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Beneteau 393

The new 393 benefits from big-company protocols in the production process. the basic design is nothing radical, but the layout and details incorporate a lot of owner feedback..

Beneteau is one of the few builders (along with perhaps Catalina, Hunter, and its own corporate cousin, Jeanneau) whose volume of production can generate significant “economies of scale.” Boatbuilding is not, of course, like automobile building or most other assembly-line processes. Boats and the way that they go together are complex; there’s more to launching a successful sailboat than buying parts in quantity and piecing them together. Nevertheless, when you look at a new boat like Beneteau’s recently introduced 393 you can see how the size, reach, and clout of the parent company can pay off.

Our review of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43 two months ago made the same point: Big, established, boatbuilders with meticulously organized production systems can afford to work out the kinks without passing along too many of the costs to buyers. They have a system, and it works.

Founded in 1884, Beneteau originally built fishing boats for the Bay of Biscay. Still a family-run concern, it turned to yachts and has built sailboats throughout most of the 20th century. For more than a decade now it has been building boats onboth sides of the Atlantic. (There’s a large facility in Marion, SC.)

Without doubt, the biggest recent company move was the acquisition of French rival Jeanneau. Though the two builders continue to offer separate lines, taken together they produce more auxiliary sailboats than anyone else in the world. Thus one of the benefits of “economies of scale”-the Beneteau/Jeanneau combination can drive a pretty good bargain on materials, hardware, sails, and so on.

All of which is a simple (and simplistic) explanation of why Beneteau can sell an attractive, commodious new cruiser like the 393 for a base price of under $140,000. Even then, it’s not like Henry Ford’s color option list for the Model T (you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black): While the 393’s styling, playpen cockpit, and most of the standard parts can’t be customized on a whim, there are a couple of choices in accommodations that will extend the range of the boat’s appeal considerably.

Getting back to being big… Beneteau is in a unique position (selling to a worldwide market, supplying boats to dozens of charter companies, and introducing new models at a pace virtually unequalled in the industry) to collect feedback. The company has maintained its popularity by paying close attention to what customers want. As with politicians and constituents in a democracy, this can be good and bad.

According to Wayne Burdick, President of Beneteau USA, there have been 72 copies of the 393 ordered since the boat was introduced just last year. Volume like that means commissions, and commissions make naval architects happy. That makes working with Beneteau hard to resist. The designers who have done so are distinguished-the Groupe Finot and Bruce Farr notable among them. Since the late ’80s, however, the most influential designers in the Beneteau camp have been Jean Berret and his partner, Olivier Racoupeau. The two have had a lot to do with the establish-ment of the First (racer/cruiser) line. These “dual purpose” boats have been notably popular. Both designers have superb credentials in the grand prix arena. Berret, for instance, designed the Beneteau One Ton that won the Admiral’s Cup in 1987 and virtually got Beneteau into the racing game.

Throughout the ’90s Beneteau has also sold cruisers-the Oceanis line.These have no racing pretensions.

Rather they emphasize “being in touch with the sea.” They have been the leaders in evolving the molded, sleek, straight-sheer look that we’ve come to call “Euro.” They are remarkable, too, for their light, room, space, and comfort. When swim platforms were new, they had open transoms complete with outdoor showers. Says Wayne Burdick, “When you think of the dark, deep, dank caves that we used to cruise in and look at how open, light, and bright boats are today, you have to credit a lot of that change to the Oceanis line.”

As new models have come on line, Beneteau has sought to improve their performance. As finkeeled/balanced rudder boats the Oceani are lively in maneuvering and can record good passage times. However, acceleration, sail-carrying power, and weatherliness have not generally been their strongpoints.

Masters of working within rating rules, of wringing speed from compromises and limitations, Berret and Racoupeau have consistently whittled away in hopes of making each new Oceanis a better performer.

