Beneteau Oceanis 55 Review, Specs and Used Values

One tester called it a cat killer, another a grumpy child in light air. Both were right, and the reason is the Code 0.

2013 to present Discontinued Updated October 2026

For reference, Beneteau Oceanis 311 at anchor in the UK, not the Beneteau Oceanis 55. Photo: Timbow001, CC0, source

Length: 55.1 ft16.78 m
Beam: 16.3 ft4.96 m
Draft: 7.6 ft2.3 m
Cabins: 3, 4 or 5, plus an optional crew cabin in the forepeak
Used price: $420K to $620K

On this page

Overview
Cat killer or grumpy child, two very different sea trials
Hard chines and the twin rudder option
Three keel depths, and why the numbers changed
Code 0, self-tacker and staysail options
A cockpit about a third of the boat's length
Three to five cabins and a crew cabin forward
Saildrive, Dock & Go or a 110 hp shaft
Oceanis 55 or 55.1, and what they cost today
Specifications
Price and value
Strengths and weaknesses
Used buyer checklist
Rivals
Our verdict
FAQ

The Beneteau Oceanis 55 is a 55 ft 1 in Berret-Racoupeau flagship launched in 2013, the first Oceanis offered with twin rudders. It has hard chines, a mainsheet arch, three keel depths and layouts from three cabins to five, plus a crew cabin.

Best for

Couples who carry guests or crew
Families who want three to five cabins
Bahamas and Caribbean cruising with the shallow keel
Owners who want joystick docking

Beneteau Oceanis 55 by the numbers

Plan view drawn to scale from the published length and beam.

Sail area to displacement: 20.5Plenty of sail for the weight, the boat should feel lively in light air.
Displacement to length: 135Light displacement for its length, quick but sensitive to added cruising weight.
Theoretical hull speed: 9.5 knThe practical top speed of a displacement monohull under normal sailing, based on waterline length.
Ballast ratio: 25%Relatively low ballast, form stability does more of the work.
Capsize screening: 1.95Below 2.0, the traditional threshold for offshore suitability.
Motion comfort ratio: 27.4Moderate motion comfort, typical of modern cruisers.
Length to beam ratio: 3.39 : 1Moderate proportions.

Length compared with the 149 cruising sailboats we cover

Beneteau Oceanis 55

22 ft63 ft

Cat killer or grumpy child, two very different sea trials

Mark Pillsbury of Cruising World wrote cat killer in his notebook after sailing the Beneteau 55 Oceanis out of Miami in 10 to 12 knots, close reaching at 7 and 8 knots alongside three Bahamas-bound Lagoon catamarans. Toby Hodges of Yachting World, testing in Palma Bay in a Force 3 to 4, found the same boat sluggish in light air, like a grumpy child being dragged uphill, until a Code 0 went up and transformed it.

Both verdicts are fair, and together they explain the boat. The Oceanis 55 is a big, wide, heavy cruiser with a lot of wetted surface. In under 10 knots on a white sail plan it struggles; in a breeze, or with a flying sail, it comes alive. For anyone searching for a Beneteau Oceanis 55, that is the most important thing to understand before buying.

Hard chines and the twin rudder option

The 55 was designed by Berret-Racoupeau with a Nauta interior and launched in 2013 to replace the Oceanis 54. Yachting World notes it was the first Oceanis to sport twin rudders, a Sense range idea, although they were an extra: the magazine's test boat had them as an option, sailboatdata lists them as optional and Beneteau's 2016 US list describes a single hung rudder as standard. Hard chines run aft from well forward of the mast and carry 16 ft 3 in of beam to the stern. Olivier Racoupeau told Yachting World that twin rudders give less experienced sailors more control; Hodges countered that they also hide the signs that it is time to reef, and noted the boat had been sailed in 30 knots with just one reef the day before.

Cruising World's twin rudder boat gave lots of feedback at either helm and backed well to port and starboard on its own. When you shop, check which rudder arrangement a boat has, because it changes the feel of the helm and the maintenance list. With the mast moved aft, the main and the 105 percent genoa are nearly equal in size, which makes the sail plan balanced and easy to handle.

Three keel depths, and why the numbers changed

Cruising World's test boat had a 4 ft 9 in Bahamas-friendly keel, with a standard 5 ft 11 in keel and a 7 ft 3 in deep foil listed, and sailboatdata's figures for the original 55 match. Beneteau's later documents, including a brochure printed around 2015 and the 2016 North American equipment list, give 7 ft 7 in deep, 6 ft 3 in shallow and 5 ft 1 in very shallow drafts, with ballast of 9,326 lb, 10,053 lb and 10,703 lb respectively.

Whatever the explanation, the practical advice is simple: confirm which keel the boat has and its actual draft. For the Bahamas and the Florida Keys the shallowest keel is a real advantage, while the deep keel makes the most of the hull's upwind ability.

