Design and Construction
The 323's hull is essentially the same shell that Groupe Finot and Jean Berret created in the early 1990s for Beneteau's single-handed offshore racer, the Figaro, and that same underwater geometry later appeared under the First 310, First 31.7, and the Oceanis 311 and 300 before reaching this form. The underwater sections have remained unchanged from that original racing derivation. Hulls are solid fiberglass with vinylester resins in the outer skin to prevent osmotic blistering, and the lamination schedule employs non-woven stitchmat fiberglass and unidirectional rovings, with zone-specific stitchmat varying fabric weight to meet calculated stress loads. The deck is a sandwich cored with Trivera, a polyester cloth, while bulkheads are bonded to both hull and deck with a two-part polyurethane adhesive to produce a monocoque structure. Chainplates attach to stainless steel rod bedded in solid fiberglass, and the hull-deck joint rests the deck on an inward-turning flange married by stainless fasteners, polyurethane glue, and a through-bolted toerail.
Rig and Handling
The 323 is a masthead sloop with a deck-stepped anodized aluminum mast and boom from US Spars, stainless standing rigging through a single set of spreaders, and a standard suit of sails from Neil Pryde presenting about 540 square feet—an "almost" fully battened main and a 116% genoa. Halyards and sail controls lead aft through Spinlock turning blocks to three-wide Spinlock XAS rope clutches, with Lewmar #30 self-tailing primaries and a rigid vang as standard. The mainsheet is mid-boom with the traveler on the coachroof, and continuous reefing lines run inside the boom. Writing in Practical Sailor, test sailors found her pretty quick yet somewhat tender, and a very good light-air performer albeit a bit tender in stiffer breezes; the shallow-fin version reaches its peak righting moment when heeled to 50 degrees and a vanishing angle of 118 degrees. On the water, she made roughly 5.5 knots upwind in 12 to 16 knots of apparent wind and tacked through about 80 degrees, while downwind she proved eager to surf and held 7 knots for lengthy periods, with the rudder keeping her on track until near 35 degrees of heel.
Accommodations
Practical Sailor described the 323 as coupling good performance with a spacious cockpit and living accommodations suitable for four anchor. The cockpit itself spans 6 feet 4 inches between binnacle and companionway and seats six comfortably on teak slatted seats, while a patented helmseat bracket and pivoting wheel open the boarding path. Below, the saloon is fitted with an L-shaped galley to port, measures 9 feet 8 inches on the centerline and 7 feet 7 inches wide behind the settees, with just over 6 feet 3 inches of headroom. The forward double berth runs 6 feet 10 inches long but narrows to 5 feet at the head, and the aft cabin holds a 6 feet 10 inches by 6 feet 3 inches double. The head offers 6 feet 2 inches of headroom in a 4 feet 9 inches fore-and-aft space. A shiny fiberglass liner with Douka wood strips, a two-burner stove-oven on a 10-pound LPG tank, and an Adler-Barbour 12-volt reefer round out the galley.
Equipment and Deck Details
Beyond the rig, the 323 carries a diesel engine of 22 horsepower on a direct drive with 17 gallons of fuel and 42 of water, and a sliding companionway slat that avoids juggling multiple Plexiglas sections. The standard deep fin keel draws 5 feet 11 inches for more stiffness and better windward performance, while the optional shoal draft of 4 feet 9 inches suits heavier-air or shallower venues. A Goiot wheel that rotates 90 degrees about its vertical axis was available, and most owners selected a mainsheet traveler option. The hull liner is a pre-formed grid of fiberglass stringers, beams, and tank supports bonded with polyester adhesive.
The Verdict
The Beneteau 323 is a thoughtfully evolved coastal cruiser whose racing-derived hull gives it surprising downwind eagerness and a light-air turn of speed, wrapped in a beamy package that maximizes interior volume for its length. Its construction is conventional solid-glass with modern resin defense against blistering, and the deckplan solves boarding and cockpit bottlenecks with clever pivoting hardware. The tenderness noted by testers argues for early reefing, but the stability curve and helm behavior inspire confidence within its CE Category 2 envelope.
Pros
- Racing-line hull delivers competitive upwind and downwind performance with easy surfing
- Spacious, well-detailed interior for four with generous berths and headroom
- Innovative pivoting wheel and tilting helmseat ease boarding and cockpit flow
- Solid fiberglass hull with vinylester skin and monocoque bulkhead bonding
Cons
- Somewhat tender in stiffer breezes, demanding prompt reefing
- Shallow-keel version less stiff and windward-capable than the deep fin
- Tight floorboards and unsealed end-grain noted around engine and bilge access
