BoatsBeneteau First 405

Beneteau First 405

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1986

A 12.4-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.19-metre fin keel and a balanced displacement for offshore performance

Designed by Jean Berret & Berret-Racoupeau.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Beneteau First 405, on the water

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

Footage from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.93
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 185
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.6
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 42%

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

  • Draws more than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2746 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Beneteau First 405, 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 405 is a 12.4-meter masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau from 1986 to the present. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, a beam of 3.9 meters, a draft of 2.2 meters, and a displacement of 8391 kg. A 1992 model was evaluated as overpriced at $66,000 compared to 2000-vintage boats available for approximately $100,000.27:28

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.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Beneteau First 405 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
US$66,000Median asking

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
41.6%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.6
Displacement / length
184.6
Comfort ratio
26.0
Capsize screening
1.93
Hull speed
8.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1617
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1986
Designer
Jean Berret, Berret-Racoupeau
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.

Dehler Yachts 41 CR12.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Judel-Vrolijk fractional sloop designed for performance cruising with a stiff, balanced hull and bulb keel
Skagen Race 2025: Fresh beat towards Skagen1:31from SEILmagasinet
Centurion 40S12.35 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented fractional sloop by Berret-Racoupeau, featuring a deep fin keel and a balanced, modern hull form
Alone Through the Night - Sailing to Tenerife | Ep. 154:08from Jakob Lang Sailing
Dufour Yachts 4012.32 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.32-metre fractional sloop featuring a 1.65-metre draft and a balanced 36% ballast ratio for coastal cruising
116. Hans Geilinger. Sailing around the world aboard the Tuvalu.2:49from A Son de Mar
Oceanis 41 (Beneteau)12.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop featuring a wide 4.2-metre beam and a modern hull form optimised for cruising
LEAVING PUERTO RICO! Just as we're about to leave, things don't go as expected | Ep. 54 - Chez Teamfrom Chez Team
Bavaria Yachts 40 (J&J)12.47 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA popular charter-trade cruiser from 2000, offering a balanced 18.88 SA/D ratio and a 1.95-metre bulb keel
Making the DECISION and undertaking a LIFE CHANGE. Choosing a SAILBOAT.3:13from navegandoporelglobo
Bavaria Yachts C4212.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA modern fractional sloop by Cossutti featuring a high-volume hull, dual rudders, and a performance-oriented sail plan
Claes Eliasson on tacking sailboats0:01from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Beneteau First 305A Jean Berret-designed masthead sloop offering versatile keel and rig configurations for coastal cruisingBeneteau First 435A German Frers-designed masthead sloop built for performance, featuring versatile keel and rig configurationsBeneteau First 345A 36-foot masthead sloop from the mid-eighties, designed for offshore speed with a stiff 36% ballast ratioBeneteau First 35s5A Philippe Starck-designed performance cruiser blending a high-aspect fractional rig with a distinctively modern interiorBeneteau First 375A performance-oriented masthead sloop from Berret-Racoupeau, balancing a deep fin keel with a moderate displacementBeneteau First 41s5A performance-oriented fractional sloop featuring a distinctive interior design by Philippe Starck

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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