first 40 sailboat

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Beneteau First 40.7 review: from the archive

• May 2, 2021

Since the launch of Bruce Farr’s design in 1999, nearly 700 Beneteau First 40.7s have been built. But what is responsible for the enduring appeal of this cruiser racer?

The Beneteau would have benifited from more weight on the rail. Credit: Beneteau Credit: Beneteau

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Their prevalence at regattas shows how much the design has caught the imagination as a performance boat at a good price.

Nowadays there’s another reason for its success-with so many boats on the water, owners get frequent opportunities to race head to head. To assess her appeal, we went for a spin on Southampton Water.

One reason for the Beneteau First 40.7’s success is its versatility as a cruiser-racer.

In around 16 knots of wind, gusting to 23 knots, the Beneteau First 40.7 was well powered up under full main and No 3 head sail.

We could have used some more weight on the rail than our crew of five, but in moderate spells, the boat balanced well, notching up around 6.5 knots close-hauled, tacking through 80° and adding half a knot on bearing away.

The boat was well powered up under full main and No 3 head sail.

Cockpit lockers can be removed for racing, providing either a huge area for crew to work forward of the traveller, or ample space for fenders and lines.

Beneteau has also eschewed an open racing transom in favour of quarter lockers bridged by a curved seat – making ideal liferaft stowage in between.

The traveller is just forward of the helm and an above-deck mainsheet system leads to the aft winches.

Harken’s Quattro winches allow fast spinnaker control.

Sitting out is easy on the Beneteau First 40.7, whether on the high or low side, and the chunky steering pyramid provides an excellent bracing position.

The helm itself is positive and there’s plenty of grunt in the big wheel to handle the yacht as she powers up even though we were slightly overpowered in the gusts, the rudder never lost grip.

Kevlar steering cables avoid stretch and keep the helm free of slack.

Lines are well laid out, with a long traveller forward of the wheel and plenty of winches.

The Beneteau First 40.7 isn’t quite as stiff as the X-Yachts X-41, but aluminium spars and Dyform rigging still give a balanced response to varying wind conditions.

The six-winch cockpit layout works well for crewed and short-handed sailing.

Lines are led aft to the coach roof and there is plenty of space for the mainsail trimmer forward of the helm – the only tricky control for the crew to access is the hydraulic backstay.

the Beneteau’s spacious cockpit layout.

Under power the boat showed excellent and positive handling characteristics, tracking well astern, turning in 1.25 boat lengths and cruising at about seven knots, with an extra knot in reserve when necessary.

Modern touches aboard the Beneteau First 40.7

Like X-Yachts, Beneteau go for two straight saloon settees, a triangular berth forward and identical twin aft cabins.

But there’s more timber on the Beneteau First 40.7 than the X-Yachts X-41 and curved edges on the saloon table, nav station and galley create a softer look, offset by modern touches such as the matt aluminium grabrails, which also house roller shades – a clever bit of design that avoids curtains on race day.

The Beneteau’s wider beam allows slightly more space below. Note the grabrails housing the blinds.

The forward cabin offers the usual below-berth stowage, although the small deck hatch means spinnaker drops into the cabin are tricky.

The heads to starboard has adequate headroom to shower in comfort.

Stowage onboard the Beneteau First 40.7 is adequate rather than generous. A hanging locker in each cabin and good high­level lockers in the saloon above the settees – and although space below the settees is dedicated to tankage, there are handy spaces behind the seat backs.

Essential wine stowage is in the centre of the table and the galley has plenty of space above the stove, below the sink and in an adjacent cutlery drawer.

The nav station is well set up for racing, with a big, forward-facing chart table and enough space for most gadget addicts.

The pedestal provides a drawer and a locker for stowage plus a handy set of cubby holes behind the navigator’s seat.

The large double berths aft are simple, with stowage beneath the berths and in hanging lockers.

Engine access is through hatches either side of the engine and via the companionway.

The Beneteau First 40.7 has proved a winning formula on the racecourse. And there is little else on the market that offers similar performance and precision at this price. For this reason, the yacht has become a favourite with charter agents. The owner of our test boat, Robert Blackwell, bought her to start a skippered charter business.

