The Beneteau 393 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

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

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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 would usually mean that the Beneteau 393 would have a tendency to heel uncomfortably in a gust, and need to be reefed early to keep her sailing upright in a moderate breeze.

However, as she has much of her ballast concentrated in the winglets at the foot of her keel, she's likely to be considerably stiffer than her published Ballast/Displacement Ratio might suggest.

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 of 2.0 indicates that a Beneteau would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas associated with sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.