The Beneteau 50 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Beneteau 50, an aft cockpit sloop, was designed by Farr Yacht Design with Armel Briand and built in France by Beneteau.

A Beneteau 50

Published Specification for the Beneteau 50

Underwater Profile: Bulb keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 50'9" (15.5m)

Waterline Length: 45'5" (13.8m)

Beam: 14'8" (4.5m)

Draft: 7'6" (2.3m)

Rig Type: Masthead sloop

Displacement: 28,660lb (13,000kg)

Designer: Farr Yacht Design with Armel Briand

Builder: Beneteau (France)

Year First Built: 1995

Year Last Built: 2004

Number Built: 200

Owners Association: Beneteau Owners Club

Published Design Ratios for the Beneteau 50

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.6

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: 32.5

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

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 137

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

4. Comfort Ratio: 26.4

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: 1.9

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 50

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.6 suggests that the Beneteau 50 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 32.5 would usually mean that the Beneteau 50 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 a bulb 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 137 tells us the Beneteau 50 is clearly a light displacement sailboat. If she's loaded with too much heavy cruising gear her performance will suffer to a degree.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 26.4 suggests that crew comfort of a Beneteau 50 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 1.9 tells us that a Beneteau 50 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0.