Accommodations

First and foremost, the 393 is roomy. You can’t help but notice the legroom, elbow room, generous seat backs, and open space in the cockpit. The walk-through coaming aft creates a good combination of openness and security. While the well is a bit too wide to brace across (and only one of the three cockpit table versions offered provides a footbrace) it’s hard to find any other quibble- sight lines are good, protection is stout, surfaces are contoured for comfort, and space is carved out around the winches to let you work them efficiently. It’s a big, comfortable, efficient, livable, modern cockpit. (If someone could figure out how to make mainsheet and traveller controls operable by the helmsman, though, it would make shorthanded sailing more realistic.)

She’s also roomy below. Headroom in the after part of the saloon approaches 6′ 6″. Light adds to the open feel, thanks mostly to the three overhead deck-windows (which come with sunshades).

There are two different interior configurations, a two-cabin version that accentuates privacy and yields a deep cockpit locker; and a three cabin version that offers two quarter cabins aft. The two-cabin layout has the galley in a traditional portside nook next to the companionway, with a settee to starboard opposite the dining area; the tri-cabin set-up removes the facing settee and puts the galley there in a linear arrangement with an array of finished cabinets and drawer stowage. “More and more people want more and more stowage,” says Burdick, “so we’re giving it to them.”

There are advantages and disadvantages to both arrangements. In most cases we’d counsel the sacrifice of bunks in order to make room for more “working” areas. In this case, though, the trade-offs are too close to call. The tri-cabin version has a dedicated nav station where the two-cabin version has none. It has an extra hanging locker to port, but lacks the good cockpit locker. The linear galley seems to us more intrusive, less convivial, and less safe in a seaway than the U-shaped version. That layout also suffers from a lack of support for moving around below in a seaway; the more traditional layout is “narrower” and would offer better security. Maybe the cabin choice depends on how many kids or friends you sail with, or whether you own a charter company.

Beneteau has always done a good job with interior wood. Far from seeming “knocked off” or mass produced, the furniture, cabinetry, and trim of the 393 live up to custom standards of fit, precision, and harmony. That’s because the company has purchased wood widely (and wisely) and because its wood shop is a two-acre masterpiece of computer controlled milling, routing, spraying, and fitting. Aside from the somewhat unsettling impression of living inside a grand piano instead of a boat, the result is impeccable.

The 393 offers a great deal of light and air. The decklights are the biggest light source, but the boat has six house ports, six hull ports, and seven overhead hatches, plus two cockpit ports. There’s plenty of cross ventilation to make forecabins and quartercabins habitable.

The 393’s nav station (in the three cabin layout) is big and well-designed for comfort. There’s an argument that with so much navigating being done in the cockpit these days, especially on shorthanded boats, the need for a good nav table is diminished, but we don’t think so. It may not need to be big enough to spread out a full-sized chart, but a cruising sailor still needs a desk, even if its just a surface for a notebook computer.

Hanging lockers are bigger and better (cedar-lined) than average, and there are even a few drawers. The overhead (an amalgam of some fiberglass, some fabric, and some wood) is attractive and (albeit with difficulty) removable. “Condensation is never a problem with our boats,” Burdick says. After sailing one dry through a drippy week in Ireland we can agree.

Access to the 40-hp Westerbeke diesel is superb. From beneath the companionway or via either quarter cabin you can attack it all. Foam insulation is a cut above industry standards and the faint humming of the monster below while we were underway suggested that it has been deployed well. Tankage (35 gallons fuel and 130 gallons water) doesn’t encourage world-girdling, but it’s substantial for a boat like this one.

A shallow bilge is an unfortunate by-product of a relatively flat-bottomed design. This one at least has a deep sump that should keep water from sloshing into vital areas below.

The galley is a modern marvel, with good handholds, safety bar, ventilated cabinet fronts, pot stowage, garbage cuddy, and a standard two-burner propane range/oven.

Construction

Beneteau has been building boats of solid glass reinforced with a fiberglass structural grid for at least 20 years. The method has been refined in light of material changes and streamlined in places for better efficiencies, but it remains essentially the same process that has yielded every First, Oceanis, and (now that the company has reverted simply to its own name to designate its boats) modern Beneteau.

