Beneteau Figaro
Sailboat class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Beneteau Figaro, also called the Figaro I, the Figaro Solo and officially designated as the Figaro Beneteau, is a French sailboat that was designed by Groupe Finot and Jean Berret as a one design, single-handed, off-shore racer especially for the Solitaire du Figaro race and first built in 1990. The boat and the race are both named for the sponsor of the race, Le Figaro.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] It was also used for the first one-design transatlantic race, the double-handed Transat AG2R from 1992 to 2002.[1][2]
| |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Jean Berret Groupe Finot |
| Location | France |
| Year | 1990 |
| No. built | 140 |
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Role | One design racer |
| Name | Beneteau Figaro |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 5,291 lb (2,400 kg) |
| Draft | 5.92 ft (1.80 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | glassfibre |
| LOA | 29.99 ft (9.14 m) |
| LWL | 27.56 ft (8.40 m) |
| Beam | 10.66 ft (3.25 m) |
| Engine type | Yanmar 1GM diesel engine |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | Fin keel with weighted bulb |
| Ballast | 1,984 lb (900 kg) |
| Rudder | Spade-type rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 40.09 ft (12.22 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 11.25 ft (3.43 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 41.54 ft (12.66 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 13.77 ft (4.20 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Fractional rigged sloop |
| Mainsail area | 286.00 sq ft (26.570 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 225.51 sq ft (20.951 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 785.7 sq ft (72.99 m2) |
| Upwind sail area | 511.51 sq ft (47.521 m2) |
| Downwind sail area | 1,071.7 sq ft (99.56 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 99-105 |
|
| |
Production
Design
The Figaro is a racing keelboat, built predominantly of solid glassfibre. The hull has a raked stem, a reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel with a swept, weighted bulb. It displaces 5,291 lb (2,400 kg) and carries 1,984 lb (900 kg) of iron and water ballast.[1][2][3]
It has a fractional sloop rig with two sets of swept spreaders.
The boat has a draft of 5.92 ft (1.80 m) with the standard keel.[1][2][3]
The boat is fitted with a Yanmar 1GM diesel engine for docking and manoeuvring. The fuel tank holds 8 U.S. gallons (30 L; 6.7 imp gal).[1][2][3]
The design has sleeping accommodation for six people in a minimalist interior. For sailing downwind it may be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker of 785.7 sq ft (72.99 m2).[1][2][3][16]
The design has a hull speed of 7.03 kn (13.02 km/h) and a PHRF handicap of 99 to 105.[1][2][3][17]
Reception
Sailboat Lab notes, "the Figaro Solo Beneteau is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized."[3]
Reviewer Philippe Joubin noted in August 1990 in Seahorse International Yacht Racing, that the adoption of the boat for the Solitaire du Figaro, making it a one design race, would transform the race and give it new credibility.[18]