First published in the June 2007 issue of YW.

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Beneteau First 40

• By Alvah Simon
• Updated: July 28, 2010

“Objectively detached with an aura of professional gravitas” best describes the four judges in Cruising World’s 2010 Boat of the Year contest, if I do say so myself. At the dock, we interviewed each entrant’s representatives and systematically inspected the boats. On the water, we uniformly anchored, motored, reefed, and test-sailed them, all the while furiously scratching numbers and notes on our various forms.

Aboard the Beneteau First 40, however, the moment the vessel powered up under sail, those notepads hit the deck like raindrops. As each of us jockeyed for position at the wheel, our professional demeanors gave way to big smiles and even the occasional “Yahoo!” Where once stood stone-faced number crunchers, big kids now gleefully put the pedal to the metal.

And that’s exactly what Beneteau planners had in mind when they conceived the First 40. But they wanted to include the family, too, so they approached the team at Farr Yacht Design with a broad brief: Keep or even improve the performance of the highly successful First 40.7, but include all the requisite elements of a family-friendly cruiser, including lounging spaces in the cockpit, a well-appointed interior, and viable systems for extended coastal voyages.

Farr’s designers achieved this through clever convertibility, most obviously seen is the removable cockpit seats/stowage lockers. For the Wednesday-night races, these are left at the dock, opening up a no-frills cockpit with ample room for a full racing crew. Once reattached, the lockers are long enough to be comfortable seats and large enough to hold all the toys and tools central to an extended family cruise. Likewise, the helm seat, which runs gunwale to gunwale across the open transom, acts as a secure enclosure when cruising, but on race nights, this, too, stays behind to create more space and easy access to the backstay adjuster.

A double-ended mainsheet system operates off a wide athwartship traveler forward of the helm. The towering triple-spreader aluminum rig holds a generous 1,055 square feet of working sail. A ballast-to-displacement ratio of .42, with the ballast residing mostly in the 8-foot-deep lead bulb, ensures that the boat stands up to this sail plan. Both the D/L ratio of 166 and the SA/D ratio (100%) of 21.5 validate Beneteau’s prediction of up to a 15-second-per-mile improvement over the already fast First 40.7. And if that’s not fast enough, an optional turbocharge package that includes a carbon-fiber mast and rod rigging is also available.

After my firm hip check removed a fellow judge from the helm, I found that the First 40 accelerated quickly, tacked nimbly, and was responsive to fine-tuning. With its wide and flat sections aft, the boat tore up our test track off Annapolis, Maryland, under its more than 1,800 square feet of downwind sail. The helm is enormous and perfectly balanced. In strong breezes and moderate seas, I found that the boat was maneuverable and well behaved on all points of sail.

The Yanmar 40-horsepower diesel powered the boat smartly and quietly. As expected, with a narrow fin keel and deep spade rudder, the boat turned in its own length and backed with precision.

The hull, with a European Union CE Category A (Ocean) rating, should take a pounding. It’s solid vinylester resin-injected glass above the waterline and balsa cored up to and including the deck.

I found that, perhaps unavoidably, some of the racing features negatively impacted the cruising agenda. There’s an anchor locker, but the anchoring system is only equipped with a removable roller and no windlass. Also, the 8-foot-deep T-shaped keel found on our test boat will restrict shoal-water cruising-a 6-foot-3-inch shoal-draft keel is available-and won’t be forgiving in the event of accidental grounding. The lifelines measure the minimum 24 inches recommended by the American Boat & Yacht Council but there were no side gates on our test boat. Boarding dockside or from a dinghy could be less than convenient.

However, the teak-covered decks and cabin top aren’t overly cambered, and the side decks are wide and unobstructed, resulting in safe access forward. There’s a designated space for a life raft, and the propane locker is properly vented.

Few compromises face the cruisers below. The attractive Alpi interior is open, bright, functional, and well ventilated due to numerous deck hatches and portholes. The two double cabins aft and the forepeak double, all with standing headroom, will accommodate the entire family. A large leafed table attached to the centerline sole opens up to straight seating both port and starboard.

