Overview
The Beneteau First 40.7 is a Bruce Farr racer-cruiser built by Beneteau, built from 1997, with 550 built according to sailboatdata.com. Its place in this catalog rests on its ocean racing record: 26 different boats of the design have finished ocean races in the official results (Newport Bermuda Race, Pacific Cup, Sydney Hobart).
Design and Construction
sailboatdata.com lists the underbody as fin with bulb and spade rudder, 39.25 ft overall on a 34.83 ft waterline, with 12.33 ft of beam and 7.75 ft of draft. Displacement is about 15,211 lb with 5,953 lb of ballast, and the fractional sloop carries about 806 sq ft. Practical Sailor’s reviewer describes the hull as hand-laid solid fiberglass with a fiberglass pan bonded in while still in the mold, and the deck as balsa-cored with solid glass under the hardware. The hull-deck joint is a bonded flange arrangement with polyurethane glue and stainless bolts. Tankage is 84 gallons of water and 34 gallons of fuel, and the reviewer advises surveying the hull-keel attachment closely.
Ocean Racing Record
Pelagic Magic (Ross McDonald, Wayne Jenkins) finished the Sydney Hobart (2006, 2009, 2015, 2016, 2018). Shepherd Centre (Hugh Torode (1) NSW) finished the Sydney Hobart (2010, 2011, 2013). Crystal Cutter III (Charles Parry-Okeden) finished the Sydney Hobart (2019, 2022, 2024). Chancellor (Ted Tooher) finished the Sydney Hobart (2005, 2008, 2009). Other finishers include Shipping Central, True North, Wave Sweeper, Valkyrie, Vitesse, P&O Nedlloyd.
On Practical Sailor’s test sail on Lake Michigan in 8 to 12 knots of true wind, the boat showed 5.8 to 6.2 knots, and with the sheets hardened it sailed within 36 degrees of apparent wind at 6.75 knots. Two owners interviewed gave their boats top marks for both windward and off-wind performance, and one said she likes some wind. The reviewer judged that this is not the boat for a circumnavigation or perhaps even a trans-oceanic passage, where most serious cruisers would prefer more keel and heavier displacement.
