Grand Soleil 343
Cantiere del Pardo · Alain Jézéquel · 1986
Updated
The Grand Soleil 343 is a 10.41 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Alain Jézéquel and built by Cantiere del Pardo, first launched in 1986. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 34% of the designs it races against.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 34% of the boats it races against.
105th of 159 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 44 starts across 21 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
10.41 m
34′ 2″
Beam
3.40 m
Draft
1.78 m
Displacement
5.2 t
Sail area
61 m²
On the podium
Where a Grand Soleil 343 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
23%
of 44 starts by 7 boats
Wins
2%
Read from 44 starts by 7 boats between 2015 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a Grand Soleil 343 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
REGATA DELLA GALLINARA - Trofeo della Cappelletta2026- Trofeo TARAS2026
Ναο Λαυρεωτικης-Ναο Αναβ.& Π Φωκαιας-Ναο Λεγραινων Αρσιδ2026- "Κυπελλο Χριστουγεννων"2025
- "Αγ. Νικολαου 2025"2025
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
21%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
25%
of these races end on the podium
Level across both. Plenty of designs fall away once the course gets long — a light hull that thrives round the cans can struggle through a night at sea. This one does not.
Who she races against
The designs a Grand Soleil 343 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
First 34.7 (7 meetings), Rm 126 (7 meetings), Elan 410 (7 meetings), First 32 (7 meetings), First 45 (Briand) (7 meetings), Dufour 325 (7 meetings), Atlantic 31 (7 meetings), Sun Odyssey 34.2 (6 meetings), Hanse 470e (6 meetings), Grand Soleil 46 (Carkeek) (6 meetings), Grand Soleil 43 (Design) (6 meetings), Sun Light 30 (6 meetings), Sun Odyssey 42.1 (6 meetings), Italia 11.98 (6 meetings), Farr 39 (6 meetings), First 33.7 (6 meetings), First 40.7 (6 meetings), Dehler 34 (Judel/Vrolijk) (6 meetings), Hanse 315 (6 meetings)
Some of the boats it races against
How the Grand Soleil 343 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
4.92
39°
Beam reach
7.72
90°
Broad reach
8.41
135°
Downwind VMG
7.42
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
It does most things without giving much away. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is upwind when it blows, where it goes better than its measurements say it should.
Where it pays
It falls short on a broad reach in a strong breeze, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the broad reach.
How fast is a Grand Soleil 343
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.15 | 4.31 | 4.83 | 4.92 |
| 52° | 4.83 | 6.30 | 6.80 | 6.93 |
| 60° | 5.11 | 6.50 | 6.96 | 7.13 |
| 75° | 5.29 | 6.65 | 7.14 | 7.47 |
| 90° | 5.21 | 6.75 | 7.25 | 7.72 |
| 110° | 5.26 | 6.89 | 7.52 | 8.18 |
| 120° | 5.09 | 6.82 | 7.54 | 8.49 |
| 135° | 4.61 | 6.52 | 7.36 | 8.41 |
| 150° | 3.92 | 5.86 | 6.98 | 7.98 |
| Run VMG | 3.41 | 5.08 | 6.34 | 7.42 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 520 kg.
Rigging
Grand Soleil 343 rig and sail dimensions
A Grand Soleil 343 carries 11.90 m of mainsail hoist on a 3.48 m boom, a forestay 13.29 m above the deck and a 4.00 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 15 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 74 to 81 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.