BoatsFirst 30 E (Beneteau - Berret)

First 30 E (Beneteau - Berret)

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1981–1984

A 1981 International 1/2 Ton Cup winner based on the King One design, built as a masthead sloop for competitive racing

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau, built by Beneteau.

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

See her sail

The First 30 E (Beneteau - Berret), on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

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

Comfort ratio 17
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.23
LightHeavy

161 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 161
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.1
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The First 30 E (Beneteau - Berret), as the fleet has seen it

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

The First 30 E, designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau from 1981 to 1984, is a 9.3-meter masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder. This model, based on the 'King One' design, won the 1981 International 1/2 Ton Cup with Paul Elvstrom at the helm. It displaces 3200 kg with a 1.7-meter draft and a 3.2-meter beam. An ES version was available with a lead keel and keel-stepped rig for racing, and a shoal draft version reduced the draft to 1.32 meters. Martin Kamperaug's initiative in Norway restores and races Half Tonner sailboats, including a First 30 Evolution, for regattas and weekly races, aiming for a 2023 reunion regatta at Hankø.2:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale

  • Lars and Henrik Smith are selling this boat to fund their other Half Tonner project

    from SEILmagasinetseen December 2020watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.1
Displacement / length
160.6
Comfort ratio
16.6
Capsize screening
2.23
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1027
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Iron
Production
Years built
1981–1984
Units built
443
Designer
Jean Berret, Berret-Racoupeau
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.

X-Yachts X-959.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed IOR half-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and an optional taller rig
SEILmagasinet TV episode 2/20241:47from SEILmagasinet
Beneteau First 3109.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 9.45-meter fractional sloop with a 1.8-meter fin keel, optimized for a light displacement of 3,199 kilograms
We are SELLING our sailboat | 132from MotionMe
Beneteau First 3059.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop offering versatile keel and rig configurations for coastal cruising
Don't Buy a Boat Without Watching This! Seasickness, Ideal Size, and Key Tips9:45from Piratas Aderiva
Hunter Boats Horizon 309.14 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA David Thomas-designed fractional sloop with twin keels, offered in kit form for versatile shoal-water cruising
Ultimate Canal Boat Cruising (36 hours in Bruges)0:39from Gone with the Wynns
Maestro Boats 319.30 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn E.G. van de Stadt-designed IOR 1/2 ton racer with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance
Half-tonners at Grimsøy2:18from SEILmagasinet
Hinterhoeller 309.14 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA slender, George Hinterhoeller-designed masthead sloop built for performance and ease of handling since 1969
Junk Sailboat, or Great Cheap Boat? - Ep 302 - Lady K Sailing0:46from Lady K Sailing

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.

First 30 (Beneteau - Mauric)Derived from the 1973 1/2 Ton Cup winner Inpensable and selected for the Tour de France a la Voile from 1979 to 1981Beneteau 1 TonA custom-built 12-metre racer featuring advanced 1980s materials and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratioFirst 30 (Beneteau - Juan K.)A Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performanceFirst 30 (Beneteau - S. Manuard)A high-performance fractional sloop by Samuel Manuard and Lorenzo Argento featuring dual rudders and electric propulsionBeneteau First 28A Jean-Marie Finot-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a stiff 37% ballast ratio

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