The L-shaped galley to port is small but complete with a two-burner stove, icebox, rubbish bin, and ample stowage space. The navigation station is realistically sized with a retractable seat. A single head lies to starboard and can be accessed from either the main saloon or the forepeak cabin.

In summary, CW’s BOTY judges were unanimously impressed with the boat’s clever design solutions, equipment selection, and the overall fit and finish. Foremost, it’s a First, and that means fast. This boat will be feared at the starting line, and an active and exciting racing class should develop around it. Also, with a LOA of just over 41 feet, the First 40 falls within the most popular range of racing sizes, yet remains relatively affordable and manageable as a cruising platform.

No boat, at any price, reflects true value when left neglected at the docks. Thus, the real value of the First 40 lies in its versatility, for it’s a capable racer that’ll also have the entire family clamoring for their fair share of cruising time on board as well.

Alvah Simon is a frequent CW contributor and Boat of the Year judge.

Beneteau first 40 LOA 41′ 3″ (12.57 m.) LWL 35′ 0″ (10.67 m.) Beam 12′ 9″ (3.89 m.) Draft (shoal/deep) 6′ 3″/8′ 0″ (2.00/2.44 m.) Sail Area (100%) 848 sq. ft. (78.8 sq. m.) Ballast shoal 7,369 lb./3,343 kg. deep 6,610 lb./2,998 kg. Displacement shoal 16,614 lb./7,536 kg. deep 15,895 lb./7,210 kg. Ballast/D (deep) .42 D/L (deep) 166 SA/D (deep) 21.5 Water 52 gal. (197 l.) Fuel 36 gal. (136 l.) Holding 21 gal. (79 l.) Mast Height 59′ 1″ (18.01 m.) Engine 40-hp. Yanmar Designer Farr Yacht Design Sailaway Price $300,000 Beneteau USA (843) 629-5300

To read more Cruising World reviews of Beneteau sailboats, click here . To visit Beneteau America’s website, click here .

• More: 2001 - 2010 , 41 - 50 ft , beneteau , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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First 40 Beneteau

The first 40 beneteau is a 40.16ft fractional sloop designed by bruce farr and built in fiberglass by beneteau since 2007..

The First 40 Beneteau is a light sailboat which is a high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a fast cruiser. The fuel capacity is originally small. There is a short water supply range.

First 40 Beneteau for sale elsewhere on the web:

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BENETEAU FIRST 40

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The new Beneteau 40, designed by Farr Yacht Design, is the heir to the hugely popular and successful Beneteau First 40.7. Just as the 40.7 was a benchmark for performance and styling when it was introduced over ten years ago, the 40 combines state-of-the art performance features with contemporary interior and exterior styling representative of the best of 2009 design and representing a new benchmark for 40’ cruisers.

The hull, rig and appendages are configured to achieve the best performance versus handicap for racing under IRC.  These specific IRC-oriented design features include an undistorted hull shape with powerful ends to quickly maximize sailing length when heeled; a large, non-overlapping headsail rig and a “T” keel for high stability and low drag.  The rig also includes large masthead spinnakers for excellent downwind performance.

The deck is carefully designed to promote efficient handling for racing and ample interior volume for comfortable cruising.  The cockpit features removable storage lockers and transom beam.  The very contemporary interior finished in wood, stainless steel, leather and fabrics accommodates three double cabins and two convertible berths in the saloon for exceptional flexibility.

The base configuration for IRC racing includes the 2.45m draft “T” keel and an aluminum rig.  Options include a 1.95m shallow draft keel and a carbon rig.

Farr Yacht Design expects the new Beneteau First 40 to be a worthy successor to the 40.7 for both racing excellence and cruising comfort.

PHOTOS Click to enlarge.

Description

12.24 m/40.15 ft

10.67 m/35.00 ft

3.89 m/12.76 ft

1.95 m/6.40 ft

2.45 m/8.04 ft

7,900 Kg/17,417 Lbs

Shallow Draft:

Deep Draft:

Light CE Displ:

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First 40 Boat Test

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Australian Sailing

Farr Yacht Design

100 Severn Avenue, Suite 101

Annapolis, MD 21403

©  2018

First 40 Lead keel

Sailboat specifications.

