BoatsBeneteau First 18

Beneteau First 18

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · 1978–1981

A Jean-Marie Finot-designed fractional sloop built to the Micro Class rule for competitive, trailerable racing

Designed by Jean-Marie Finot & Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot).

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Swing Keel

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

TrailerableBeam 2.40 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 630 kg of hull, so roughly 1,250 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Ramp-launchableAbout 630 kg of hull, with a keel that raises or a draught shallow enough to float off a trailer — she can go back on the trailer at the ramp, not only into the water.Shoal draughtDraws 0.55 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a beamy beam gives 8 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 8
CoastalBluewater

At 2.82 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.82
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 136
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 21.9
TenderStiff

29% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 29%

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

  • Draws less than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 391 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
28.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
21.9
Displacement / length
136.3
Comfort ratio
8.1
Capsize screening
2.82
Hull speed
5.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
466
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1978–1981
Units built
1065
Designer
Jean-Marie Finot, Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)
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.

RS 216.40 mSame hull family0.9 m longer
Training Sea Cadet Instructors | RS21 Keelboat Sailing – Welsh Harp1:37from City Sailing
Microtonner 195.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop designed by Nestor Volker to the International Micro Class rule for competitive racing
I Met the Man Who Puts Sailboats Inside the São Francisco River | #SAL #4256:23from Hashtag Sal
Dufour Yachts T66.15 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA lightweight 800kg fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance in light air
Who I am and why the sea is part of my life0:56from NAUTICPIOLI
Marshall Marine Corporation Sanderling5.54 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA gaff-rigged catboat based on a 1941 design, featuring a shallow-draft keel-centerboard hull for versatile day sailing
The History of Beneteau Boats11:37from Practical Sailor
RS Quest4.29 mSame hull family1.2 m shorterA 140kg fractional sloop with a centerboard trunk designed for stable, versatile training and family sailing
Sea Cadet National Sailing and Windsurfing Regatta 20250:48from City Sailing
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
Why Would Anyone Want a Trimaran?from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

First 18 SE (Beneteau)Originally a Seascape design, this lightweight fractional sloop features a lifting keel and dual rudders for agile sailingBeneteau First 22A lightweight 6.95-metre fractional sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, built for versatile coastal sailingBeneteau First 24A 7.5-metre fractional sloop with a swing keel, built between 1982 and 1985 for performance in shoal water

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Beneteau First 18

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