Beneteau First 44.7

BoatsBeneteau First 44.7

See her sail

The Beneteau First 44.7, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

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 narrow beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.92

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 168

EasygoingPowered-up

22.4 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 22.4

TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 44.7, 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 44.7 is a performance-oriented fractional sloop designed by Farr Yacht Design and built by Beneteau from 2004 to 2007. It features a fin keel with a bulb and spade rudder, a 13.7 m LOA, a 4.0 m beam, and a 2.1 m draft, displacing 9129 kg.3:37 The model was offered with multiple rig options, including a standard two-spreader aluminum rig, a three-spreader tapered Dyform rig, and a three-spreader carbon rig with rod rigging, as well as a deep draft version.5:11 The cockpit prioritizes active sail handling with a large wheel and well-placed controls.4:32 The interior offers a functional three-cabin layout with 6'8" headroom.9:52 Aboard *Slide Rule*, a 2004 model, the 44.7 demonstrated a stiff, powerful hull capable of efficient light-air performance due to its 40% ballast ratio.3:13 Its performance pedigree means prospective buyers should inspect standing rigging, keel structure, and sail inventory, especially if the boat has a history of offshore racing like the Newport to Bermuda Race.7:13

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 broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

InstalledRaymarine
The boat has newer Raymarine chart plotters as part of its serious equipment list.
aboard Lady K Sailingseen August 20269:30
WorkingYanmar
The boat has a Yanmar engine with 3,000 hours, which the speaker finds acceptable if properly maintained.
aboard Lady K Sailingseen August 20269:10

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Beneteau First 44.7 may be fitted out entirely differently.

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale

1channel looked into buying

$120,000Median asking

A 2004 Beneteau First 44.7 named Slide Rule, currently listed in Maryland for $120,000, is reviewed as a potential purchase
from Lady K Sailingseen August 20260:45

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

40.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

22.4

Displacement / length

168.1

Comfort ratio

25.7

Capsize screening

1.92

Hull speed

8.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1750

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/bulb & spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

2004–2007

Designer

Farr Yacht Design Ltd, Bruce Farr

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.

Beneteau Oceanis 44013.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop sharing its performance-oriented hull with the Beneteau First 45f5

Wild anchorage at Rivière Sens and hiking LA SOUFRIÈRE - Guadeloupe2:50 from Vie d'écume

Salona 4413.50 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 2.55-metre deep-draft performance cruiser with a high 21.12 sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited sailing

Salona 440:18 from SVN solovelanet

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45 DS13.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed deck saloon cruiser featuring a classic rig and an optional shallow draft keel

Sun Odyssey 45 DS from SVN solovelanet

Dufour Yachts 4413.91 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 2024 Felci-designed fractional sloop balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a spacious Ardizio interior

NAPOLI BOAT SHOW 2026 ⛵ the best sailboats of the first edition of the NBS at Marina di Stabia25:52 from Alfredo Contaldo

C&C 44 Custom13.46 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn ultra-light, race-focused iteration of the C&C 44 featuring exotic materials and a deeper 2.57-meter keel

C&C 44 // Boat Shopping1:35 from 59° North Sailing

Xp 4413.88 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 13.88-metre performance cruiser featuring a deep 2.3-metre bulb keel and a high 23.91 sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Freshwater Captain from now on🫣 - XTrip Sailing Ep.22718:42 from XTRIP 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.

Beneteau First 47.7A Bruce Farr-designed performance cruiser balancing a high sail area-to-displacement ratio with offshore capability Beneteau First 44A modern performance cruiser by Biscontini and Argento featuring a fractional rig and dual rudders for precise control Beneteau First 44 PerformanceA light-displacement performance variant featuring a 2.6-metre draft and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio Beneteau First 40.7A 1997 Bruce Farr design featuring a 2.36-metre draft and a stiff, performance-oriented displacement-to-ballast ratio Beneteau 34.7A Farr-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a deep bulb keel and a light, stiff hull Beneteau First 42s7A Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop also marketed as the Stardust 433, featuring a performance-oriented fin and bulb

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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