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• Sailboat Reviews

Beneteau 40.7

This bruce farrdesigned speedster perf arms well in round-the-buoy races, yet its three-cabin interior also makes it a comfortable, seasonal cruiser..

Beneteau began building boats in France in 1884 when Beneteau opened shop for the purpose of constructing trawlers at Croix-de-Vie. Eighty years later, under the direction of his granddaughter Annette Roux, Beneteau built its first fiberglass sailboat. It is the largest builder of production sailboats in the world, producing twice as many boats as its nearest competitor.

Beneteau also manufacturers Jeanneau and Wauquiez boats and Lagoon catamarans.

Beneteau builds two distinct lines-the First and Oceanis. Introduced in 1976, the First line is targeted to performance cruisers; the Oceanis line, first marketed in 1986, is targeted more to all-out cruisers, or as a company brochure says, to those “enjoying the pleasure of the sea.” The company ranks third in sales in the US, behind Catalina and Hunter.

Among corporate objectives is the sale of boats in sufficient volume to compete with American builders such as Catalina and Hunter. It accomplishes this goal by taking, advantage of several factors: a) consistent ownership and cash flow; b) a work management process that has designers and production personnel working together for more efficiency on the floor; c) the economies of scale and purchasing power of a monolith; d) automation that reduces the cost of labor; and e) in-house capabilities such as milling its own logs, rather than buying planks from a lumber yard.

A factory was opened in Marion, South Carolina, in 1984; it has since produced more than 1,000 boats, and also houses a customer service center.

Beneteau boasts that its products have logged more than five million miles during more than 1,000 ocean crossings.

Bruce Farr has developed a reputation as one of the world’s best designers of fast racing boats. His designs have competed in the America’s Cup and Admiral’s Cup. Prior to the 40.7, he designed a Beneteau 50-footer and the Fast 42s7.

Mike Thoney of Beneteau distinguishes the First line as having more contemporary styling than the Oceanis, greater emphasis on performance (without compromising on cruising accommodations), fractional rigs, optional deep keels, and high aspect ratio rudders.

Russ Bowler of the Farr office said it took three years to get the 40. 7 from the drawing board to the production line. Beneteau’s charge was to develop a cruiser that could be raced at the club level, and that would sell hundreds each year.

“The challenge was to match performance while producing a cruising boat with suitable accommodations,” he said.

Bruce Farr said the 40.7 hull is “developed from our IMS pedigree which gives it good all around performance. The bow is relatively fine for-ward for upwind work with straight runs aft for high speed off the wind. These virtues have been retained in a hull with greater volume to provide space for cruising accommodations, and added displacement that comes with a cruising interior.”

The 40.7 was “originally developed to be a good all round performer under CHS (a British handicapping system), which favors heavy boats, compared to length, and full interiors,” Farr said. “It has been gratifying to see this design do well in top level IMS competition.”

Both the keel and rudder reflect the designer’s current approach to producing performance-oriented appendages.

The boat’s numbers certainly suggest it will have better-than-average performance compared to its peers in the cruising world. The sail area/displacement (SAID) ratio is 21.01, the displacement/length (D/L) ratio is 160.6, the ballast/displacement ratio is 36.23, and its length/beam ratio is 3.20. Then again, this isn’t exactly the sort of boat one would take on a circumnavigation or perhaps even a trans-oceanic passage where most serious cruisers would prefer more keel and heavier displacement for sea kindliness and necessary stowage.

Polar diagrams indicate the potential for speeds of 6-plus knots sailing in 20 knots of breeze within 32 of true wind. Predicted boat speed exceeds 12 knots when sailing in 30 knots of wind at 140.

The boats target PHRF rating is 54, which means shell be competing against 38-44 footers; however, a one-design class has been formed in Chicago and others are forming on both coasts.

Construction

The 40.7 is built in France.

Among the challenges facing the designer and Eric Ingouf, the Beneteau employee who works on advanced production techniques, was a requirement that weight-per-foot be reduced as much as possible without compromising strength.

To that end, the team employed techniques first introduced with the Beneteau 25 to eliminate surplus weight in the laminations, keel and cabinetry.

