Beneteau First 36

BoatsBeneteau First 36

See her sail

The Beneteau First 36, on the water

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

Footage from SEILmagasinet

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 moderate beam gives 16 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 16

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.28

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 124

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 28.7

TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

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

Draws more than ~91% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2875 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 36, 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 36, designed by Samuel Manuard and Lorenzo Argento, is a 12.0-meter fractional sloop with a fin bulb keel and dual rudders, built by Beneteau since 2022. It displaces 4799 kg and is offered in Racing and Cruising layouts.4:44 The boat achieves speeds of 7.2 knots upwind in 15 knots of wind and 9.5 knots on a reach with a Code Zero.0:49 Its vacuum-infused construction keeps weight below standard consumption while maintaining a high-quality finish.1:40 Aboard SEILmagasinet, the First 36 reached 21.4 knots under a masthead spinnaker during the 2023 Fastnet Race, demonstrating its planing capabilities.13:04 The interior features three cabins, a dedicated chart table, and a galley with a central island refrigerator, though the head is compact.1:48 The aft cabins offer flexible sleeping arrangements.2:33 The racing-focused SE variant, seen by SEILmagasinet, features a carbon mast, tiller steering, and a weight-reduced interior with exposed glass hybrid structure and hanging storage.1:01 The standard model starts at 3 million NOK, while a race-ready configuration approaches 4 million NOK.3:39

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 4 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Beneteau First 36 on video

Beneteau First 36 - the compromise that worksThe Beneteau First 36 reaches 9.5 knots on a reach and costs nearly 4 million NOK race-ready.SEILmagasinet

Øyvind Bordahl - near freezing to death in the Fastnet RaceThe First 36 performance cruiser reached 21.4 knots during the 2023 Fastnet Race in heavy wind conditions.SEILmagasinet

First 30The First 30 features a wide beam and twin rudders to balance regatta performance with interior volume.SEILmagasinet

boot Düsseldorf 2026. A look at the sailing yachts on display. Which is your favourite?Black Pepper Yacht's Code 0.1 reportedly hit 23.8 knots at boot Düsseldorf 2026.Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

First 36 SE: Cruiser for regattasThe Beneteau First 36 SE features a carbon mast, tiller steering, and weight-saving interior construction for racing.SEILmagasinet

Ep 30. Searching for Rigging replacements in a foreign land. Music, the Oodi, Baltic racingThe crew sources BSI turnbuckles in Helsinki to replace cracked Navtec rigging on their 60-foot mast.Sailing Northern Brees

Alternatives to the Elan 350Used Elan 350 alternatives include the First 36, Bavaria 35 Match, Sun Odyssey 349, and Dufour 34.SEILmagasinet

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

32.3%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

28.7

Displacement / length

124.2

Comfort ratio

16.1

Capsize screening

2.28

Hull speed

7.8 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1498

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/bulb & dual rudders

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Cast Iron

Production

Years built

First built 2022

Designer

Samuel Manuard

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 First 36 SE11.98 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2025 performance cruiser featuring a lightweight 4,349kg displacement and a high 30.63 sail-area-to-displacement ratio

First 36 SE: Cruiser for regattas from SEILmagasinet

Viko S 3512.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12-metre fractional sloop with a 1.95-metre fin keel and bulb, designed for modern performance and coastal cruising

An Italian Go Fast Sailboat - The Viko S 35 | Boat Tour0:45 from Practical Sailor

Faurby 39311.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA slender, high-performance fractional sloop designed by Niels Peter Faurby for balanced, stiff sailing.

ALMA Globe 5.80 Boat Tour: Niels Kamphuis | 163 Biggest Monkey NL - follow CG580 Youtube for more0:39 from Golden Globe Race Official

Farr Phase 412.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Bruce Farr-designed masthead sloop built for performance with a fin keel, bulb, and spade rudder

Sailor James X 59º North Sailing Announcement : Sailing to Greenland & Iceland on the Farr 65 FALKEN0:20 from Sailing Triteia

RM Yachts 126011.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthBuilt with a plywood-epoxy hull, this 12-meter cruiser balances a powerful 24.37 SA/D ratio with shoal-draft versatility

LE PAVOIS DE LA ROCHELLE: disappointed!7:32 from VOILIER ODIN

Beneteau Oceanis 37.111.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern cruiser by Marc Lombard and Nauta Design, featuring dual rudders and an optional electric pod motor

SAILBOAT OF THE YEAR, the Ultimate Aluminum-Hulled Beast?50:23 from Alluring Arctic

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau First 36 SEA 2025 performance cruiser featuring a lightweight 4,349kg displacement and a high 30.63 sail-area-to-displacement ratio Beneteau First 36.7A Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition Beneteau First 36s7A performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a bulb keel and an optional taller IMS rig Beneteau First 40A 2007 Bruce Farr design featuring a deep 2.45m draft and a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited racing Beneteau First 38A Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop built for performance, offered with multiple keel and rig configurations Beneteau Oceanis 36 CCA centre-cockpit cruiser sharing its performance-oriented hull design with the Beneteau First 36s7

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