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Beneteau Oceanis 281

Beneteau · designed by Groupe Finot · 1995

fin keel with weighed bulbBermuda rigFrance

The Beneteau Oceanis 281 is a 29-foot bermuda rig sailboat designed by Groupe Finot and built by Beneteau, first launched in 1995.

Beneteau Oceanis 281 sailboat
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

General

Builder Beneteau
Designer Groupe Finot
Years built 1995
Hull type fin keel with weighed bulb
Rig type Bermuda rig
Construction fiberglass
Origin France

Dimensions

LOA28.50 ft8.69 m
LWL24.50 ft7.47 m
Beam9.42 ft2.87 m
Draft (max)4.00 ft1.22 m
Displacement5,732 lb2,600 kg
Ballast1,676 lb760 kg
Sail Area335 ft²31.1 m²

Design ratios

Computed from the specs above using the standard formulas. Try the sailboat calculators with your own numbers.

SA / Displacement 16.74 Cruiser — good all-round performance
Ballast / Displacement 29.2 % Higher = stiffer / more sail-carrying power
Displacement / Length 174 Light
Comfort Ratio 17.4 Racing / light coastal
Capsize Screening 2.11 Better suited to coastal use (> 2.0)
Hull Speed 6.6 kn Theoretical max displacement speed
How these numbers are calculated
SA / Displacement
SA ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(2/3) — Power-to-weight. < 16 under-canvassed, 16–20 cruiser, > 20 racer.
Ballast / Displacement
Ballast ÷ Disp × 100 — Stability/stiffness. Higher carries sail better.
Displacement / Length
Disp(lt) ÷ (0.01 · LWL)³ — < 100 ultralight, 100–200 light, 200–300 moderate, > 300 heavy.
Comfort Ratio (Brewer)
Disp ÷ (0.65 · (0.7·LWL + 0.3·LOA) · Beam^1.33) — Motion in a seaway. Higher = more comfortable offshore.
Capsize Screening
Beam ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(1/3) — ≤ 2.0 favored for offshore; > 2.0 better for coastal use.
Hull Speed
1.34 · √LWL — Theoretical max displacement speed in knots.

Estimated price

$26,500 typical range $21,000 – $32,000

⚠ Rough estimate only — not market data. Derived from a simple model based on length and hull age; actual asking prices vary widely with condition, equipment, engine hours and location.

Data sources: Wikidata (CC0) · Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)