The boat presents itself as a purposeful world-cruising platform. Beneteau described its elegance as reflecting its performance and allowing an owner to travel around the world while feeling at home.
Design and Construction
The 473’s hull form is unconventional in both plan and section. The ends are truncated, and the stern is about as wide as one would dare make it on a conventional hull. In plan view, the full bow pushes the forward accommodations as far into the bow as possible. The boat also has ample beam carried back to the transom, creating a large cockpit. Twin steering wheels, rather than a single wheel, reinforce that sense of space.
The canoe body has unusually flat fore-and-aft rocker. Overall proportions are moderate, with a length-to-beam ratio of 3.31 and a displacement-to-length ratio of 144. Standard draft is 5 feet 6 inches. An optional 6-foot 11-inch draft carries 882 pounds less ballast.
Between the mast and forestay, the foredeck has seven forward-facing, low-profile hatches. It also includes a recessed windlass well and low bulwarks that are still large enough to brace a foot against.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The 473 is a masthead sloop with a modest sail area-to-displacement ratio of 16.22 in the base specification. The rig has a wide chainplate base, two sets of aft-swept spreaders, and no under-deck control-line leads. Primary sheet winches are mounted aft, within reach of the helmsman.
Test sailors considered the rig ideal for breezy areas, though it might be underpowered in light summer air. In 8–10 knots under sail, the boat made more than 7.6 knots on a tight reach and about 5.5 knots hard on the wind. In 10–15 knots, it accelerated to more than 10 knots in the puffs.
The twin-wheel steering geometry introduces friction, producing a heavy helm with little feel. The mainsheet also can’t be trimmed from the helm. These are handling characteristics that a buyer should assess at the wheel, rather than structural defects.
Performance Under Power
Writing in Yachting World, testers judged the 473 one of the easiest mid-40-footers to handle under power. The test boat had a 78hp Volvo D2-55 turning a three-bladed fixed propeller through a traditional shaft drive, along with an optional bow thruster.
A separate trial recorded 8 knots at 3,000 rpm, 9 knots at 3,500 rpm, and 10.5 knots at full throttle.
Deck and Cockpit
The functional, attractive deck reflects the boat’s performance. Its defining feature is an immense cockpit with twin wheels and enough room to walk between them. The cockpit also has a removable drop-leaf table forward and a stainless-steel bracing bar that mounts the table; the table stows in a locker.
Deep cockpit coamings angle slightly outboard for security. Several generously sized deck lockers provide stowage, while chunky teak grab rails and deck lights complete the equipment.
Accommodations
Two interior layouts were offered, while a later note cited two- or four-cabin versions with berths for 6, 8, or 10.
In the three-cabin arrangement, mirror-image double quarter berths look huge, and testers described the aft double cabins as exceptionally spacious. The starboard quarter cabin, however, intrudes into the galley. This forces the range against the bulkhead and leaves virtually no aft stowage, while preparation surfaces remain modest. Cold-box capacity appears limited in either galley plan.
The interior has two heads. The forward head includes a separate shower stall and private access from the spacious forward stateroom. A generous navigation station and a saloon with a center-island seat complete the main living area; the center-island seat allows the dinette to squeeze in six people.
Ventilation comes from 10 opening hatches, including the companionway, and eight opening hull ports. Testers considered the three-stateroom layout close to ideal for family cruising with two children.
Verdict
The Beneteau 473 is a Finot cruiser that gives up some helm feel in exchange for enormous cockpit and cabin space, easy handling under power, and lively performance in a breeze. It suits a family or charter-style program in which interior volume and a social cockpit matter more than fingertip steering.
Pros
- Immense, secure cockpit with twin wheels and a walk-through to the transom
- Spacious aft cabins and flexible two-, three-, or four-cabin layouts
- Easy handling under power, with shaft drive and an optional bow thruster
- Strong performance in a breeze, including surges of more than 10 knots under sail
Cons
- Heavy, friction-laden helm caused by the twin-wheel arrangement
- Mainsheet beyond the helmsman’s reach
- Compromised galley and minimal cold-box capacity in the three-cabin layout
- Modest light-air sail plan, according to testers