While Beneteau will not divulge the specifics of the lamination schedule, Thoney provided general information on the process.

Hulls are hand laid-up using pre­cut sections of glass wetted out with vinylester and polyester resins.

“Pre-cutting assures proper sizes and reduces waste,” Thoney said. “Vinylester resins are employed to protect against blistering.” The latter, Thoney said, is a recent change; earlier models used the Beneteau Water­Shield process, which was intended to accomplish the same objective at lower cost. Though the company experienced its share of blistering problems with earlier models, our surveys of owners and surveyors report few incidents in newer boats.

The hull is solid fiberglass into which a fiberglass pan is bonded while still in the mold to assure that hull shape is retained. Thoney estimates the hull to be 5/8″ thick. The pan incorporates solid fiberglass longitudinal stringers running from bow to stern, and six athwartships floors. The pan is bonded to the hull with a polyester compound. Solid fiberglass supports for fuel tanks, the engine, chainplate tie downs, and the keel frame and mast step also are molded into the pan, as well as the foundation for bulkheads and cabinetry, which are fiberglassed to the hull and bonded to the deck with a strong adhesive.

Wiring and plumbing runs are protected inside PVC and flex tubes.

The hull-deck joint is an internal hull flange bonded to an external deck flange with polyurethane glue and stainless steel bolts and nuts, over which are laid the teak toerail, which is secured with stainless steel screws. The modern adhesives used for hull­deck joints are incredibly strong, making through-bolting less important.

The deck is fiberglass cored with balsa; however, areas in which deck hardware are mounted are solid fiberglass. Hardware is fastened with stainless steel fasteners and backing plates.

Standard equipment on the boat is a 7′ 9″ deep lead keel; an optional 6′ 2″ keel is iron. A new coating system developed in France that is compatible with International Paints is now employed to prevent peeling problems that occurred with other models. Joe Foss, manager of customer service, said there have been no instances of peeling on the first 250 boats. Still, lead is better than iron.

Tides Marine now builds the rudders, which have carbon fiber rudder stocks, rather than the stainless steel previously employed. In factory tests, carbon was determined to have four times the breaking strength of stainless steel, and also has a greater elasticity, which prevents breakage caused by side loading while underway. It is also significantly lighter. Most importantly, it can be bonded to the rudder, which avoids the common problem with steel stocks of water migrating into the rudder. Upper and lower rudder bearings are self-aligning.

It’s always a pleasant surprise to find something new on a boat, and the 40. 7 has one of the most interesting cockpit features we’ve seen: removable cockpit lockers located aft of permanent slatted teak cockpit seats.

When secured in place, the lockers provide seating and are large enough for storing the typical assort­ment of dock gear, cleaning supplies and spare headsails. When racing, the lockers may be removed to provide standing, straight-on access to the primary winches and sidedeck – very clever.

There is a 60 leather covered destroyer-style steering wheel with the bottom recessed below the sole; it is easy to reach from either rail.

Seats for crew and guests are contoured and comfortable.

A well for the propane tank is located in the port corner of the cockpit and is vented overboard. A locker large enough for an inflatable dinghy is to starboard.

A requirement in France is dedicated cockpit space for a life raft canister. In the Beneteau 40.7 it is situated below the helmsmans seat. Joe Darby, owner of Darfin Yachts in Chicago, who provided our test boat, said the area is the perfect size for a garbage bin, or a container of chilled beverages.

A teak slatted swim platform equipped with a stainless steel ladder is accessed by unlatching the twin lifelines connecting the stern pulpits and stepping over the transom; a swinging door would make for easier access.

Farr designed wide, nearly level decks with diamond nonskid that allow easy movement forward when underway. Stainless steel handrails on the coachroof coupled with double lifelines on 26″ stanchions provide additional safety. We like the fact that the stanchion bases are par­tially recessed and unlikely to be toe stubbers.

Mast, standing rigging and deck hardware are all high quality, though one owner thinks serious racers will opt for larger diameter, non-stretch halyards to replace standard equip­ment. Foss, however, told us that boats after #156 have upgraded rope.