Code 0, self-tacker and staysail options

The standard plan pairs a 721 sq ft classic main with a 710 sq ft genoa, and a furling main of 570 sq ft was available. Beneteau also offered a 570 sq ft self-tacking jib, a 377 sq ft staysail on a releasable inner forestay, a 1,249 sq ft Code 0 and a 2,153 sq ft asymmetric spinnaker, with a bowsprit that integrates the anchor roller.

Yachting World's numbers show why the Code 0 matters. On white sails the boat made 4.5 knots in 7 knots on a close reach. In 12 to 14 knots it made 7.5 knots upwind and over 9 knots close reaching. With the Code 0 unfurled, it made 6.5 knots in 8.5 knots of wind and 8 knots in 10. If the boat you are viewing does not have a Code 0 or gennaker, budget for one.

A cockpit about a third of the boat's length

Beneteau wanted much more outdoor space than the 54 offered, so the arch and companionway moved forward. The cockpit takes up roughly a third of the boat, with two long cushioned benches around a large table, plus two sunbeds either side of the companionway forward of the arch. The electric swim platform folds up to form a cockpit-wide helm seat. Pillsbury tripped repeatedly over a step at the aft end of the cockpit, so watch your footing.

Primary winches sit just inboard of each wheel, which Pillsbury found made short-handed tacking simple and Hodges praised for keeping crew off the leeward rail. Hodges' complaints were practical: the mainsheet leads only to the port winch, the line bins overflow when headsails are changed, and the test boat's extra plotter screens blocked access to the winches. Does anyone really need four plotter screens, he asked.

Three to five cabins and a crew cabin forward

Beneteau's brochure shows five layouts: three cabins with two or three heads, four cabins with two or four heads, and five cabins with three heads. All can add a crew cabin in the forepeak with a head and vanity. The master cabin is so wide it can be split into two en-suite doubles, which says a lot about the beam.

Hodges found the three cabin, two head test boat capacious, with a gentle 45 degree companionway, but the galley small for a 55 footer and the space at the foot of the companionway oddly empty. There is a dedicated chart table, which smaller Oceanis models had dropped. Interior wood was Alpi mahogany only, with light oak offered later, and Hodges found the boat noisy below under power, while Pillsbury found the noise quite tolerable.

Saildrive, Dock & Go or a 110 hp shaft

Cruising World's boat had the 75 hp Yanmar with the optional Dock & Go joystick pod. It cruised in the high 8 knot range and reached a little over 9 knots flat out, and stopped nearly on a dime. By 2016 Beneteau's US list offered an 80 hp common rail Yanmar on a saildrive as standard, with a 110 hp Yanmar on a conventional shaft as an option.

Standard tankage is 106 gallons of fuel and 183 gallons of water, with optional extra tanks of 53 gallons of fuel and 86 of water. Yachting World mentioned extended tankage of about 1,000 liters of water and 600 liters of fuel for long distance cruisers. Options included a 9 kVA generator, chilled water air conditioning, a washer dryer and a 60 liter per hour watermaker.

Oceanis 55 or 55.1, and what they cost today

Beneteau later updated the boat as the Oceanis 55.1, which sailboatdata lists from 2017 with optional 110 hp power and extra tankage. Check documents carefully, because some later 55s already carry the updated specifications. In 2026, a Beneteau 55 for sale in the US typically asks between about $420,000 and $620,000, with most well equipped three cabin boats in the middle of that range.

Yachting World noted that the Sense 55 cost 10 to 15 percent more new, and that the Hanse 575 was priced similarly while being a foot longer, a foot wider and nearly three tonnes heavier. Running costs are those of a large yacht: $35,000 to $65,000 a year for slip, insurance, haul-out and maintenance is a realistic range.

Beneteau Oceanis 55 specifications

Length overall	55.1 ft16.78 m
Waterline length	49.8 ft15.16 m
Beam	16.3 ft4.96 m
Draft	7.6 ft2.3 m
Air draft	78.4 ft23.9 m
Displacement	37,258 lbs16,9 kg
Ballast	9,326 lbs4,23 kg
Sail area	1,431 sq ft133 m²
Fuel capacity	106 gal4 L
Fresh water	183 gal694 L
Cabins	3, 4 or 5, plus an optional crew cabin in the forepeak
Berths	6 to 10 plus crew
Heads	2 to 4 depending on layout
Maximum persons	12
Standard engines	Yanmar 75 hp saildrive (2015 brochure); Yanmar 80 hp common rail saildrive (2016 US list)
Optional engines	Yanmar Dock & Go POD 120 joystick system, or 110 hp Yanmar on a shaft (2016 US list)
Maximum power	110 hp
Hull type	Beamy chined fin keel monohull, single rudder standard with twin rudders optional
Keel	Cast iron: deep 7 ft 7 in, shallow 6 ft 3 in or very shallow 5 ft 1 in in later documents (early boats 7 ft 3 in, 5 ft 11 in and 4 ft 9 in)
Rig	Fractional 9/10 deck-stepped sloop with two sets of spreaders, mainsheet on a fixed arch, 105 percent genoa; self-tacking jib, staysail and Code 0 options
Hull construction	Infused polyester and balsa sandwich hull with bonded inner molding; injection molded balsa sandwich deck
CE design category	A
Builder	Beneteau, France
Naval architect	Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design
Other design credits	Nauta Design (interior)
Production	2013 to present
Status	Discontinued

Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.

