Beneteau First 26

First 26 fin keel
Development
DesignerGroupe Finot
LocationFrance
Year1984
No. builtabout 300
Builder(s)Beneteau
RoleCruiser-Racer
NameFirst 26 fin keel
Boat
Displacement4,814 lb (2,184 kg)
Draft4.30 ft (1.31 m)
Hull
TypeMonohull
ConstructionFiberglass
LOA26.30 ft (8.02 m)
LWL22.90 ft (6.98 m)
Beam9.20 ft (2.80 m)
Engine typeVolvo 2001 8 hp (6 kW) diesel engine
Hull appendages
Keel/board typefin keel
Ballast1,455 lb (660 kg)
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
I foretriangle height32.31 ft (9.85 m)
J foretriangle base10.56 ft (3.22 m)
P mainsail luff27.23 ft (8.30 m)
E mainsail foot8.85 ft (2.70 m)
Sails
SailplanMasthead sloop
Mainsail area120.49 sq ft (11.194 m2)
Jib/genoa area170.60 sq ft (15.849 m2)
Total sail area291.09 sq ft (27.043 m2)
[edit on Wikidata]

The Beneteau First 26 is a French sailboat that was designed by Jean-Marie Finot of Groupe Finot as a cruiser-racer and first built in 1984.[1][2][3][4]

Production

The design was built by Beneteau in France from 1984 to 1991 with about 300 examples completed, but it is now out of production.[1][3][4][5]

Design

Beneteau First 26
Beneteau First 26

The First 26 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. The deck is a sandwich of balsa, fiberglass and polyester. It has a deck-stepped mast with aluminum spars, a masthead sloop rig, a raked stem, a slightly reverse transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel or, optionally, a stub keel and centreboard. It has 70 in (178 cm) of headroom in the main cabin and sleeping accommodation for five people.[1][3][4]

The boat is fitted with a Swedish Volvo 2001 8 hp (6 kW) diesel engine for docking and maneuvering. The fuel tank holds 6 U.S. gallons (23 L; 5.0 imp gal) and the fresh water tank has a capacity of 13 U.S. gallons (49 L; 11 imp gal).[1][3][4]

The design can be equipped with a symmetrical spinnaker with an area of 603 sq ft (56.0 m2). The boat has a hull speed of 6.42 kn (11.89 km/h).[3][4]

Variants

First 26 fin keel
This model displaces 4,814 lb (2,184 kg) and carries 1,455 lb (660 kg) of ballast. The boat has a draft of 4.30 ft (1.31 m) with the standard keel fitted.[1]
First 26 centreboard
This model displaces 4,850 lb (2,200 kg) and carries 1,543 lb (700 kg) of ballast. The boat has a draft of 2.79 ft (0.85 m) with the centreboard retracted and 5.74 ft (1.75 m) with the centreboard extended.[1]

Operational history

In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote about the boat, "best features: The cabin layout is refreshingly unusual, with a dedicated space for a navigator's station, a head located aft, and a complete-looking galley (except for no icebox!). Worst features: The diesel engine, housed under the companionway ladder, will make the aft double berth hot in summer (but cozy in winter, if you like sailing among the icicles)."[6]

See also

Similar sailboats

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Bruce (2019). "First 26 (Beneteau)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  2. ^ Browning, Randy (2019). "Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e "First 26 fin keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e "First 26 lifting keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  5. ^ Browning, Randy (2019). "Beneteau". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  6. ^ Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 323. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
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