The mast is a Sparcraft 9/10 fractional rig with triple spreaders; Sparcraft also manufactures the boom. Standard equipment is rod standing rigging and a Sparcraft vang. An optional Navtec hydraulic backstay adjuster will improve sail trim and performance on the race course, but is an unnecessary expense for most cruisers. The test boat performed well without tweaking the backstay.

Running rigging is led aft to Spin­lock XT rope clutches for mainsail, genoa and spinnaker halyards, one reef line, and outhaul and topping lifts. The installation of two turning blocks with space for six lines is a plus, compared to the typical arrangement with four, three-part blocks.

An interesting departure from typical setups is the mainsheet tackle. A double-ended sheet runs forward under the boom to the mast and then aft through turning blocks on both sides of the deck to a stopper. This placement allows trimming of the mainsail from either side of the boat, or by crew sitting on the rail.

Primary winches are Lewmar 50 self-tailers. Lewmar 44 self-tailers are mounted on the coachroof. Spinnaker winches, also Lewmar 44s, are an option.

The mainsheet traveler has Lewmar ball-bearing cars. The genoa sheet cars are adjustable under load.

The interior was fashioned by Beneteau’s in-house designers and has a more traditional, nautical feel than the Park Avenue styling of the Philippe Starck Interiors.

The companionway ladder has three solid fiberglass stairs covered with a teak veneer; the steps are contoured to prevent falls while the boat is heeled. We particularly liked the brushed aluminum handrails running from the cabin sole to the top step.

Removing the stairway provides access to the engine. Batteries housed below the bottom step are easily serviced. An interesting addition to the stairway is a 1″ diameter hole on the engine cover into which a fire extin­guisher can be inserted in the event of a fire in the engine compartment, a requirement of the French Bureau Veritas.

Light and ventilation belowdecks are provided by four Lewmar hatches on the bow and coachroof, three opening ports on each side of the saloon, and two fixed ports in the hull below deck level.

The centerpiece of the saloon is a 44″ long, double-leafed table situated amidships with seating on 3″ thick cushions on each side of the boat. With leafs down, there is unimpeded room to move forward, though racers complain it occupies space that could be used for sausage bags.

Stowage behind each settee is in two compartments enclosed by wood panels measuring 10″ deep and 30″ long; the French touch is evidenced by a dedicated wine locker. There is precious little stowage below the settees, which house polyurethane water tanks.

The galley is a rather ordinary L­shaped area with 6′ 5″ of headroom. It is furnished with a double stainless steel sink equipped with pressurized hot and cold water, a 12-volt refriger­ator and gimbaled Force 10 two-burner stove. However, though there’s adequate room for pots, pans, and utensils, the working surface is so small that galley mates will find preparing big meals a challenge unless covers are provided for the stove and sinks. That solution, however, creates its own obvious set of problems.

Conversely, we’re impressed with the size of the nav station, especially compared to boats on which they appear to be an afterthought.

The chart table measures 41″ x 24 “, and has a hinged 32″ x20″ top. There’s room in the cabinetry for necessary electronic equipment, as well as a hinged instrument panel. All of the wires are color coded. And there is a self-diagnostic function that alerts you to electrical failures. For example, if a cabin light burns out, a light on the panel appears.

Storage in a cabinet on the bulk­head aft of the seat provides a home for binoculars, charts, and gear; a second, 22″ X 22″ locker is beneath the seat. We were pleased to see a design that reflects the importance of work done at the nav station.

The interior layout reflects the French penchant for multiple double-berth staterooms-two mirror image cabins in the stern, a third in the bow.

Headroom aft is 6′ 3”. Each state­room has a 78″ x 60″ wide berth surrounded by varnished wood veneers and a foam-backed hull liner that provides both thermal and acoustic insulation. Ventilation is provided by a port in the cockpit footwell.

The hanging locker has room for six full sets of foul weather gear. Storage space below the starboard berth is shared with an aluminum fuel tank.

Aft of the port stateroom, a removable panel provides access to electrical and plumbing equipment, the steering system, and through-hulls.