These boats are clearly and cleverly “designed to be built,” using the minimum possible time and labor. As we’ve pointed out, in a production process this big and efficient, those can be considered good qualities. You might question the weight, quality, and composition of the hull laminate. You might theorize that there’s a weak point at the bond between hull and liner. You might focus on the fact that all-around taping of structural bulkheads demands excellent quality control. You might want a simpler, more-robust anchor for the 393’s chainplates. But at every turn your analysis butts up against the intended uses of the boat, which in this case should mean extended coastal cruising, and the enviable track record of durability racked up by hundreds of its cousins in the charter trade.

The hull/deck joint is an example of the sort of technique that is quick but not necessarily dirty. An inward turning flange receives the deck. Bedded on a rim of “5200-like” sealant, the deck (balsa-cored except where it receives hardware, and along its outer rim) is bolted through the flange in the area of chocks, stanchions, and cleats. Then machine screws on 6-inch centers tack down the remainder. The joint’s integrity is ensured by “chemical bond, plus mechanical, plus efficiency in meeting shear loads,” says Burdick.

While lead is the ballast of choice throughout most of the industry, Beneteau generally uses cast iron, as they do on this boat. Lead is denser by far than iron, and so will make for a much heavier keel in the same area and volume (or can be smaller to achieve similar weight). Lead, however, will also cost almost twice as much.

While economy may be Beneteau’s main reason for using iron keels, Burdick points to another advantage: “The keel root [where fin meets hull] is a significant source of turbulence. You reduce that drag by making the foil as thin as possible at that point. That’s much easier to do with cast iron.”

In any case, for obvious reasons, coverings and coatings on iron keels must be scrupulously maintained to make sure the ferrous metal never meets the watery medium directly.

Like the iron-keeled Oceanis line that have come before, the 393 depends less on ballast (at a minimal ballast/displacement ratio of 31 percent) than on shape (with a substantial 13′ 1″ beam) for stability. Were she to sport a similarly sized fin made of lead, it would lower hercenter of gravity (a positive move in terms of stability), but it would make her an appreciably heavier, costlier boat, with a “dead weight” liability to overcome in her performance.

Also, were Berret and Racoupeau to pare down the size of her keel by using lead, it would diminish lateral plane and hurt upwind performance.

Her mast is deck-stepped. Here, we believe, the company probably listened too closely to people who said they didn’t want a hole in the roof and a tree trunk in the saloon. The interior compression post is pretty, and the weldment at the top that accepts though-bolts to fasten on deck hardware is clever-but we think a boat this size should have a keel-stepped mast. As it is, the rig requires a babystay to help it stay in column.

Beneath the grid the keel is affixed (sealant and machined-in bolts) in a leakproof but removable bond.

Performance

To date the Oceanis performance evolution has been pretty straightforward. Each new boat has been (relatively speaking) a bit lighter, and each new sailplan has been proportionally larger. Thus horsepower to weight (sail area/displacement) characteristics, the “muscles” of performance under sail, have been groomed and refined over the years. ”

The 393 replaced the Oceanis 381,” says Burdick, “and you can note the same sort of improvement [from a SA/D of 14.45 to a more robust 16]. But these numbers aren’t all there is to performance. The 393 was given a substantially longer waterline [35′ 1″ as opposed to 32′ 10″]. That provides a more open ended speed potential that can boost passage times. Those are the numbers that sailors can really appreciate.”

Berret and Racoupeau have made some other changes. The 393 is very beamy for her size. The 381 was a beamy 12′ 11″ wide; the 393 pushes that out to 13′ 1″. Taking a page from today’s long-distance racers, the designers have made their own modest foray into the area of “beam for speed.” The 393 certainly benefits from her above-average volume when it comes to accommodations and payload, but hers is also a shape designed to enhance performance rather than weigh it down. The initial stability that she achieves via beam means that she needs less ballast. Her powerful after sections permit faired waterlines and flattened buttocks that minimize wavemaking turbulence. By easing the turn of the bilge her designers gave her semi-circular sectional shapes that cut down on parasitic drag (and improve light-air performance).