• Last update: 15th March 2020

First 40's main features

First 40's main dimensions, first 40's rig and sails, first 40's performances, first 40's auxiliary engine, first 40's accommodations and layout, first 40's saloon, first 40's fore cabin, first 40's aft cabin.

Similar sailboats that may interest you:

Technical specifications - First 40.7

Technical features.

• Length HT : 40ft (12.17m)
• Max. width : 12ft (3.78m)
• Weight : 6.97 tons
• Draft : 6ft (1.90m) to 8ft (2.40m)
• Max. sleeping capacity : 6
• Number of cabins : 3
• Bathrooms : 1
• Water capacity : 272L

Standard motorisation

• Engine Power : 40hp
• Fuel capacity : 138L

Standard canopy

• Total sail area : 322sqft (98m2)
• Mainsail area : 148sqft (45.02m2)
• Genoa/jib area : 164sqft (49.85m2)

Ideal destinations for renting a First 40.7

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Sailor Cole Brauer makes history as the first American woman to race solo around the world

Aboard her 40-foot racing boat First Light ,  29-year-old Cole Brauer just became the first American woman to race nonstop around the world by herself.

The New York native pulled into A Coruña, Spain, on Thursday after a treacherous 30,000-mile journey that took 130 days.

She thanked a cheering crowd of family and fans who had been waiting for her on shore.

“This is really cool and so overwhelming in every sense of the word,” she exclaimed, before drinking Champagne from her trophy.

The 5-foot-2 powerhouse placed second out of 16 avid sailors who competed in the Global Solo Challenge, a circumnavigation race that started in A Coruña with participants from 10 countries. The first-of-its-kind event   allowed a wide range of boats to set off in successive departures based on performance characteristics. Brauer started on Oct. 29, sailing down the west coast of Africa, over to Australia, and around the tip of South America before returning to Spain.

Brauer is the only woman and the youngest competitor in the event — something she hopes young girls in and out of the sport can draw inspiration from.

“It would be amazing if there was just one girl that saw me and said, ‘Oh, I can do that too,’” Brauer said of her history-making sail.

It’s a grueling race, and more than half of the competitors have dropped out so far. One struck something that caused his boat to flood, and another sailor had to abandon his ship after a mast broke as a severe storm was moving in.

The four-month journey is fraught with danger, including navigating the three “Great Capes” of Africa, Australia and South America. Rounding South America’s Cape Horn, where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, is often likened to climbing Mount Everest because of its perfect storm of hazards — a sharp rise in the ocean floor and whipping westerly winds push up massive waves. Combined with the frigid waters and stray icebergs, the area is known as a graveyard for ships, according to NASA. Brauer  said  she was “so unbelievably stoked” when she sailed past Cape Horn in January.

Marco Nannini, organizer of the Global Solo Challenge, said the comparison to scaling Mount Everest doesn’t capture the difficulty of the race. Sailing solo means not just being a skipper but a project manager — steering the boat, fixing equipment, understanding the weather and maintaining one’s physical health.

Nannini cited the relatively minuscule number of people who have sailed around the world solo — 186, according to the International Association of Cape Horners — as evidence of the challenges that competitors face. More than 6,000 people have climbed Mount Everest, according to  High Adventure Expeditions .

Brauer stared down 30-foot waves that had enough force to throw her across the boat. In a scare caught on camera, she badly injured her rib   near the halfway point of the event. At another point, her team in the U.S. directed Brauer to insert an IV into her own arm due to dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea.

She was able to stay in constant communication with members of her team, most of whom are based in New England,   and keep herself entertained with Netflix and video calls with family through Starlink satellites.   That’s also how Brauer was able to use Zoom to connect with NBC News for an interview, while she was sailing about 1,000 miles west of the Canary Islands.

While Brauer was technically alone on First Light, she had the company of 450,000 followers on Instagram, where she frequently got candid about life on an unforgiving sea while reflecting on her journey.

“It all makes it worth it when you come out here, you sit on the bow, and you see how beautiful it is,” she said in an Instagram video, before panning the camera to reveal the radiant sunrise.