Forward of the saloon is the third stateroom and the head. Our first impression of the stateroom was that it would be adequate for one adult or two munchkins but our tape measure proved otherwise; headroom is 6′ 2″, and the V-berth is 7′ 3″ long and 5′ 9″wide at the head, so will be large enough for average-size crew.

Similarly, the head seemed smallish. Accessible from the in cabin or forward stateroom, it has 6′ 2″ head­room. One owner, who described himself as being 6′ 3″ tall and weighing 230 lbs., said the size of the head was a selling point for him. Despite his comments, we think showering in a 40″ x 24″ space will be tight.

Wiring runs and plumbing are easily accessible. Amidships is a centralized manifold or sea chest to which a number of hoses are routed and empty through a single through-hull.

The interior will be suitable for casual cruisers and can be adapted to the needs of racers, though making sea berths out of the double berths aft isn’t the most desirable solution for sleeping securely and comfortably at sea. The wood surfaces are as smooth and well-fitted.

Performance

We sailed the 40.7 on a humid day on Lake Michigan, and talked with two owners who cruise and race their boats. Both gave their boats top marks for both windward and off-wind performance. One commented that “She likes some wind.” Another said, “She loves high wind.” Both described their boats as being very stable.

Under power, they reported that a 30-hp. Volvo diesel equipped with a low-drag Saildrive and two-bladed propeller powered the boat at 5-7 knots; they described her as being easily maneuverable, as we learned on our test sail.

We sailed in 8-12 knots of true wind with a 150% genoa and main­sail. Our first impression was that the boat is easily balanced. Sailing in 12 knots of apparent wind, we practiced ‘no hands’ sailing within minutes of departing the marina. In these light conditions we had little tension on the backstay, the vang was off, and the jib halyard was soft. The knotmeter displayed speeds of 5.8-6.2 knots

Beneteau advertises that sheeting angles are 10, so in the same wind we hardened the sheets and sailed to within 36 of apparent wind at 6.75 knots.

In lighter winds of 9 knots we footed off 10 and saw speed increase by 1/2 knot.

Winds died completely before we were able to hoist a spinnaker and test her downwind performance. Both owners reported speeds of 8-10 knots in 12-15 knot winds sailing high jibe angles.

The Farr and Beneteau design teams appear to have produced a versatile boat that will satisfy club racers and cruisers with a penchant for speed. She’s spacious and nicely finished. Longer-term cruisers may have to con­vert one stateroom to stowage.

Priced at $154,900, fob East Coast port of entry, the boat’s list of standard equipment includes a suit of sails, ProFurl furler, and Volvo engine. Spinnaker gear, racing sails, and a complete electronic package will add $10,000-$30,000 to the purchase price.

The Beneteau 40.7 incorporates a number of clever and sensible design features that we like, such as the plumbing manifold and removable cockpit seat modules.

Contact- Beneteau, 24 N. Market St., Suite 201, Charleston, SC 29401; 843/805-5000.

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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

First 40.7 Deep draft

Sailboat specifications.

• Last update: 15th March 2020

First 40.7's main features

First 40.7's main dimensions, first 40.7's rig and sails, first 40.7's performances, first 40.7's auxiliary engine, first 40.7's accommodations and layout, first 40.7's saloon, first 40.7's fore cabin, first 40.7's aft cabin.

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• Sailboat Guide

Beneteau First Ims 40.7

Beneteau First Ims 40.7 is a 40 ′ 8 ″ / 12.4 m monohull sailboat designed by Bruce Farr and built by Beneteau between 1994 and 1994.

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 #289. Not the same as FIRST 40.7 (1997), also by Farr.

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First ims 40.7 Beneteau

The first ims 40.7 beneteau is a 40.68ft fractional sloop designed by farr yacht design and built in fiberglass by beneteau between 1994 and 1994., 5 units have been built..

The First ims 40.7 Beneteau is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat. The fuel capacity is originally small. There is a very short water supply range.

First ims 40.7 Beneteau for sale elsewhere on the web:

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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

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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.  