LOA: 39′ 3″

LWL: 35′ 1″

Beam: 13′ 1″

Draft (standard) 5′ 1″

Draft (deep keel) 6′ 3″

Displacement: 17,152 lbs.

Ballast: 5,357 lbs.

Fuel: 35 gallons

Water: 131 gallons

SA: 643 sq. ft.

D/L ratio: 178

SA/D ratio: 16.0

Auxiliary: 40-hp Westerbeke

The proof is in the pudding. On a sail after the Newport Boat Show last fall, Wayne Burdick offered us the wheel and we sailed close-hauled into a 12-knot southeaster heading past Ft. Adams toward open water. We noted that she seemed at least as close-winded as the boats around us. Pinching her up to around 30 degrees apparent wind angle caused her to skate off to leeward, but when we sailed full and by (at something closer to 40 degrees) she was a different boat-balanced and weatherly. We doubted that punching through chop would be a strongpoint, but in this relatively protected water the 393 went upwind with power and efficiency. Her balanced spade rudder made tacking (consistently inside 85 degrees) a pleasure. When we cracked off to test her stability it was remarkably hard to get the foils to ventilate. The steering control created by her powerful after sections and deep rudder was excellent.

Reaching and running are what the 393 was made for. A conventional poled spinnaker would add cruising versatility and the standard mastfurling mainsail lacks the effective area of a conventional main (now offered as the optional “classic”), but these quarrels have more to do with the modern cruiser in general than with the 393 specifically.

Conclusions

For cruising in comfort and sailing with ease it’s hard to top modern designs like the 393. Openness, creature comfort, and smooth-running systems put boats like these well ahead of the “narrow, dark, cavelike” designs of just a few years ago. However, if your need is to claw off a lee shore in a gale, to go where the waves are bigger than you are, or to cast off with “anything goes” readiness, these new coastal cruising designs aren’t as good as the old.

That’s not to say that the 393 can’t go far afield, but if we were doing it, we’d choose the deep-keel option for better lift, the “classic” mainsail arrangement-and we’d dote on the rig and all its terminals.

Beneteau has harnessed its design and purchasing resources to produce a boat that combines performance and comfort in an attractive package. Designed in large part according to the demands of customers to fit the cruising that they actually do, it’s a triumph of stowage, light, air, and space, and is gratifying to sail.

Despite focus groups and styling details, despite corporate bigness, and the difficulties inherent in making a good thing better, it seems to us that the company has again brought an honest boat to market.

Beneteau USA, 24 North Market

St., Suite 201, Charleston, SC

29401; 843/805-5000.

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Very informative work that addressed many of the questions I had about Beneteau and this model specifically. Well done

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Stylish and well-built cruiser that can turn bluewater dreams into affordable realities

The leaves on the trees rimming Chesapeake Bay were starting to turn, but the south wind, steady at 10 knots, carried the hope of Indian summer on a balmy autumn day. Of course, it was easy to be optimistic, not to mention lazy. The sailing was ideal. We were easing along at 7 knots, on a gentle reach, kicked back in the spacious cockpit. With the main and 140-percent genny properly trimmed the steering was balanced, requiring only an occasional minor adjustment.

I had to remind myself that I was working, on assignment no less, testing the new Beneteau 393. It was tempting to blow off the rest of the afternoon. We could have reached over to the Eastern Shore, making it on one nice tack over and another long tack back; perfect, no fuss, no muss. But no, not your faithful correspondent. Ever dutiful, I insisted that we haul in the sheets and come up hard on the wind. Then I completely spoiled our lazy afternoon by putting the boat through a series of quick tacks. I don't want readers to think that these boat tests are anything less than grueling.

