways, or light offshore passages—ideal for couples or small families. Reviews highlight its "lively yet forgiving" nature, with a 2006 Sailing Magazine test noting its quick acceleration in gusts (up to 7+ knots in 18-knot winds) and modern, uncluttered deck layout. The Clipper variant adds charter-friendly features like enhanced galley fittings. LWL : 30' 10". Beam : 11' 5". Draft (stnd) : 4' 7". Draft (opt., swing keel) : 6'0", 2' 7"-7' 0". Ballast (standard) : 4,320 lbs. Optional Deep Ballast 3,358 lbs. Displacement : 11,861 lbs. (approx.). The P is increased to 39'2" in the racing rig.
Construction Details
| Designer | Berret-Racoupeau |
|---|---|
| Length | 35.500 ft |
| LOA | 35.500 ft |
| LWL | 30.830 ft |
| Beam | 11.420 ft |
| Displacement | 13448 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.230 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 43.42 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.83 ft |
| p | 38.67 ft |
| e | 13.58 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43.42 ft | 12.83 ft | 38.67 ft | 13.58 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.67 ft - (11787 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.58 ft - (4139 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.26 ft - (12271 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 40.54 ft - (12357 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 270.78 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 36.22 ft - (11040 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.78 ft - (5115 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.84 ft - (9705 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.02 ° |
| Area | * 267.11 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 43.75 ft - (13335 mm) |
| Foot | 16.5 ft - (5029 mm) |
| Leech | 41 ft - (12497 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 120.5 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.46 ft - (4712 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 338.11 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Foot | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Leech | 38.25 ft - (11659 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.9 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.1 ft - (4298 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.1 ° |
| Area | * 296.05 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 43.01 ft - (13109 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.54 ft - (6261 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.66 ft - (12393 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.24 ft - (5864 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 413.76 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Foot | 18.75 ft - (5715 mm) |
| Leech | 39 ft - (11887 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135.31 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.36 ft - (5291 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.72 ° |
| Area | * 364.62 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 44 ft - (13411 mm) |
| Foot | 21.75 ft - (6629 mm) |
| Leech | 41 ft - (12497 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 718 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 43.01 ft - (13109 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 23.09 ft - (7038 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.09 ft - (7038 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 844 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.