Beneteau First 285 Tall
Description
Designed by Groupe Finot (Jean-Marie Finot / Finot-Conq) and built by Bénéteau (France and U.S.) from 1985–1993. The Beneteau First 285 is a versatile fractional sloop from Bénéteau's performance oriented First series, bridging racer and cruiser with agile handling and practical accommodations. At 28'2" LOA, it features a modern hull (wide beam for stability, flared bow for dryness, spade rudder for responsiveness) that punches above its weight—quick upwind, fun downwind, and trailerable in variants. Produced in France and Marion, SC (U.S.), with 451 hulls built, it's ideal for coastal cruising, club racing (PHRF ~150–180), or weekends aboard (sleeps 4–6). Variants include deep fin keel (racing focus), wing keel (shallow draft), and keel/centerboard (beaching/trailering). Out of production.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 32.70 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.40 ft |
| p | 32.80 ft |
| e | 11.81 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.70 ft | 10.40 ft | 32.80 ft | 11.81 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 32.8 ft - (9997 mm) |
| Foot | * 11.81 ft - (3600 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.14 ft - (10406 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.47 ft - (10506 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 198.5 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 27.45 ft - (8367 mm) |
| Foot | * 13.76 ft - (4194 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.86 ft - (7273 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.96 ft - (3645 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 164.15 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.75 ft - (9677 mm) |
| Foot | 14.5 ft - (4420 mm) |
| Leech | 29.75 ft - (9068 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.52 ft - (4121 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.58 ° |
| Area | * 214.58 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 32.6 ft - (9936 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.78 ft - (5115 mm) |
| Leech | * 30.68 ft - (9351 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.6 ft - (4755 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.97 ° |
| Area | * 254.28 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 32.6 ft - (9936 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 18.72 ft - (5706 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.72 ft - (5706 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 519 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.