Beneteau 373 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 373's hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and the standard keel is the deep fin drawing 6ft 3in, with a 5ft 1in shallow fin offered as an option. The displacement-to-length ratio of 184 places her firmly in the cruising band, while a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17 signals modest canvas for her weight. Beneteau built the boat with a hinged companionway step system that lifts to reveal the Volvo 2040 40 hp diesel, and testers noted a neater, more accessible switch panel than earlier layouts. The structural story is conventional solid laminate.

Rig and Handling

Berret and Racoupeau deliberately bucked the trend toward bigger mainsails by giving the 373 a headsail larger than her mainsail, a fractional sloop with twin backstays and a genoa that sheets outboard of the rigging. The lower battens are three-quarter length, and reefing blocks are sewn into both the mainsail luff and leech, with neat blocks on the aluminium toerail guiding the headsail reefing line aft. Self-tailing Lewmar 44 primaries sit well aft, and the wheel is large enough to give the helmsman a reasonable view of the headsail luff.

Under sail, the picture is less flattering. Yachting World's test crew found her struggling upwind, heeling readily and rounding up frequently, with rig tension lacking both laterally and fore-and-aft. The forestay sagged enormously, the mast bent sideways, the leeward rigging waved in the breeze, and the genoa stayed hopelessly full. She needed several spokes of weather helm to hold track, and the light helm load as heel built meant the warning of a broach was faint. Her behaviour suggested a certain lack of tolerance. Off the wind she was happier — going downwind readily, not minding heaving to, and able to gybe with sheets pinned in to keep sailing without crossing the headsail. Under power the same boat was far more impressive: the three-bladed prop pushed her past 6 knots at 2,000 rpm and to 8 knots wide open, and reverse brought her to a standstill in seconds, making her predictable and manoeuvrable in close quarters after an initial kick to port.

Accommodations

Beneteau offered the 373 in two layouts: a single aft double or twin aft doubles. The twin-cabin version trades space in the heads, galley, and chart table for the extra berths, and shortens the port saloon settee. Cockpit storage is practical, with half-depth lockers port and starboard and a full-depth stern locker reached by lids either side of the hinging central seat. Three hatches ahead of the mast and a single cowl vent over the saloon provide light and air, and headroom runs to 6ft 10in. The saloon and forward arrangements are shaped around the beamy midsection.

Known Issues

The handling traits under sail — pronounced forestay sag, wandering leeward rigging, and an abrupt rounding-up tendency — are characteristics of the as-tested rig tune rather than reported construction faults, and the truncated accommodation note confirms only that the twin-cabin layout reduces service spaces.

Refits and Ownership

Ownership touches center on the accessible engine bay, where hinged steps expose the Volvo 2040 for service, and the tidy switch panel that simplifies electrical work. The reefing and headsail lead details are already sailor-friendly from the factory, leaving canvas and electronics as the usual upgrade paths rather than structural correction.

The Verdict

The Oceanis 373 is a beamy, well-powered cruiser whose downwind manners and motoring prowess outshine a twitchy upwind profile rooted in soft rig tune. She suits a couple or family who value volume, straightforward systems access, and predictable docking over racing pedigree.

Pros