Brauer grew up on Long Island but didn’t learn to sail until she went to college in Hawaii. She traded in her goal of becoming a doctor for life on the water. But she quickly learned making a career as a sailor is extremely difficult, with professional racers often hesitant to welcome a 100-pound young woman on their team.

Even when she was trying to find sponsors for the Global Solo Challenge, she said a lot of people “wouldn’t touch her with a 10-foot pole” because they saw her as a “liability.”

Brauer’s message to the skeptics and naysayers? “Watch me.”

“I push so much harder when someone’s like, ‘No, you can’t do that,’ or ‘You’re too small,’” Brauer explained.

“The biggest asset is your mental strength, not the physical one,” Nannini said. “Cole is showing everyone that.”

Brauer hopes to continue competing professionally and is already eyeing another around-the-world competition, but not before she gets her hands on a croissant and cappuccino.

“My mouth is watering just thinking about that.”

Emilie Ikeda is an NBC News correspondent.

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Cole Brauer is the first American woman to sail nonstop, alone around the world

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• Julia Corcoran

Fewer than 200 people have ever sailed solo non-stop around the world. Cole Brauer is the only American woman among them.

The 29-year-old completed the 30,000-mile journey last week when she stepped off her 40-foot sailboat, First Light, and onto dry land after 130 days at sea. Brauer was the only woman out of 16 boats that competed in the race, the Global Solo Challenge, this year. She finished the race, which began in late October, on March 7 in Spain.

9 questions with Cole Brauer

What is it like to walk on land after 130 days at sea?

"Everyone really thought that I was going to like trip or stumble and people were really concerned about me. My dad even kind of picked me off the boat and carried me for a second. But I think because I was exercising on the boat, I was doing things, I wasn't just sitting down below, and the boat is constantly moving quite quickly that I never got the vertigo type of feeling that you normally would get."

What was it like to see people, your family again? Did you laugh? Did you cry?

"I think I was the only person not crying on the dock. The entire crowd, my parents, my team, I got second place and even the first-place competitor when he handed me my trophy was even crying. I think I was the only one not crying. And I don't know if maybe it just hasn't hit me yet."

How did your boat hold up?

"My boat held up pretty well. I was a little disappointed in how she held up, but when I look at the other competitors and what it actually takes to go around the world, she did great. And I think maybe I'm just a perfectionist in that kind of way. I don't want things to break. I felt like we were going through things too quickly. The last couple of days my team and I have been dedicated to looking at what is broken and taking the whole boat apart."

What did break?

"Oh god, do you want the list? I think the majority was actually electrical. Saltwater is just horrible for electronics, and your electronics are waterproof with freshwater, not saltwater. The salt is just really good at corroding and killing everything."

Tell us about the route and what the hardest spot was for you?

"You leave from Acuña, Spain, and you travel south and then you navigate through the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, which is off of Africa. And then you go across the equator, there's a couple of islands off of Brazil. You go through those and then you take a left turn to go and start your Cape [of Good Hope] journey. To be honest, that whole area inside the Southern Ocean—you have the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and each individual one is so different because of the currents, because of the wind, the waves, and how close each of these oceans is to the land. And so each have their own struggles. I think no sailor out there will disagree that the Southern Oceans are by far the most challenging."

You must have learned a lot about the weather, weather patterns, wind patterns.

"100%. I had a very good team behind me. My weather router, Chelsea, sent a 10-year historical analysis about the Southern Oceans to me about three weeks before the start of the race, so I read her entire booklet. She sends me where she thinks that the breeze is going to be coming from, and then I have to decide on what sails to use, and how big the sails should be that I'm going to use, and where I'm going to go. We talked every single day. My team was like, 'Okay, we trust that your eyes are seeing this firsthand and you're going to make the right decisions for how big the seas are and how windy it is.'"

How did you stay on course?

"I, of course, have like an autopilot system that’s driving at all times, because the autopilot can drive perfectly 100% of the time, where I can drive perfectly for maybe 10 minutes. On the ocean, autopilots are 100% necessary and almost every boat has them. It's just not really possible to drive all night long and there's no place to just pull over and park. A lot of the technology is programmable, so you have a PC and you're constantly programming it for the specific conditions. And I'm not a video game geek, so I struggle with that, but everything has a manual. If you can read a manual, you can sail."

