Beneteau 40 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Berret/Racoupeau gave the 40 a fine entry that opens into what Boat of the Year judge Steve Callahan described as broad shoulders. The hull ends in a fairly beamy transom beneath a wide cockpit with twin wheels.

The hull is an all-glass laminate, with solid fiberglass through the topsides from rub rail to waterline and across the bottom. The decks use a balsa core for stiffness and insulation. Bulkheads are bonded with Plexus, and the iron keel is secured by stainless-steel keel bolts.

The boat displaces 18,210 pounds on a 34-foot waterline. Beam is 12 feet 10 inches, with a choice of 6-foot 3-inch or 5-foot 1-inch draft. These dimensions make her a substantial midsize cruiser. SpinSheet notes that every example its author encountered came from Beneteau’s Marion, SC, plant and that, from a structural point of view, the 40s consistently survey well.

Rig, Performance, and Handling

Sail handling centers on a roller-furling headsail and a standard in-mast furling main. This arrangement makes setting and dousing sail straightforward for a short-handed crew. Twin wheels provide good visibility of the rig on either tack, while the fractional sloop sail plan carries roughly 680 square feet of sail area.

The Beneteau 40 proved a good performer in light air during the Annapolis trial, and later owner experience reinforced that assessment. Under power, a 40-horsepower Yanmar diesel drives a traditional shaft through a Kanzaki transmission. Owners report that this combination is very reliable for docking and maneuvering.

Accommodations

Nauta, the interior designer for the Beneteau range, created a modern cabin with straight lines and moabi mahogany woodwork. Off-white upholstery and panels throughout the saloon accent the wood’s luster. Several opening ports and hatches bring in ample light and ventilation.

Beneteau offered both two- and three-cabin layouts. The two-cabin boat sailed by the judges had roomy queen bunks aft and in the V-berth. At the foot of the companionway, the head with separate shower was to starboard, with a compact, functional galley to port.

The three-cabin version added a second head and moved the galley to the port side of the saloon. This layout traded some private space for the owner in exchange for greater separation between guests.

Known Issues

Moderate to heavy groundings can cause bonding failures between the interior pan structure and the hull laminate. A surveyor should investigate this structural defect carefully on any boat with a history of hard keel impacts.

Some boats develop crazing in the deck gelcoat. This is cosmetic, but it’s still worth noting on a balsa-cored deck. Several smaller fittings and interior finishes also present known age-related problems:

The bronze or brass hose barb that ventilates the fiberglass propeller shaft tube can corrode, become brittle, and break easily after years in salt or brackish water.
The alloys used in ball valves fitted by Beneteau and other European builders corrode faster than domestic equivalents, so the seacocks deserve close inspection.
The soft headliner often loses adhesion in the forward and aft cabins as its foam backing deteriorates.
Yanmar engine-hour meters from this generation are notorious for failing, which can make the engine’s true hours difficult or impossible to determine.

Refits and Ownership

The standard battery inventory is adequate, and the OEM Yanmar Hitachi alternator suits weekend or week-long use. Extended cruising, however, would likely call for greater battery and charging capacity.

Factory-default electronics were Raymarine ST 60 instruments with E80 or E120 chart-plotter and radar displays. Most long-term owners have since added to that baseline.

If the fiberglass propeller shaft tube’s breather fitting is still original, it requires careful inspection at a minimum; replacement is highly recommended.

The Verdict

The Beneteau 40 is a thoughtfully modern cruiser whose genuine light-air ability and forgiving furling rig helped earn her Boat of the Year recognition. She combines those sailing qualities with a structurally sound, solid-glass hull and a Nauta interior that wears well in daily use. Her known weaknesses are concentrated mainly in aging small fittings and bonded surfaces rather than the core structure.

Pros