How much does a Beneteau Oceanis 55 cost?

New, typical sail-awayNo longer built

Used, typical asking$420K to $620K

Yearly running costs$35K to $65K

Cruising World's test boat carried a sail-away price of $740,000, and Yachting World's had about 180,000 euros of extras, so equipment explains much of the spread in used prices. Boats with Dock & Go, a generator, air conditioning, the Code 0 and self-tacking jib, and the three cabin owner's layout ask the most. Five cabin boats and those with charter history sell for noticeably less.

Estimated used asking prices by model year, US market, 2026

Estimate your yearly cost

Purchase price Engine hours per year Slip rate per foot per month Fuel price per gallon

A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.

Versions and options

Three cabin, two or three heads: The owner's layout, with a large master cabin and two aft cabins.
Four cabin: With two or four heads, aimed at families and charter.
Five cabin, three heads: A Pullman cabin replaces the second aft head, mostly for charter.
Crew cabin: Optional forepeak cabin with head and vanity.
Keels: Deep, shallow and very shallow keels; drafts differ between early and later documents.

Beneteau Oceanis 55 timeline

2013Oceanis 55 launched to replace the Oceanis 54; Cruising World tests it in Miami
2015Brochure lists 7 ft 7 in, 6 ft 3 in and 5 ft 1 in keels
2016US equipment list offers 80 hp saildrive or 110 hp shaft drive
2017Oceanis 55.1 listed by sailboatdata as the updated version

Strengths and weaknesses

What owners like

Fast in a breeze and with a Code 0
Optional twin rudders give good control and grip
Huge cockpit with sunbeds and a fold-down platform
Wide choice of keels, sail plans and layouts
Crew cabin option
Inboard primary winches suit short-handed sailing

What to weigh up

Sluggish in light air on white sails
Mainsheet leads only to the port winch
Small galley for a 55 footer
Trip hazard step at the aft end of the cockpit

Used Beneteau Oceanis 55 buyer checklist

Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.

Rudder arrangement (single or twin), bearings, stocks and steering linkages
Keel type, draft and keel bolts
Saildrive diaphragms or Dock & Go pod service records
Electric swim platform mechanism and hinges
Electric winches and their wiring
Generator, air conditioning and watermaker hours
Hull windows and deck hatches for leaks
Charter history and wear in four and five cabin boats

Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.

Rivals to consider

Hanse 575

Similar price, a foot longer, a foot wider and heavier, and it feels bigger below.

Beneteau Sense 55

Similar looks, a better galley and nav station, about 10 to 15 percent more when new.

Compare side by side

Jeanneau 54

The sister company's Philippe Briand design with walk-around decks and a more traditional feel.

Compare side by side

Bavaria Cruiser 56

German alternative of the same period, usually priced lower.

Compare side by side

Our verdict on the Beneteau Oceanis 55

The Oceanis 55 is a big, comfortable and versatile cruiser that needs the right sails to shine. With a Code 0 or gennaker it is fast and great fun, and in a breeze the hard chines, especially with the optional twin rudders, make it stiff and controllable. On white sails in light air it is ordinary. The cockpit is superb, the layout choices are broad and the shallow keel options open up the Bahamas. Buy a boat with a flying sail, check the rudders, keel and drive system, and you have a fine long-range family cruiser for well under the price of a new one.

Beneteau Oceanis 55 questions answered

When was the Beneteau Oceanis 55 built?

It was launched in 2013 to replace the Oceanis 54 and later updated as the Oceanis 55.1, which sailboatdata lists from 2017.

Does every Oceanis 55 have twin rudders?

Twin rudders were offered, and Yachting World notes it was the first Oceanis to have them, but they were an option; Beneteau's 2016 US list describes a single rudder as standard.

How fast is the Beneteau 55 Oceanis?

Yachting World recorded 7.5 knots upwind and over 9 knots close reaching in 12 to 14 knots of wind; under power Cruising World saw a high 8 knot cruise and a little over 9 knots flat out.

How many cabins does the Oceanis 55 have?

Three, four or five, plus an optional crew cabin in the forepeak.

What does a Beneteau Oceanis 55 for sale cost?

Expect about $420,000 to $620,000 in the US in 2026, depending on year, layout and equipment.

What draft does the Oceanis 55 have?

Depending on keel and year, between about 4 ft 9 in and 7 ft 7 in. Check the specific boat's keel.

Photos from the Beneteau range

We have not found a freely licensed photo of the Beneteau Oceanis 55 yet, so these show other Beneteau boats, each captioned with the boat pictured.

More cruising sailboats to explore

Bavaria Cruiser 56

Cruising Sailboats, 55 ft

Used $170K to $335K

Bavaria Cruiser 55

Cruising Sailboats, 55 ft

Used $175K to $330K

Beneteau Oceanis 54

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Used $260K to $400K

Bavaria C57

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