You’re on Instagram, and I read that you began with the goal of having maybe 10,000 people following you around the world. I think you're at about  500,000 followers now on Instagram. You were posting a lot during this trip. I understand some of your sponsors weren’t necessarily happy about that. Why did you decide to do it?

"I had it in my mind that if you wanted to make this important, people had to see it. You know, there's one thing to go around the world and there's another thing to actually show the world what you're doing, and show the sport that is so obscure and that people don't really know about. Exposing myself on to social media didn't seem like that crazy to me and to an older generation it did."

Are you hoping to inspire young people to try things, to sail, to do something adventurous?

"Yeah, of course. I have a protegé. I started working with her when she was 15, and I think she's now 17 going to be 18. She flew all the way from Connecticut to Spain just to see my finish. I look at her and, you know, her friends, and anyone else that I've spoken to about this and I’m at the forefront of this campaign, but it's the people behind me that have been lifting me up the entire time. My advice to anyone is keep those friends that really respect you and understand your dreams and want to be a part of it. Find the people that are willing to participate in your dreams and don't laugh at you or think that you're crazy, because when you actually get the opportunity, you want to have some people in your corner."

Julia Corcoran  produced and edited this interview for broadcast with  Todd Mundt . Corcoran also adapted it for the web.

This segment aired on March 14, 2024.

Scott Tong Co-Host, Here & Now Scott Tong joined Here & Now as a co-host in July 2021 after spending 16 years at Marketplace as Shanghai bureau chief and senior correspondent.

Julia Corcoran Producer, Here & Now Julia Corcoran is an associate producer for Here & Now.

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• Sailboat Guide

Beneteau First 40.7

Beneteau First 40.7 is a 39 ′ 2 ″ / 12 m monohull sailboat designed by Bruce Farr and built by Beneteau starting in 1997.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Farr design #354. Shallow draft version with Iron Keel - draft: 6.17’/1.88m. Not the same as an earlier (1994) Beneteau model called the IMS 40.7.

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27 high school students, 2 adults rescued after rowing boats capsize in Long Island Sound

N early 30 people, including 27 high school students and two adults, were rescued when their rowing boats capsized in Connecticut on Wednesday.

First responders rescued the group off the coast of Westport just after 5 p.m. Authorities say the water temperature in Long Island Sound was about 44 degrees.

Two sculling boats with the private Saugatuck Rowing Club capsized as the water became rough during a weather change. The rough conditions sent 18 people into waters off Compo Beach, Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas said at a news conference.

Officials say some of the people in the water were swimming to shore and others were trying to get into other boats.

When the people in the water tried to get on a third, larger boat, it began to sink, sending more people into the water, authorities said.

The Coast Guard joined local police and firefighters in the rescue mission.

First responders used boats to rescue many of the people, while others were able to swim ashore. Two people were brought to a hospital with suspected hypothermia.

"This was a very serious incident with an incredibly good outcome," Koskinas said.

The teens, all male, ranged in age from 14 to 18. The two adults were instructors.

Everyone was out of the water and safe within about 50 minutes, Koskinas said.

The teens were put on a school bus to get warm and were picked up by their parents, he said.

Authorities said they are investigating why the boats capsized, with the goal of preventing similar incidents.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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• Oceanis 30.1
• Oceanis 34.1
• Oceanis 37.1
• Oceanis 40.1
• Oceanis 46.1
• Oceanis 51.1
• Oceanis Yacht 54
• Oceanis Yacht 60
• FIGARO BENETEAU 3
• Heritage sailing yacht
• Flyer 6 SUNdeck
• FLYER 6 SPACEdeck
• Flyer 7 SUNdeck
• Flyer 7 SPACEdeck
• Flyer 8 SUNdeck
• Flyer 8 SPACEdeck
• Flyer 9 SUNdeck
• Flyer 9 SPACEdeck
• Antares 7 Fishing
• Antares 8 Fishing
• ANTARES 11 FLY
• Gran Turismo 32
• Gran Turismo 36
• Gran Turismo 41
• Gran Turismo 45
• Swift Trawler 35
• Swift trawler 41 Sedan
• Swift trawler 41 Fly
• Swift Trawler 48
• Grand Trawler 62
• Heritage motorboats
• A REMARKABLE ANNIVERSARY
• Architects and Designers
• Become a BENETEAU boat owner
• Tests and Awards

