Beneteau 57 Review, Specs and Used Buying Notes

Francois Chalain's dream and Bruce Farr's lines

The Beneteau 57 was conceived as a statement. In Sailing magazine's September 2004 boat test, John Kretschmer described it as the long-held vision of Francois Chalain, Beneteau's chief designer: a powerful sailing machine with the amenities and standard equipment list of a custom yacht, built with the manufacturing muscle of the world's largest sailboat builder. Bruce Farr's office drew the hull in close collaboration with Chalain, and Franck Darnet designed the interior.

Sailboatdata and Beneteau's heritage records give it 17.8 m (58 ft 5 in) overall, a 15 m waterline, a 4.93 m (16 ft 2 in) beam and a light displacement of 22,055 kg (48,623 lb). Charleston dealer Chuck Laughlin summed it up for Sailing as the next step up for Beneteau 50 owners, and Kretschmer thought step was too mild a word. It was built in France, from 2002 according to sailboatdata, and the tooling showed intent: Kretschmer noted a massive structural liner, essentially a hull within a hull, that only made sense if Beneteau planned to build a lot of 57s.

Why the center cockpit changes everything below

Raising the cockpit amidships freed the after third of the hull for an owner's stateroom that Australia's Yacht and Boat called one of the best cabins on a production yacht. A walk-through on the starboard side connects it to the saloon, while the galley runs along the port side in a narrow, well-braced passage that suits cooking at sea. The cockpit sits low enough in the hull that crew do not feel perched, and behind it there is a large aft deck for lounging or stowing a tender.

Beneteau offered four interior plans with three, four or five cabins. The boat Yacht and Boat tested had two double cabins forward, each with its own toilet but sharing a shower, a single cabin to starboard off the walk-through and the owner's suite aft. Five cabin versions, with every cabin carrying its own head, were aimed at charter and large families. The galley was well stocked as standard, with a four-burner stove, freezer and dishwasher, and the interior finish drew praise from Sailing as close to custom standards.

• Three cabin owner layout: the most livable and the easiest to resell
• Four cabin layout: a common compromise for families
• Five cabin layout: maximum berths, smallest cabins, often ex-charter

A bulkhead wheel, electric winches and a self-tacker

The most debated detail is the steering position. Beneteau's standard arrangement put the wheel on the forward port side of the cockpit, mounted on the bulkhead with a robust teak seat, which opens up the whole cockpit for living. A conventional centerline pedestal was optional, and Kretschmer said he would choose it for visibility. Steering is hydraulically assisted, and Yacht and Boat noted that the gearing could be specified, so expect differing feel between boats.

Sail handling was designed for a couple. All controls lead aft to large Lewmar 66 primaries, electric on many boats, with end-boom sheeting on a traveler aft. The rig carries triple spreaders and running backstays, and an inner forestay allows a self-tacking staysail for harbor work and heavy weather. Both headsails can be on furlers, and the test boat in Australia also had a powered boom-furling main. A retractable beam in the boom doubles as a dinghy hoist, and Beneteau fitted a bow thruster and a 9.5 kVA generator as standard.

Speeds recorded on test

Two period tests give a consistent picture. Off Charleston, Sailing magazine's crew beat through chop at a little over 8 knots in 11 knots of true wind with a 145 percent genoa, then saw 9.2 knots on a reach as the breeze filled to 15 knots, with an easy motion and effortless steering. In Sydney, Yacht and Boat recorded 9.5 knots on a beam reach in 18 knots under full sail and 8.4 knots in 21 knots under reefed main and staysail. The skipper reported 10 knots in 20, and the crew claimed 9 knots in 12 knots of breeze under a tri-radial asymmetric spinnaker.

The mainsail and self-tacking staysail alone were good for about 5.5 knots upwind in 10 knots of breeze, which tells you how easy the boat is to sail short-handed in confined water. Sailboatdata's ratios support the impression of a fast cruiser rather than a heavy displacement ocean boat: sail area to displacement around 20, displacement to length about 182, a comfort ratio near 35.5 and a capsize screening value of 1.78, comfortably under the 2.0 offshore guideline.

Keel choice and the draft question

The standard externally fastened fin keel draws about 8 ft 6 in, which Kretschmer warned would be a nuisance in many cruising grounds, from the Chesapeake to the Bahamas. Most boats in American hands have the shoal option at about 6 ft 10 in, which Sailing said carries roughly 17,000 lb of ballast, about 10 percent more than the deep keel's 15,200 lb, to keep stability. The keel's leading edge is raked and its aspect ratio moderate, a choice Yacht and Boat welcomed on a cruiser that might one day find a rock.

If you plan Caribbean or ICW cruising, the shoal keel is the boat to buy. If you want to do the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers or the Bermuda races, both of which Sailing said the 57 was designed to handle, the deep keel points higher and sails better upwind.

Tankage, generator and the systems bill

Tankage was generous for its time: 127 US gallons (480 liters) of diesel and 264 gallons (1,000 liters) of water. Sailboatdata lists the engine as a Yanmar 4JH4-HTE, and with fuel at 127 gallons the boat can motor through long calms. Standard equipment included the bow thruster and generator, and many boats added watermakers, air conditioning, hydraulic autopilots and electric winches. Every one of those systems is now around 20 years old.

That is the real cost of owning a Beneteau 57. The hull and deck are robust, but a 2003 or 2004 boat that still has its original generator, thruster, autopilot drive, winch motors, refrigeration and standing rigging is facing a five or six figure refit. Price that into any offer, and favor boats whose owners can show invoices for the big items.

Who should buy a Beneteau 57 today

Beneteau 57 for sale listings are infrequent, which makes each one a small event. The boat appeals to cruising couples moving up from a 45 or 50 footer who want an owner's cabin aft, a protected cockpit and room for watermaker, spares and toys without stepping into Oyster or Amel money. Compared with later aft-cockpit Oceanis flagships such as the Oceanis 58 that sailboatdata dates to 2009, the 57 offers more traditional security underway at the cost of a less open deck plan.

A sensible budget is the purchase price plus 15 to 25 percent for a first-year refit on an older boat. Expect insurance, yard storage and maintenance for a 58 ft sailboat to run well into five figures a year before any major replacements.