The Beneteau 393 Sailboat

The Beneteau 393, a masthead sloop was designed by the Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built in France by Beneteau.

Fully rigged for cruising, this Beneteau 393 has a furling headsail and in-mast furling for the mainsail

There are two interior options:

one double-berth aft, and another forward or
two double-berths aft, and another forward.

The latter version presumably caters more for the charter market.

Published Specification for the Beneteau 393

Underwater Profile: Fin keel with winglets & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall: 38'2" (11.6m)

Waterline Length: 35'1" (10.7m)

Beam: 13'0" (4.0m)

Draft: 5'1" (1.6m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 17,152lb (7,780kg)

Designer: Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design

Builder: Beneteau (France)

Year First Built: 2002

Owners Association: Beneteau Owners Association

Published Design Ratios for the Beneteau 393

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 15.4

Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 31

Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 177

Under 100: Ultralight
100 to 200: Light
200 to 275: Moderate
275 to 350: Heavy
Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 24

Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Beneteau 393

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of just 15.4 suggests that the Beneteau 393 will need a stiff breeze to get her going. In light conditions, unless you've got plenty of time on your hands, motor-sailing may be the way to go.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 31 means that unless the bulk of the ballast is concentrated in a bulb at the foot of her keel, the Beneteau 393 will have a tendency to heel excessively in a gust, and she'll need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 177, tells us the Beneteau 393 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer dramatically.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24 suggests that crew comfort of a Beneteau 393 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 is on the cusp of suitability for an ocean passage, so venture offshore with caution.