What the fleet has seen
The Beneteau First 40.7, 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 40.7 is a Bruce Farr-designed fractional sloop built by Beneteau from 1997 to the present, featuring a fin with bulb and spade rudder, an LOA of 12.0 m, and a displacement of 6899 kg. This Farr design (#354) is distinct from the earlier 1994 Beneteau IMS 40.7. The model has a comfort ratio of 22.9 and a sail area to displacement ratio of 21.1. A shallow draft version with an iron keel is available, drawing 1.88m. The Beneteau First 40.7 uses a mass-production design philosophy with a solid fiberglass hull bonded to an internal structural grid. The *Cheeky Rafiki* incident, involving a Beneteau First 40.7, highlighted the importance of thorough surveys of the keel stub and internal grid.4:02 The Beneteau First 47.7, a similar Farr-designed performance cruiser, experienced a keel failure due to the hull-to-grid bond failing at sea, emphasizing the need to inspect the internal structural grid, keel-to-hull bond, and chainplate connections on such designs.17:34