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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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Beneteau First 34.7 review: from the archive

• Matthew Sheahan
• May 3, 2021

"This is the most refined IRC boat we have produced," so says Farr Yacht Design president Russell Bowler when speaking about the Beneteau First 34.7

By using a set of inner and outer moulds, the hull and internal structure are created in one hit by a combined process of infusion and injection. Credit: Beneteau Credit: Beneteau

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

Beneteau are clearly very proud of the new Beneteau First 34.7 have issued several bold statements about the complexity of the new boat in their ever expanding stable.

How could such a small production racer-cruiser be so complex? When viewed from her port side she hardly looks revolutionary.

Sure, her sawn­off transom is quite trendy, but overall her appearance in elevation gives her the look of a scaled-down Beneteau First 40.7 and although this boat has been a firm favourite with the IRC fleet, she doesn’t stand out in a crowd.

Look at the starboard side and you have the first clue as to what the fuss is about. A carbon retractable bowsprit, a first for Beneteau , is a standard item aboard this new model.

Her carbon mast on the other hand is a £9,000 option, which includes rod rigging. And all but a couple of the first 60 boats that comprise Beneteau’s 2006 production will be fitted with a black spar as opposed to the alloy standard.

Her large stainless wheel spans almost the entire width of the cockpit.

While not strictly a first for Beneteau, the rapid adoption of the carbon option is a significant change in the market.

When she’s viewed out of the water, the Beneteau First 34.7’s T-keel is another big change, as is her small rudder. So, what has spurred the switch? Within the brief to the Farr office was the stipulation that the new boat should perform well under IRC.

According to Farr Yacht Design president Russell Bowler the fact that stability is not assessed under the rule emphasised the need to produce a boat with as much righting moment as possible, yet light with it.

This meant there would be a big emphasis on weight in the keel and weight-saving everywhere else. Reducing the wetted surface area was also very important.

Nothing particularly new here other than that as a production racer-cruiser she had to be durable and built to a price, constraints that don’t always exist for full-on race boat commissions.

The design process began with accurate positioning of the centre of buoyancy to achieve a slippery yet seaworthy boat.

The First 34.7 is a bold move for Beneteau.

After this, early design considerations involved matching the centre of effort of the sail plan against the keel fin.

The balancing act continued with the centre of gravity of the keel bulb against the centre of buoyancy of the hull. A typical L-shaped keel would place the ballast too far aft and require more volume aft in the hull. The solution was a T-bulb configuration.

Here, a flattened bulb with soft chines to get the centre of gravity of the ballast as low as possible, as well as achieving the greatest effective span on the fin.

Above the waterline the sail plan is in keeping with similar boats, with a provision for overlapping head sails up to 150 per cent on the fractional rig.

The designers piled on ‘as much downwind sail area as we dared’ …

But when it comes to the downwind area, the masthead asymmetric spinnaker stacked on the cloth with 91m² (980ft²) of sail. In Bowler’s words: “We squeezed as much downwind sail area in as we dared.”

Maximising righting moment means keeping weight out of the boat elsewhere, but the brief for the Beneteau First 34.7 meant it could not be a stripped-out racer. Beneteau’s answer was a simple but bold one when it came to her layout and construction.

Maximising space

Down below, the absence of a forward cabin is noticeable from the minute you enter her saloon.

Instead of the more normal V­berth double forward cabin, a large heads occupies the space forward of the mast.

Positioning the heads here not only keeps the weight of a conventional cabin out of the bow, but provides a convenient wet area for retrieving the kite through the large foredeck hatch.

In fact, Beneteau have also developed an option for a 470-style kite bag that clips into the hatch area.

The nav station and galley are both well proportioned.

The main saloon has a pair of simple settee berths either side of the fixed table that utilise the inside face of the hull as the seat backs. This maximises the feeling of space and keeps weight to a minimum.

The chain plates are linked to mini-bulkheads that transfer the load down to the keel without the need for beefy longitudinals to attach tie rods to, again saving weight.

Further aft a simple yet spacious and effective galley is set to port with plenty of stowage space and easy comfortable access.

Opposite lies a small dedicated navigation area; again, practical, well-proportioned and with plenty of stowage for blocks, tackles, tools, duct tape and all the other odd items that keep a race boat going on the course.

