BoatsBeneteau First 24

Beneteau First 24

Fractional Sloop · Swing Keel · 1982–1985

A 7.5-metre fractional sloop with a swing keel, built between 1982 and 1985 for performance in shoal water

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

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

See her sail

The Beneteau First 24, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.50 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,634 kg of hull, so roughly 2,250 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.Shoal draughtDraws 0.76 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 15 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 15
CoastalBluewater

2.14 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.14
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 182
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.6
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.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 24, 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 24 is a 7.5-meter fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed by Group Finot and built by Beneteau from 1982 to 1985. It has a beam of 2.5 meters and displaces 1633 kg. The swing keel version has a draft of 1.5 meters, while a centerboard variant was also available. The Beneteau First 24 is considered a competitor in the North American trailer-sailor market.5:56

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
30.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
182.1
Comfort ratio
15.4
Capsize screening
2.14
Hull speed
6.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
606
Hull
Hull type
Swing Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1982–1985
Units built
677
Designer
Group Finot, Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)
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.

Seascape 277.99 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Sam Manuard-designed performance fractional sloop with a high SA/D ratio and swing keel, now part of the Beneteau First range
Boat for both cruising and racing22:55from SEILmagasinet
O'day 23-26.93 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA masthead keel-centerboard sloop produced in Brazil and the U.S. for over a decade as a popular coastal cruiser
Juliano and the sailboat Tupã12:35from Podcast Maré Sonora ®
O'day 23-1 (Lift Top)7.01 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA popular C. Raymond Hunt-designed masthead sloop featuring a unique lift-top coach roof for added cabin headroom
Living on a Sailboat Doesn’t Have to Mean the End of Your Professional Life | #SAL #3583:10from Hashtag Sal
Deltania Yachts 267.92 mSame hull family0.4 m longer
Building our house | Styrofoam slab and Galvalume rooffrom MotionMe
Chrysler Marine 226.71 mSame hull family0.8 m shorterA 6.7-metre masthead sloop produced as the C-22 and T-22 Sandpiper, featuring a swing keel for shallow-water access
The Legend - S2 - Episode 151 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Cal Boats 247.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe inaugural Jensen Marine Cal model, this fractional keel-centerboard sloop was built for shoal-water versatility
Aladino Sails The Pacific Alone.2:08from Sailing Magic Carpet

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau First 24-2A high-performance fractional sloop by Samuel Manuard featuring a swing keel and dual rudders for modern, agile sailingBeneteau First 235A Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop built for performance, featuring a light displacement and high sail area ratioBeneteau First 26A Groupe Finot-designed masthead sloop built for performance, featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudderFirst 24 SE (Beneteau)A 7.29-metre swing-keel sloop with a 32.65 SA/D ratio, optimized for lightweight, modern performanceBeneteau First 22A lightweight 6.95-metre fractional sloop with a keel-centerboard configuration, built for versatile coastal sailingBeneteau First 25A Jean-Marie Finot-designed masthead sloop available with fixed or swing keels, built for performance between 1979 and 1984

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