Beneteau First 36.7

Beneteau First 36.7
Name	First 36.7
Designer	Jean Berret, Gianfranco Formenti
Builder	Beneteau
Role	Racer-cruiser
Year	1994
Hull type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
Keel type	Fin keel with bulb / Shoal draft option
Rig type	Fractional sloop
Loa	11.28 m
Lwl	9.78 m
Beam	3.41 m
Displacement	5236 kg
Ballast	2094 kg

Beneteau First 36.7 The Beneteau First 36.7 is a 36-foot racer-cruiser sailboat introduced in the mid-1990s by Beneteau, designed to combine competitive racing performance with coastal cruising comfort. It reflects design trends influenced by contemporary yacht designers and racing rules, and it became a recognizable model within offshore and club racing circuits. The design has been sailed in events linked to major regattas and attracted an active owner community across Europe and North America.

Design and development

The First 36.7 was conceived during a period when firms such as Beneteau and design studios including Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and individuals like Jean Berret and Gianfranco Formenti contributed to modern racer-cruiser aesthetics. The hull and deck were produced using vacuum-infused fiberglass techniques influenced by innovations from yards like Jeanneau and X-Yachts, while keel and rudder geometry reflect hydrodynamic advances associated with campaigns in the America's Cup and designs used by teams in the Volvo Ocean Race and Whitbread Round the World Race. The rig is a fractional sloop with sailplan choices informed by measurement rules that affected classes such as the International Measurement System and events like the Fastnet Race and Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Specifications

General arrangement and measurements align with contemporary cruiser-racers: overall length circa 11.28 m, waterline length near 9.78 m, beam about 3.41 m, and displacement around 5236 kg. Ballast is roughly 2094 kg with a deep fin and bulb or optional shoal draft keel influenced by appendage trends seen in designs by Olin Stephens and firms like Farr Yacht Design. The rig features aluminum spars reminiscent of those supplied by manufacturers such as Selden and Harken-type deck hardware, while the auxiliary engine and systems mirror installations common to builders like Yanmar and Volvo Penta. Interior layouts often include berths, galley, and navigation station arranged in the spirit of production boats from builders like Catalina Yachts and Hunter Marine.

Production and variants

Beneteau produced the First 36.7 during the 1990s at their shipyards in France, following production practices comparable to other models from Beneteau and contemporaries such as Dufour Yachts. Variants included racing-oriented and cruising-oriented packages, with options for keel depth, mast configuration, and deck hardware packages similar to choices offered by manufacturers like Nautor's Swan for custom tuning. Limited special editions and region-specific fitted boats were sold to owners participating in circuits run by organizations such as the Royal Ocean Racing Club and regional sailing federations including the Royal Yachting Association.

Performance and sailing characteristics

On the water the First 36.7 demonstrates acceleration and pointing ability valued by skippers in club racing fleets and offshore events organized by entities like the International Sailing Federation and regattas such as the Rolex Fastnet Race. The hull form and keel deliver upwind capabilities comparable to designs from studios like Bruce Farr and Gilles Vaton, while downwind performance benefits from asymmetric spinnakers used in campaigns similar to those seen in the Transpacific Yacht Race and Round the Island Race. Handling under sail is influenced by rig tuning practices advocated by professional skippers from teams in the America's Cup and coaches affiliated with national associations like US Sailing and Sailing Australia.

Operational history

The model has been campaigned in club and offshore racing across European venues including the Mediterranean Sea regatta circuit, the English Channel, and transatlantic events with participation by owners affiliated to clubs such as the Royal Yacht Squadron. Individual boats have appeared in handicap racing administered by organizations like the International Rating Certificate systems and in distance racing events where crews followed routing strategies refined in campaigns like the Vendee Globe and Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

Owners and community

Owners and enthusiasts of the First 36.7 formed class associations and informal groups resembling communities around other one-design and production classes connected to organizations such as the International Sailing Federation, national federations like the French Sailing Federation, and yacht clubs including the Yacht Club de France and Royal Cork Yacht Club. Online forums, regional meetups, and regatta committees helped maintain shared knowledge on maintenance, sail inventory, and tuning in the manner of established communities around models from Beneteau, Jeanneau, and X-Yachts.

Category:Sailboat types