The Beneteau 311, also called the Oceanis 311 and Oceanis 311 Clipper, is a French sailboat that was designed by Groupe Finot as a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

and first built in 1997 as a 1998 model year. The design was also sold as the Stardust 311 for the yacht charter market. The same hull design also served as the basis for the

Figaro Solo Figaro may refer to: Literature * Figaro, the central character in: ** ''The Barber of Seville'' (play), a 1775 play by Pierre Beaumarchais *** ''The Barber of Seville'' (Paisiello), a 1782 opera by Paisiello based on the play *** '' The Ba ...

, the

Beneteau First 310 Beneteau or Bénéteau () is a French sail and motor boat manufacturer, with production facilities in France and in the United States. The company is a large and recognized boat builder, commanding a substantial worldwide market, with its holdi ...

, Beneteau First 31.7 and the

Beneteau Oceanis 300 Beneteau or Bénéteau () is a French sail and motor boat manufacturer, with production facilities in France and in the United States. The company is a large and recognized boat builder, commanding a substantial worldwide market, with its holdi ...

Production

The design was built by Beneteau in France, from 1997 until 2003, with 1042 boats built, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Beneteau 311 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

glassfibre Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...

. The hull is solid fibreglass, while the deck has a balsa core. It has a fractional

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

rig, with a deck-stepped mast, one set of swept spreaders and aluminium spars with continuous 1X19

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...

wire standing rigging. A mast-furling mainsail was optional. The hull has a slightly raked stem, a reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a

wheel A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...

and a fixed fin keel with a weighted bulb, or an optional stub keel with a bottom beaching plate, centreboard and twin rudders to allow it to remain upright when beached. The fin keel model displaces and carries of cast iron ballast, while the centerboard version displaces and carries of cast iron ballast. The Oceanis 311 Clipper was a model with many factory options as standard equipment. The keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of , while the centreboard-equipped version has a draft of with the centreboard extended and with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water, or beaching. The boat is fitted with a Japanese Yanmar diesel engine of for docking and manoeuvring. The fuel tank holds and the

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

tank has a capacity of . The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double

"V"-berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

berth in the bow cabin, two straight settees around a table in the main cabin and an aft cabin with a double berth on the port side. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located on the port side just forward of the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...

ladder. The galley is C-shaped and is equipped with a four-burner stove, an ice box and a double sink. A navigation station is opposite the galley, on the starboard side. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is located starboard aft and includes a shower. Cabin headroom is . The design has a hull speed of and a PHRF handicap of 141 to 159 for the fin keel model and 168 for the centreboard model.

Operational history

In a September 2000 ''Yacht and Boat'' review, Barry Tranter wrote, "I don't have any statistics but my guess is that most Oceanis go to charter. One owner I have met was a retired ocean racer who wanted an all-furling cruising boat, easy to handle but quick enough, so he and the Missus could weekend aboard in comfort. The 311, which has both internal volume and a fast hull, will fill both roles."

References

External links

*
Video tour
{{Beneteau Keelboats 1990s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Groupe Finot Sailboat types built by Beneteau

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links