Beneteau First 235
Description
Designed by Group Finot (Jean-Marie Finot and Pascal Conq) and built by Bénéteau (France and U.S.) from 1986–1991 (some sources extend to 1994). The Beneteau First 235 is a compact trailerable cruiser-racer from Bénéteau's performance-oriented First line, blending sporty handling with surprising accommodations for its size. At 23'5" LOA, it's a fractional sloop with a modern hull (wide beam, flared bow, open transom) that sails like a larger boat—light and responsive in light air, yet stable for coastal day sails or weekends. Loosely based on a 1978 Finot prototype, it was produced in France and Marion, SC (U.S.), with ~680 hulls built. Variants include fixed fin keel (deep for racing), wing keel (shallow for trailering), or centerboard (lifting for beaching). It's forgiving for beginners but competitive in club races (PHRF ~180–204). Modern owners love its "big boat feel" in a 21'8" cockpit, though the swing keel version can be tender in gusts. Out of production,
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 28.60 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 7.80 ft |
| p | 26.50 ft |
| e | 10.30 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28.60 ft | 7.80 ft | 26.50 ft | 10.30 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.3 ft - (3139 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.84 ft - (8486 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.97 ° |
| Diagonal | * 28.09 ft - (8562 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 140.3 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 24.83 ft - (7568 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 126.03 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.83 ft - (2996 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.36 ° |
| Area | * 130.21 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 27.25 ft - (8306 mm) |
| Foot | 9.083 ft - (2768 mm) |
| Leech | 25.75 ft - (7849 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.58 ft - (2615 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.85 ° |
| Area | * 116.94 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 23.72 ft - (7230 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.09 ft - (3075 mm) |
| Leech | * 21.1 ft - (6431 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 8.97 ft - (2734 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 106.38 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 26.25 ft - (8001 mm) |
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 25.083 ft - (7645 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 128.08 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.99 ft - (3045 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.72 ° |
| Area | * 131.08 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Foot | 11.083 ft - (3378 mm) |
| Leech | 25.75 ft - (7849 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 134.87 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.52 ft - (3206 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.13 ° |
| Area | * 141.98 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Foot | 14.083 ft - (4292 mm) |
| Leech | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 170.38 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.29 ft - (4051 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.04 ° |
| Area | * 179.44 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 28.25 ft - (8611 mm) |
| Foot | 12.42 ft - (3786 mm) |
| Leech | 27 ft - (8230 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.9 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.77 ft - (3587 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.3 ° |
| Area | * 166.31 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Foot | 12.42 ft - (3786 mm) |
| Leech | 25.25 ft - (7696 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.13 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.71 ft - (3569 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.17 ° |
| Area | * 155.2 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 29.5 ft - (8992 mm) |
| Foot | 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Leech | 26.5 ft - (8077 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 431 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 29.5 ft - (8992 mm) |
| Foot | 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Leech | 26.75 ft - (8153 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 299 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 28.16 ft - (8583 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 14.04 ft - (4279 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.04 ft - (4279 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 336 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.