Loosely based on a very early Finot design from 1978, the 235 was also available in either fi xed-keel or lifting-keel form. First appearing in 1986, over half the 680 built were produced in Bénéteau’s American factory. She performed well and was fun to sail but the lifting keel version was a handful in
strong winds. She had plenty of volume below decks, thanks to the generous beam and long waterline. A lot of space was given over to the galley and heads, where simplicity of fi t-out was the keynote. There were two bunks in the saloon and a double in the aftercabin.

LOA 6.57m (21ft 6in), LWL 6.2m (20ft 4in), beam 2.5m (8ft 2in), draught 1.15m (3ft 9in),
displacement 1,280kg (2,816lb). Price guide: £12,500 to £17,000.