Beneteau First 235 (Tall Rig)
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 | 34.64 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.49 ft |
| p | 29.92 ft |
| e | 10.33 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.64 ft | 10.49 ft | 29.92 ft | 10.33 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 29.92 ft - (9120 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.33 ft - (3149 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.01 ft - (9452 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 31.31 ft - (9543 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 157.95 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 28.95 ft - (8824 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.77 ft - (4197 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.36 ft - (7730 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.06 ft - (3676 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 174.6 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 34.38 ft - (10479 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.84 ft - (5133 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.46 ft - (9894 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.05 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.74 ft - (4798 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.99 ° |
| Area | * 270.54 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 34.38 ft - (10479 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.31 ft - (5276 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.63 ft - (9641 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 446 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 34.38 ft - (10479 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 18.88 ft - (5755 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.88 ft - (5755 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 552 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.