BoatsBeneteau First 27

Beneteau First 27

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1978

An Andre Mauric design offered with multiple rig configurations and sold in the US as the Beneteau R/C 27

Designed by Andre Mauric.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau First 27, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a beamy beam gives 17 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

2.26 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.26
LightHeavy

230 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 230
EasygoingPowered-up

16.2 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.2
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 27, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Beneteau First 27 is an 8.0-meter masthead sloop designed by Andre Mauric and built by Beneteau from 1978 to the present. It has a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 3.0-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 2400 kg. Sold in the US as the BENETEAU R/C 27, it was offered with a deep keel and multiple rig configurations, including a fractional sloop rig and a taller masthead rig. The fractional rig has an I of 10.00m and a J of 3.32m, while the masthead tall rig has an I of 11.22m and a J of 3.05m.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
36.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.2
Displacement / length
229.6
Comfort ratio
16.8
Capsize screening
2.26
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
765
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1978
Designer
Andre Mauric
Builder
Beneteau

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Puma 277.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance-oriented coastal cruising
Living on a BOAT0:11from navegandoporelglobo
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-meter draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Live On A Cheap and Small Sailboat! The Newport 27from Practical Sailor
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement cruiser profile
Replacing Cloudy Dodger Windows for Under $200:01from Atom Voyager
Hunter Marine 27-28.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 27-foot fractional sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, offering a stiff and stable platform for coastal cruising
The Perfect Family Sailboat! Hunter 27-2 - Boat Review0:50from Practical Sailor
Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull family0.3 m longerScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979
Help from an old friend5:23from Sven Yrvind
Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27
103. Sailors' Meeting. Sea stories told by those who lived them.49:10from A Son de Mar

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Beneteau First 27.7A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop with a lifting keel, built for performance with a high sail area-to-displacement ratioFirst 27 SE (Beneteau)A carbon-rigged performance variant featuring a lighter displacement and increased sail area for competitive speedBeneteau First 27-2A modern 7.99-metre fractional sloop featuring a fixed fin keel with bulb and dual rudders for stable, responsive handlingBeneteau First 28A Jean-Marie Finot-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a stiff 37% ballast ratioBeneteau First 29A Jean-Marie Finot design available with a swing keel and twin rudders, offering versatile configurations for shoal waterBeneteau First 26A Groupe Finot-designed masthead sloop built for performance, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder

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