Design and Construction
The Cyclades 39.3 is built on a solid fiberglass hull and deck, with an iron bulb-winged fin keel drawing between roughly 5.9 and 6.2 feet depending on load. Her ballast ratio sits at about 30 percent and her capsize screening value is 2.07, a figure that, as yachtdatabase.com notes, places her outside the bounds accepted for ocean racing anchor. The length-to-beam ratio of 2.96 and about 495 square feet of wetted surface describe a beamy, volume-driven hull rather than a narrow thoroughbred. Jean Berret's long association with Bénéteau through Berret-Racoupeau informs the lineage, but the 39.3 itself is a convenience-led cruiser: the builder's own program language stresses simplicity and pleasure as the defining brief.
Rig and Handling
The fractional rig carries a reference sail plan with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.3, rising to 19.1 with a 135 percent genoa, figures that position her as moderately canvased rather than overpowered. Control lines are routed for ease: the cockpit is laid out so that all maneuvers are really simple, with genoa winches near the helm and a double helm position intended to improve comfort when sailing and moving about the boat. Halyard and sheet specifications are generous—mainsheet at 96 feet of 14-millimeter line, genoa sheets at 38.4 feet of 14-millimeter, and halyards of 113.4 feet at 12-millimeter—supporting a standard cruising kit without surprise upgrades. Instrument supports at the cockpit table and on the helm consoles keep navigation data in the helmsman's sightline.
Accommodations and Cockpit Living
True to the Cyclades program, the boat is a real cruising yacht where convenience is everywhere, and the double helm layout opens the aft deck for movement between companionway and transom. The cockpit's simple-maneuver doctrine and nearby winches let a short-handed crew manage sail changes without traversing the cockpit. With 87 gallons of water and 58 gallons of diesel, plus a 40-horsepower Yanmar single diesel, the systems background supports extended stays aboard without implying specific interior arrangements the sources do not describe.
The Verdict
The Cyclades 39.3 is a deliberately uncomplicated cruiser: beamy, well-balanced in ballast terms for her class, and organized around easy handling from the twin helms. She is not a racer—the capsize screen and modest SA/D confirm a stability-first, volume-minded brief—but she succeeds as a convenience-loaded coastal and passage-capable yacht.
Pros
- Twin helms and nearby genoa winches make maneuvers simple from the steering position
- Solid fiberglass construction with iron bulb keel and 30 percent ballast ratio
- Builder's stated program of simplicity and pleasure fulfilled in cockpit layout
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.07 excludes her from ocean-race acceptance
- Moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air acceleration versus over-canvased designs