Deceptively simple, the open and practical interior is actually much cleverer than you might think.

Stowage for the anchor, chain and warp is under the floor at the bottom of the companionway – easy to access and keeping weight amidships and low.

Under the cockpit lie two double cabins, which can either be supplied as an open-plan arrangement or with the starboard one of the two built with a door to form an owner’s cabin. I’m not sure why you might want this option aboard a raceboat, but no doubt there are some who think differently.

For construction, her deck has been injection-moulded to provide a clean finish inside, so no inner liner is required.

More significant is the move to a completely integrated hull and floor structure thanks to Beneteau’s new lnfujection system.

By using a set of inner and outer moulds, the hull and internal structure are created in one hit by a combined process of infusion and injection.

Although the construction technique has been driven largely by environmental pressures and the need to control emissions, Beneteau say it ensures greater accuracy in the resin-to-fibre ratio of the boats, as well as the consistency of overall weight.

What’s she like to sail?

But for all the techie talk, what is she really like? Such is the obsession with 40-footers, there’s a tendency to see something in the mid-30s as being on the wee side.

This is not the case with the Beneteau. Indeed, place her alongside a 36.7 and she feels a bigger boat in all areas apart from the foredeck. And the same is true when you take the helm.

Her large stainless wheel spans almost the entire width of the cockpit, the beamy open transom exaggerates the feeling of space and the long cockpit allows plenty of room for the crew to work the area without clambering over each other.

All this in a cockpit that’s deep enough and sufficiently secure to take the family cruising every now and then, as well as having a set of decent cockpit lockers, something the X-35 lacks.

Under way she has a solid, dependable, chunky feel to her helm. Lock to lock is just over half a turn, which on most boats would produce a twitchy feel, but not aboard the Beneteau First 34.7. In fact, it took me some time before I realised.

Easy and rewarding to sail.

Instead, she’s direct, smooth and has a comfortable seating position for the helmsman who can sit astride the wheel without crowding the mainsheet trimmer.

Upwind she’s easy to get into the groove and downwind she has the sprightly feel of a bowsprit-blaster, where the rewards of heating her up on a reach require a quick response to bear away as she picks up speed or a gust comes through.

Up to here she’s an easy boat to get on with, but lose concentration and she’ll bite. Although we never lost control downwind with the rudder completely immersed and the boat speed up in the 7-9 knot range in just 10-14 knots of true breeze.

Upwind she’s more prone to losing grip and rounding up if the helmsman and mainsheet trimmer are not keeping her on her feet.

Even in flat water and with what you might think is reasonable feedback through the wheel, she gives little warning and once the rudder has stalled there’s no regaining control until you’ve got her back on her feet.

The problem stems from the rudder’s size, a deliberate design trade-off under IRC. Rudders are not measured under the rule, so keeping it small reduces drag downwind.

But to make this side of the equation work, careful mainsheet trim upwind is vital to avoid unwanted handbrake turns.Aside from this little quirk, other niggles were to do with her control line layout, which isn’t as refined as the X-Yachts X-35.

Trimming the main with the coarse and fine tune in hand, along with the mainsheet traveller and the backstay, makes you feel like a circus act trying to ride two horses.

The fine-tune block and jammer need to be fastened to the mainsheet car rather than the pedestal moulding to make full use of the traveller and a windward sheeting car would make life that bit easier for the mainsheet trimmer through the tacks.

Elsewhere, cross-sheeting the spinnaker sheet onto the secondary winches might get your weight to weather, but the sheet chafes against the cockpit coamings.

Upwind the positioning of one of the stanchions makes skirting the genoa more tricky than normal and the solid kicker obstructs the 20/20 displays.

Admittedly these are niggles that could easily be sorted, but they are nonetheless further examples of the difference between this boat and the X-35.

Nevertheless, overall, I was very impressed with this boat. She felt like a good handicap racer, a boat that could be picked up and raced effectively in very little time and one that would light up in a breeze downwind.

This, along with her simple but practical accommodation layout, makes her a well-rounded design and an appealing choice.

First published in the May 2006 issue of YW.

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