Elite 346 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Elite 346, produced by the Kirié shipyard in the mid-1980s, represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of French production yachts. Designed by the prolific Philippe Briand, this 10.45-meter cruiser was part of the bridge between Kirié’s early traditional builds and the modern, light-filled "Feeling" range that would eventually dominate the yard's identity. In many markets, the Elite 346 is virtually indistinguishable from the Feeling 346; the names were often used interchangeably as the shipyard transitioned its branding. Built at a time when French naval architecture was shifting toward wider beams and increased volume aft, the Elite 346 offered a sophisticated balance of coastal cruising versatility and genuine offshore capability. Its most defining characteristic, common to its sibling models like the Elite 326 and 366, was the availability of both a standard fin keel and a "dériveur intégral" (fully internal lifting keel) version, the latter allowing the vessel to take the ground and explore shallow estuaries.