What the fleet has seen
The Beneteau First 40.7, 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 40.7 is a Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop, built by Beneteau from 1997 to the present, featuring a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull. This 12.0-meter performance cruiser has a 3.8-meter beam, a 2.4-meter draft, and displaces 6899 kg. The design, Farr #354, is distinct from the earlier 1994 Beneteau IMS 40.7. A shallow draft version with an iron keel is available, drawing 1.88 meters.4:08 The Beneteau First 40.7, like other Beneteau First models, utilizes a solid fiberglass hull bonded to an internal structural grid, a construction method that requires careful inspection of the keel-to-hull bond and internal grid for stress cracks, especially given the model's history of offshore racing and potential for cumulative stress from groundings or poor maintenance.6:47 The loss of the *Cheeky Rafiki*, a Beneteau First 40.7, was attributed to a history of groundings and improper repairs rather than inherent design flaws.4:02