The details The new 393 is a midrange model from the Beneteau Series, which is different from the performance-oriented boats in the First Series and the commodious cruisers from the Center Cockpit Series. The aft-cockpit Beneteau Series includes the 311, 331, 361, 411 and 473, with the 393 patterned after the latter. Designed by Berret/Racoupeau, the 393 is well-proportioned and versatile, capable of extended offshore passages and pleasing daysails, which just may be the most challenging type of boat to design.

The hull shape reveals short ends and a long waterline, of course, but a close inspection of the line drawings shows a bit more wetted surface area forward and a husky keel section. Jean Berret is no stranger to creating handsome, bluewater cruisers. He designed one of my favorites boats, the now 20-year-old First 38-a swift, capable boat that I sailed across the Atlantic years ago. The 393 has a more modern look, and when viewed in profile, the relatively high freeboard becomes apparent, although the effect is softened by the sleek angle of the coachroof and elegant overall styling.

The 393 is built in the United States at Beneteau's South Carolina plant. The hull is solid fiberglass with a structural inner grid and fiberglass floors. The deck is balsa cored. There is a complete deck liner, or head liner, which encapsulates the upper sections of the bulkheads. Liners have many production advantages and offer easy maintenance and good insulation. However, they do make it more difficult to access fittings from below. The keel is externally fastened with stainless bolts, and the mast is deck-stepped with a compression post.

On deck The fiberglass work on deck is superb, from the intricate molded nonskid pattern to the soft curves that are visually pleasing and structurally sound. Beneteau, the largest sailboat manufacturer in the world, is justifiably proud of its construction techniques. It is safe to say that every year more Beneteaus cross oceans on their own bottoms than any other brand of boat.

The 393 cockpit is comfortable and well thought out. Our test boat was fitted with a large dodger, yet visibility from the helm was still quite good. The wheel is trimmed in leather, and the pedestal, or I should say console, includes instrument pods, a well-placed stainless handrail and cup holders. Oh yes, it houses the compass too. There is a large drop-leaf cockpit table and plenty of storage in two aft lockers. (The two-cabin model that was tested features a huge port sail locker.) One clever feature is the way the helm seat lowers to allow access to the transom step. Beneteau is trying to patent this design. With so many features coming as standard, one of the few options available is hot water for the transom shower, a must for civilized cruising.

The 393 is brilliantly set up for easy sail handling. The standard mainsail is roller furled in the mast, with the controls led to the cockpit. The 140-percent headsail, which features a foam luff for better shape when partially furled, was fitted with Schaeffer furling gear on our test boat. Both sails are made in China by Neil Pryde. The mainsheet traveler is mounted forward of the companionway, but like the rest of the sail controls, it can be trimmed from the cockpit. The two-sided mainsheet is easy to reach. A rigid vang is standard. While the primary sheet winches are Lewmar 48s CSTC, the lone Lewmar 30 CSTO workhorse winch on the aft end of the coachroof might be a bit undersized. Five Spinlock jammers are deployed about the deck and spars, including one in the cockpit for the headsail furling line-an excellent idea.

The anodized aluminum mast has double, swept-back spreaders and twin backstays. The roller-furling drum for the genoa is mounted above deck instead of in the anchor locker. While the latter arrangement creates a sleeker look on deck, it is more practical to have the drum above deck for maintenance, observation and better furling-line leads. It also frees up more space in the chain locker. The stainless steel stemhead fitting has a single offset anchor roller. Double lifelines and stanchions are well supported, and the pulpits and rails are robust. I am not certain why French manufactures have opted for the solid anodized aluminum toerail. Although it looks great, the old style T- or L-track with machined cutouts is more practical.

Down below The 393 comes with two interior arrangement plans, one featuring three sleeping cabins and one with two. Both plans have lovely, cherry-trimmed wood finish. Beneteau's high level of workmanship, readily apparent in the interior joinerwork and details, might surprise those who think of the company as a production builder. With little touches like convenient pullout blinds for overhead hatches, full-length overhead handrails and a well-placed trash locker in the galley, Beneteau has always found ways to make its boats homey, safe and user-friendly.

