BoatsBeneteau First 53f5

Beneteau First 53f5

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/bulb & Spade Rudder · First built 1990

A Bruce Farr performance cruiser styled by Pininfarina, featuring multiple cabin layouts and an optional shoal wing keel

Designed by Bruce Farr & Pininfarina.

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

See her sail

The Beneteau First 53f5, on the water

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

Footage from SVN solovelanet

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 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.88
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 169
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.3
TenderStiff

31% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 31%

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

  • Draws more than ~86% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1489 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 53f5, 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 53f5 is a 15.9-meter masthead sloop designed by Bruce Farr and Pininfarina, built by Beneteau from 1990 to the present. This performance cruiser features a fin keel with a bulb and spade rudder, a 4.5-meter beam, and a 2.5-meter draft, with a shoal draft wing keel option also available. It displaces 13,999 kg and was offered in multiple cabin layouts, including double aft and four-cabin versions. Aboard a 2022 Beneteau First 53f5 chartered in Croatia, the boat demonstrated electric winches, a bow thruster, twin helms with carbon fiber steering, a dinghy garage, and teak decks.1:27:37 During a flotilla cruise, the boat achieved speeds of 6.5 to 7 knots in a 15-knot breeze, covering legs of up to 30 miles.1:16:00

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 5 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau First 53f5 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
30.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.3
Displacement / length
169.4
Comfort ratio
28.8
Capsize screening
1.88
Hull speed
8.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
2284
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/bulb & spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1990
Designer
Bruce Farr, Pininfarina
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.

Saga Marine 4815.94 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop built for performance cruising with a stiff 33% ballast ratio
Saga 48 // Boat Shopping18:16from 59° North Sailing
Baltic Yachts 5216.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop built by Baltic, balancing a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with stiff performance
Arctic Sailing to Norway - 5 weeks of winter sailing0:51from ArcticStern Ocean Sailing
Bavaria Yachts 50 Vision15.70 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 15.7-metre cruiser with a high 24.85 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for powerful, efficient passage-making
3 phases 🛠️❄️☀️ RENTAL SAILBOAT MAINTENANCE4:50from Allende los Mares · Vuelta Vertical
Bavaria Yachts 5115.60 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 15.6-metre masthead sloop with a 2.4-metre draft, designed for high-volume cruising and steady offshore speed
Dramatic Exit from Antiparos with 30Kts of Wind. The art of Mooring Line Management0:48from Epic Navigator
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51915.75 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn evolution of the 509 featuring a bow sprit and expanded swim platform for enhanced modern cruising
Chartering a Sailboat in Mexico!0:31from Sailing Doodles
Jeanneau Yachts 5316.06 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser offering performance rig and shallow keel options, also marketed as the Sunsail 53
I Must Haul Out the Boat! But Where ?? (& boat won't start)18:47from Huub Vlogs

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 Yacht 53A high-performance fractional sloop by Lorenzo Argento, featuring a bulb keel and dual rudders for modern offshore speedBeneteau First 51A German Frers-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio and performance-oriented sail area for fast cruisingBeneteau First 45f5A Bruce Farr-designed performance cruiser featuring a fractional rig and a balanced hull for competitive club racingBeneteau First 50A Philippe Briand-designed performance cruiser balancing a high sail area-to-displacement ratio with a stiff bulb keelBeneteau First 41s5A performance-oriented fractional sloop featuring a distinctive interior design by Philippe StarckFirst 45 (Beneteau - Farr)A Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop built for performance, sharing the same hull as the Beneteau 45F5

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