PHRF RATINGS
It's relatively clear that a fin
keel F235 is the best sailing and handling version. Although the
wing keel pointing disadvantage is not as bad as some might think,
you do appear to lose 5 to 10 degrees of ability. What is more
unclear is exactly how much holding power and stiffness you lose
with going to the wing from the fin. From owner comments and from
my own observations, the F235 would have been better served by
a lead keel with at least 100 more lbs of ballast. While this
would slow the acceleration slightly, it would make for a stiffer
boat, with better handling in fresh conditions.
Still, the Beneteau First 235 has a very low PHRF that puts it
with some mighty stiff competition. With some of the numbers hovering
around the 180 area, you are not going to get a lot of help here;
this actually is not giving up too much to the J-24 fleet! Based
on what I have seen, the 174 is surely not doing the the ole F235
any favors. The wing keel does add some handicap as it should
as you are losing that pointing ability. Wing keel cruising brings
a 212 which is the most handicap I've seen.
The F235 with the custom Leif Beiley lead bulb keel with an additional
foot of length appears to be a real winner when not worrying so
much about depth. I believe a fully optimized lead wing keel with
a better design would probably be better as well. Although iron
is more durable in a grounding, it is both prone to rust if exposed
and just does not have the weight of lead. The Leif
Beiley keel has less wetted area as well. See page
with drawing.
| Beneteau
First 235 Sail Specs |
| I |
28.61 |
| J |
7.87 |
| P |
26.41 |
| E |
10.30 |
| Sail Area (Main
& 100% Jib) |
263sq
ft |
| Lake
Norman, NC |
PHRF |
| WK |
192 |
| FIN |
188 |
| Long
Island Sound, NY |
PHRF |
| FIN |
201 |
| San
Fransico Bay |
Depth |
PHRF |
| 2755
displ |
FIN |
174 |
| North East Base |
PHRF |
| FIN |
192 |
| WK |
198 |
| CRUISE |
201 |
| Austin
Yacht Club |
PHRF |
| FIN |
180 |
| Eastern
Connecticut Sailing Assoc. |
PHRF |
| RACE
WK |
195 |
| CRUISE
WK |
212 |
| BYRA
"Inland Average" |
PHRF |
|
FIN |
188 |
| WK |
188 |
| Langley
Yacht Club (S. Chesapeake) |
PHRF |
| FIN |
174 |