Both plans devote the forepeak to a private head for the forward cabin. This is a great use of space. While this setup is difficult to use when under way in large seas, there is an aft head that can be used when the going gets rough. The bow shape lends itself to a head configuration, with the toilet forward, while allowing for a more desirable Pullman style berth aft instead of the traditional V-berth-a very civilized arrangement. The head compartment is completely molded and includes a shower and overhead Lewmar hatch. The forward cabin is spacious and features a comfortable dressing seat opposite the berth and a large hanging locker. There are also full-length shelves above the berth to port and good ventilation with two hatches.

The saloon in the two-cabin model includes a large U-shaped settee to port with a small centerline seat. There is storage in corner lockers and under the settee. The spacious interior makes use of the 13-foot, 1-inch beam, by extending the furniture nearly to the hull at the expense of storage locker depth. The table, which lowers to converts to a double berth, is to port, with an entertainment console and large storage area opposite.

The nav station is aft. This is an unusual use of space, but actually quite practical. A number of folded charts and guidebooks can be stashed inside the nav desk, and there is room for radios and repeaters beneath the electrical panel located outboard. The most striking feature of the saloon is the skylight-it floods the cabin with welcome natural light.

The two-cabin plan includes an L-shaped galley to port. Double stainless steel sinks face forward with a small two-burner stove and oven outboard. A 12-volt refrigerator, with a front-opening door is standard. Galley cabinets have louvered door faces for ventilation and there is plenty of counter space for preparing meals-it is a French boat after all. The three-cabin model places the galley along the starboard side of the saloon, a necessary tradeoff if you need another cabin, although it can be a difficult arrangement for cooking under way.

Both models have a second head to starboard, with a standard manual flush toilet, wash basin and shower. (The water capacity is 131 gallons in two rotomolded plastic tanks.) A small cabinet holds toiletries, and there is handrail for when the going gets rough. The three-cabin model has identical doubles tucked under the cockpit with fore-and-aft bunks. The two-cabin plan has one large athwartships bunk. Both versions include hanging lockers and shelf storage.

Access to the 40-horsepower Westerbeke diesel is excellent from behind the companionway steps and through the aft cabins. A fixed three-blade prop is standard, serving notice that this is a cruising boat. But the increased punch under power more than compensates for the extra drag while under sail. Fuel capacity is 35 gallons, which translates into a range of 200 to 250 miles. If long-distance cruising is in your plans a second tank might be a worthwhile addition.

Under sail We continued to put the 393 through its paces on the bay. Sailing about 40 degrees apparent, the boat maintained speeds in excess of 6 knots, but slowed if I started to pinch. The 393 is designed to be sailed on its lines, which becomes readily apparent pm the water. The sheeting angles are fairly tight, and the boat has a nice upwind motion. The genoa snapped over easily as we tacked. Close reaching, the 393 really found its stride, hitting 7.5 knots in light to moderate conditions. Reaching and running the boat felt well balanced and steering was responsive.

Overall I was impressed with the handling characteristics, thoughtful design and construction quality, especially because the 393 is quite attractively priced. The boat is clearly a sound value. The standard equipment package is fairly complete, although an electric windlass and autopilot are necessary options for cruising. Still you won't have to spend a fortune outfitting the boat after you buy it. With the 393 Beneteau has made our cruising dreams affordable.

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Oceanis Clipper 393

• Description

Specifications

The Oceanis 393 is a real concentration of the art of living on a cruise.  With healthy behaviour and easy manoeuvring, the Oceanis Clipper 393 is well-suited to sailing with a small crew.    The symbol of this new Oceanis generation is designed exclusively for your sailing pleasure. 

Naval designer :  Jean BERRET ; Olivier RACOUPEAU

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With teams for sea trials, financing, customization, events, an after-sales service, and a network of dealers worldwide, BENETEAU delivers the help and expertise every boat owner needs throughout his boating life maintaining an enduring customer relationship.

