BoatsBeneteau First 41s5

Beneteau First 41s5

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1990

A performance-oriented fractional sloop featuring a distinctive interior design by Philippe Starck

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

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

See her sail

The Beneteau First 41s5, on the water

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

Footage from Golden Globe Race Official

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

1.99 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.99
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 198
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.2
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws more than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2713 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 41s5, 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 41s5 is a 12.6-meter fractional sloop designed by Jean Berret, Phillippe Starck, and Berret-Racoupeau, built by Beneteau since 1990.7:29 It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 3.9-meter beam, 2.2-meter draft, and displaces 7620 kg. Shane Tyrrell purchased a Beneteau 41s5 for the 2022 Golden Globe Race, a solo, non-stop circumnavigation, and is refitting it in Virginia.26:33 A novice sailor with four years of experience chartered a Beneteau First 41 for the Skagen Race regatta, having previously chartered 40-foot sailboats for family cruises along the Norwegian coast.10:35

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau First 41s5 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
34.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.2
Displacement / length
198.1
Comfort ratio
24.4
Capsize screening
1.99
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1530
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1990
Designer
Jean Berret, Phillippe Starck, 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.

Jeanneau Voyage 12.512.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.5-meter masthead sloop with a 1.65-meter draft that served as the predecessor to the Sun Odyssey 42
SAILING IN SICILY - Cefalù ⛵🌊⚓vlog ep.10:10from Alfredo Contaldo
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 4212.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run 1990s cruiser featuring a fin keel with a partial skeg-hung rudder for directional stability
Why Does A Sailboat Keel Fall Off?7:42from Practical Sailor
Sabre Yachts 4212.73 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA short-run production cruiser from the late eighties, featuring a 41% ballast ratio for stability in a 12.7-metre hull
Exploring The City By The Bayfrom Sailing Palomita
Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J)12.47 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA popular charter-trade cruiser from 2000, offering a balanced 18.88 SA/D ratio and a 1.95-metre bulb keel
Making the DECISION and undertaking a LIFE CHANGE. Choosing a SAILBOAT.3:13from navegandoporelglobo
Feeling 41612.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.57-metre masthead sloop with a 1.93m fin keel, designed for offshore stability with a 23.7 comfort ratio
How do we eat in the San Blas? S2/EP159:20from LE VOYAGE DE NAMASTE
Catalina Yachts 400 MK II12.65 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.65-metre cruiser with a deep 2.11-metre bulb keel and a balanced displacement-to-length ratio for offshore stability
This 40 Foot Sailboat Has the Best Owner’s Bed Ever Built | Catalina 400 MKIIfrom Practical Sailor

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 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interiorBeneteau First 32s5A Philippe Starck-designed fractional sloop balancing performance-oriented lines with a refined, modern interiorBeneteau First 38s5A Philippe Starck-designed fractional sloop built for performance, also marketed to the charter trade as the Moorings 38Beneteau First 51A German Frers-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio and performance-oriented sail area for fast cruisingBeneteau First 405A 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performance

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