2017 Beneteau Figaro Beneteau 3

The sea is your playground

The most exquisite alliance of simplicity and performance for avid sailors across the globe, accommodating personal sailing preferences like never before, and where limitless innovation brings all cruising dreams within reach.

The Figaro Beneteau 3 is the first production foiling one-design monohull ever to be designed. A distillation of technology and innovation, it results from a collaboration between group Beneteaus best experts and the Van Peteghem Lauriot-Prvost (VPLP) office, the architects of the two last boats to win the Vende Globe.

The prototype is currently being built and will be launched and tested this summer 2017. It will enter the ISO/World Sailing design category A.

The specifications define the FB3 monohull as being as reliable as its predecessor, the FB2. It is equipped with foils, a better performing ballast-free hull, a more slender and deeper keel, a setback mast and a more extensive and larger sail plan.

Features may include:

• Contrary to Imoca 60 foils, the FB3 foils will have an inward-facing profile. The way they operate is different. They are versatile foils that create drift reduction and improve the boats righting moment, without increasing the movement, which improves the boats performance.

• Deep, with a straight blade, it creates minimum drag. Supplementary drift reduction is provided by the foils.

• Made of foam sandwich, fibreglass and polyester infused resin, it corresponds to current designs and is ballast-free.

• Similar to the Imoca 60s, the mast is set back, providing balance under sail. This allows the use of high performance sails and the addition of a bowsprit. Solo sailors will sail with a square-top mainsail, a genoa and a jib, but also a masthead spinnaker (105 m (=125 yd) to gain speed in a light breeze) and a small gennaker.

• Mainsail area: 39.5 m (420 ft)

• Jib area: 30.5 m (323 ft)

• Large spinnaker area: 105 m (125 yd)