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Oceanis Clipper 473

Oceanis Clipper 423

Oceanis Clipper 411

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Oceanis Clipper 361

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OCEANIS CLIPPER 331

OCEANIS CLIPPER 323

OCEANIS CLIPPER 311

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• By Darrell Nicholson
• Updated: May 1, 2002

Perhaps one of the most delightful things about owning a boat is setting out on a breezy afternoon with only vague ideas of where you might want to go. You’re simply getting away for a while, and if you can do it with a touch of speed and excitement, well, that would be nice, too.

The Beneteau 393 is meant for just such days.

A scaled-down version of the 473, which won the award for the Best Production Cruiser Over $200,000 in Cruising World’s 2001 Boat of the Year competition, this is the first completely new model to be built at Beneteau’s recently expanded facility in Marion, South Carolina.

The choice of interiors suits different tastes. The two-cabin version, which we sailed, is the most practical for cruising. It features a large athwartship double berth tucked to starboard under the cockpit, a U-shaped galley to port, a navigation station to starboard, and, forward of that, a large bar and cabinet. A novel departure from the expected settee, the cabinet yields additional room for storage, but it occupies space in the saloon that might otherwise have served as a sea berth.

In the three-cabin layout, two fore-and-aft double berths stretch under the cockpit, the navigation station sits to port, and a fore-and-aft galley replaces the two-cabin version’s bar and cabinet.

Both layouts feature a head and shower forward of a roomy double berth, a second head and shower aft, and seating for eight at a U-shaped dinette with an inboard bench. The ports and hatches offer excellent ventilation, although a pair of cowl vents would be welcome for wet passages. Three acrylic windows in the cabin top and six deadlights brighten the cherry-stained interior.

We sailed the boat in 17 knots of gusty, southwesterly wind on Narragansett Bay. Whitecaps and a rolling ocean swell greeted us off Castle Hill when we cleared the entrance to the bay. Hard on the wind, we were punching through the steep, tide-opposed waves at about 6.5 knots, yet the cockpit stayed surprisingly dry even without a dodger, which the boat is well set up to accommodate. The molded cabin liner and bulkheads bonded to the hull on all sides provided ample structural support. The hull shape, a fairly fine entry at the bow with a broad flat section aft, made reaching a blast.

The long genoa track and the traveler across the cabin top allow for precise sail trimming, with all lines led aft. Single-line reefing was quick and easy. The cockpit’s T-shaped layout makes it easy to scoot around the wheel and, at rest, offers enough room to host a small village for dinner, with a foldout table at the binnacle to spread the fare. One thing I’d like to see in the cockpit is a foot brace along the centerline to make a windward seat more comfortable when beating. The boat handled exceptionally under power (a 40-horsepower Westerbeke), allowing for easy maneuvering in and out of the slip, despite the gusty winds in the harbor.

The biggest attraction of Beneteau is value. The company’s streamlined production process makes for a very competitively priced 39-footer: $138,000 for the boat we sailed, which came with an electronics package. Not a bad deal for something you can’t really put a price on: a windy day, a new boat, and no particular place to go.

Darrell Nicholson is a CW associate editor who spent 10 years sailing the Caribbean and Pacific aboard his own 32-footer.

• More: 2001 - 2010 , 31 - 40 ft , beneteau , Coastal Cruising , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Beneteau 393 - Sailboat Data, Parts & Rigging

Sailboat data, rig dimensions and recommended sail areas for Beneteau 393 sailboat. Tech info about rigging, halyards, sheets, mainsail covers and more.

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Beneteau Oceanis 393

Beneteau Oceanis 393 is a 39 ′ 4 ″ / 12 m monohull sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau and built by Beneteau starting in 2002.

• 1 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 2 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 3 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 4 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 5 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 6 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 7 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 8 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 9 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 10 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 11 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 12 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 13 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 14 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 15 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 16 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 17 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 18 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 19 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 20 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 21 / 26 Green Cove Springs, FL, US 2007 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $114,900 USD View
• 22 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 23 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 24 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 25 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View
• 26 / 26 Miami, FL, US 2004 Beneteau Oceanis 393 $109,500 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Also called BENETEAU 393 and MOORINGS 403. Deep draft model: 6.25’.