BENETEAU’s historical line places the emphasis on speed and design, and the pleasure is the same whether you are cruising or racing. This mixed use is specific to the First, which proudly boasts a taste for performance at sea, even in light air. Designed by well-known architects, the boat has left its mark on performance cruising, and it is now the gold standard.

Iconic Line

• Performance

Easy to Handle

A gold standard.

• Sailing Programmes

With beautifully slender hulls and a style second to none, First yachts have always caught the eye of seasoned sailors. From the outset, they were designed to thrill keen regatta racers and demanding performance sailors and they epitomize the joy of sailing like no other boat. Boasting the most advanced engineering, their performance under sail is a gauge for winning races whatever the sailing grounds. But they are also ideal for cruising with family or friends and will make the thrill of travelling the seas a new passion. This mixed use and the sailing community’s satisfaction has led to the success of the line.

Roll on Performance

As soon as you cast off, you feel the thrill of sailing a First. All it takes is to hoist the sails and these fast cruisers give their best performance. Thanks to a taut hull that is specially designed to be light weight, the boat flies along in the slightest breeze. Look out for the puff that propels the First forward and enjoy its surfing potential at any speed. 

The First sailing yachts are designed to make sailing easy and exciting, so that everyone can enjoy the sailing experience. They are reassuringly stable, even in a good breeze, and they are always safe and a pleasure to sail, no matter how big or small your crew is. Sail hoisting manoeuvres are fluid. Sailing is safe and effortless. 

A remarkable team

Similar to the IMOCA or Class40, the new First 36 and First 44 have their own legacy, built on considerable technical expertise. The FIRST yachts are designed and developed by a design team of architects, designers, engineers, our partner sailmakers, and mast and deck fitting manufacturers to optimise every detail and ensure that they all have the latest technology and expertise.

The first model in the line – the First 30 – was the boat used for three years by the Tour de France à la Voile, and many racers also chose it for the Course de l’Aurore (former Solitaire du Figaro) including Michel Malinosky, Eugène Riguidel and Bruno Peyron.

Outstanding Performance and Open to a Variety of Sailing Programmes

First sailing yachts are highly versatile and can be used for all sorts of programmes. They are ideal for a trip to sea to fine tune your boat and get out your code zero or asymmetric spinnaker with a crew that loves sailing whatever the weather. They are perfect for a weekend, making the most of the First’s speed and setting sail for a distant anchorage. They are great for a holiday, to enjoy the pleasure of coastal or ocean cruising in a well-equipped boat.  

All First news

Claus, owner of a First 36

“Cruising suddenly became more fun“

Introducing newcomers to the wonders of sailing

Denis Kotlyarov and Vera Konashenok have created a new way for people from any background to taste the beauty of sailing.

SV Lenny takes a spot on the 2023 Transpac podium!

After 11 days at sea, the SV Lenny and her crew placed second in their class. The crew gave their feedback on the boat pre and post race.

Models of the range

Length Overall

4.3 m / 14’1’’

Beam overall

1.7 m / 5’7’’

7.29 m / 23’ 11’’

2.5 m / 8’ 2’’

7.99 m / 26’ 3’’

2.54 m / 8’ 4’’

10.97 m / 36'0"

3.8 m / 12'6''

14.65 m / 48’1’’

4.25 m / 13'11''

17.12 m / 56’2’’

5 m / 16’5’’

Former First

"We would redesign the sail plan, keel, interior layout, and shape of the coachroof with André Mauric, and it would be called the First. Nobody was expecting this. We showed the First at the Paris Boat Show and it was a revelation. It would become a legendary class. This was the boat that would really open the way for export. "

Annette Roux - 130 years of commitment to the sea  (1980)

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