Review of Figaro Bénéteau 3

Both the hull and the deck is made of fibreglass. A hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

Both the hull and the deck is a sandwich construction which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.

The Figaro Bénéteau 3 is built with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.

L-shape fin keel

The Figaro Bénéteau 3 is built with a L keel. An L-shape keel is a bulb keel with the shape as an L. This keel is less exposed to seaweed, fishing nets and lines.

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.50 - 2.60 meter (8.20 - 8.50 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The fuel tank has a capacity of 40 liters (10 US gallons, 8 imperial gallons).

The boat may be equipped with a Nanni Diesel N3 diesel engine at 21 hp (15 kW)..

Figaro Bénéteau 3 holds three CE certifications:

If less than 3 in on board the boat is by European Union certified as Class A. OCEAN:
If less than 4 in on board the boat is by European Union certified as Class B. OFFSHORE:
If less than 6 in on board the boat is by European Union certified as Class C. INSHORE:

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.5 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Figaro Bénéteau 3 is about 220 kg/cm, alternatively 1235 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 220 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1235 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Figaro Bénéteau 3 is 2.80.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is more spacy than 82% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a significantly more spacy hull design.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for Figaro Bénéteau 3 is 35%.

This ballast ratio is higher than 21% of all similar sailboat designs. Since the ballast ratio and the righting moment (i.e. better ability to resist heeling) is strongly correlated, a ballast ratio significantly below average indicates a very low ability to resist heeling.

The Figaro Bénéteau 3 has more rig than 95% of all similar sailboats, which indicates that the boat is significantly overrigged.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 42m² (452 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Figaro Bénéteau 3 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.