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Cyclades 393 Beneteau

The cyclades 393 beneteau is a 39.27ft fractional sloop designed by berret racoupeau yacht design and built in fiberglass by beneteau since 2007..

The Cyclades 393 Beneteau is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser. The fuel capacity is average. There is a short water supply range.

Cyclades 393 Beneteau for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Also called OCEANIS 393 and MOORINGS 403. Deep draft: 6.25'/1.91m.

Beneteau has always done a good job with interior wood. Far from seeming "knocked off" or mass produced, the furniture, cabinetry, and trim of the 393 live up to custom standards of fit, precision, and harmony.

Benjamin Beneteau, shipwright, founded the Beneteau boatyard at Croix-de-Vie, France to build sailing trawlers. In 1964 Annette Beneteau Roux and her brother, Andre, granddaughter and grandson to Benjamin, diversified the company with the introduction of fiberglass sailing yachts. With the introduction of the FLETAN and the GUPPY, Beneteau took part in the 1965 Paris Boat Show for the first ...

The Beneteau 393 is a 38.16ft masthead sloop designed by Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in fiberglass by Beneteau since 2002. The Beneteau 393 is a light sailboat which is slightly under powered.

The Beneteau 393, also called the Beneteau Oceanis 393 and for the yacht charter role, the Moorings 403, is a French sailboat that was designed by Berret-Racoupeau as a cruiser and first built in 2002.

Beneteau 393 is a 38′ 1″ / 11.6 m monohull sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau and built by Beneteau starting in 2002.

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The Oceanis 393 Beneteau is a 39.33ft masthead sloop designed by Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in fiberglass by Beneteau between 2000 and 2007.

The 393 is built in the United States at Beneteau's South Carolina plant. The hull is solid fiberglass with a structural inner grid and fiberglass floors. The deck is balsa cored. There is a complete deck liner, or head liner, which encapsulates the upper sections of the bulkheads.

The Oceanis 393 is a real concentration of the art of living on a cruise. With healthy behaviour and easy manoeuvring, the Oceanis Clipper 393 is well-suited to sailing with a small crew. The symbol of this new Oceanis generation is designed exclusively for your sailing pleasure.

The Beneteau 393 is meant for just such days. A scaled-down version of the 473, which won the award for the Best Production Cruiser Over $200,000 in Cruising World s 2001 Boat of the Year competition, this is the first completely new model to be built at Beneteau s recently expanded facility in Marion, South Carolina. The choice of interiors ...

Beneteau's Oceanis 393. By David McCreary. May 27, 2004. The Beneteau Oceanis 393 is a 39' passagemaker featuring many of the design and esthetic elements as the Beneteau 473, which won the Cruising World's Best Production Cruiser award for 2001. The 393 was the first totally new model to be built at Beneteau's expanded facility in Marion, S.C.

Beneteau Oceanis 393 is a 39′ 4″ / 12 m monohull sailboat designed by Berret-Racoupeau and built by Beneteau starting in 2002.

The Oceanis 393 beneteau is a 39.33ft masthead sloop designed by Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in fiberglass by Beneteau between 2000 and 2007. 600 units have been built. It accomodates 6 people in 3 cabins plus salon. The Oceanis 393 beneteau is a light sailboat which is a good performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a low ...

Find Beneteau 393 boats for sale in your area & across the world on YachtWorld. Offering the best selection of Beneteau boats to choose from.

The Beneteau Cyclades 39.3 is a French sailboat that was designed by Berret-Racoupeau as a cruiser and first built in 2007. The series is named for the Greek island chain.

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The Cyclades 393 Beneteau is a 39.27ft fractional sloop designed by Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in fiberglass by Beneteau since 2007. The Cyclades 393 Beneteau is a light sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is reasonably stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized.

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• Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62

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