Beneteau First 26
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]
 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Groupe Finot |
| Location | France |
| Year | 1984 |
| No. built | about 300 |
| Builder(s) | Beneteau |
| Boat | |
| Boat weight | 4,814 lb (2,184 kg) |
| Draft | 4.30 ft (1.31 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 26.30 ft (8.02 m) |
| LWL | 22.90 ft (6.98 m) |
| Beam | 9.20 ft (2.80 m) |
| Engine type | Volvo 2001 8 hp (6 kW) diesel engine |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | fin keel |
| Ballast | 1,455 lb (660 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I (foretriangle height) | 32.31 ft (9.85 m) |
| J (foretriangle base) | 10.56 ft (3.22 m) |
| P (mainsail luff) | 27.23 ft (8.30 m) |
| E (mainsail foot) | 8.85 ft (2.70 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Masthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 120.49 sq ft (11.194 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 170.60 sq ft (15.849 m2) |
| Total sail area | 291.09 sq ft (27.043 m2) |
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
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
- McArthur, Bruce (2019). "First 26 (Beneteau)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- "First 26 fin keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- "First 26 lifting keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- Browning, Randy (2019). "Beneteau". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
- Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 323. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
