BoatsBeneteau First 38s5

Beneteau First 38s5

Fractional Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · 1989–1994

A Philippe Starck-designed fractional sloop built for performance, also marketed to the charter trade as the Moorings 38

Designed by Jean Berret, Phillippe Starck & Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder

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 moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.03
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 211
EasygoingPowered-up

18.1 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.1
TenderStiff

33% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 33%

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
33.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.1
Displacement / length
210.8
Comfort ratio
23.7
Capsize screening
2.03
Hull speed
7.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1380
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1989–1994
Designer
Jean Berret, Phillippe Starck, Berret-Racoupeau
Builder
Beneteau

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Ericson Yachts 38111.43 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn evolution of the Ericson 38, this 11.4-meter masthead sloop features a 1.98-meter draft and a fin-keel hull
Ericson Yachts 3811.48 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Bruce King-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance
Feeling 3911.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for performance cruising
Etap 38i11.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop featuring a shallow-draft wing keel, designed for stable cruising and built between 1989 and 1997
RM Yachts 118011.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed performance cruiser featuring a wide beam, dual rudders, and a powerful cutter rig
Beneteau Idylle 115011.50 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA shoal-draft cruiser with a 1.33-metre keel, designed by Jean Berret for comfortable coastal passage-making

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.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue