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Beneteau First 26

Beneteau · designed by Groupe Finot · 1984

fin keelBermuda rigFrance

The Beneteau First 26 is a 26-foot bermuda rig sailboat designed by Groupe Finot and built by Beneteau, first launched in 1984.

Beneteau First 26 sailboat
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

General

Builder Beneteau
Designer Groupe Finot
Years built 1984
Hull type fin keel
Rig type Bermuda rig
Construction fiberglass
Origin France

Dimensions

LOA26.30 ft8.02 m
LWL22.90 ft6.98 m
Beam9.20 ft2.80 m
Draft (max)4.30 ft1.31 m
Displacement4,814 lb2,184 kg
Ballast1,455 lb660 kg
Sail Area291 ft²27.0 m²

Design ratios

Computed from the specs above using the standard formulas. Try the sailboat calculators with your own numbers.

SA / Displacement 16.33 Cruiser — good all-round performance
Ballast / Displacement 30.2 % Higher = stiffer / more sail-carrying power
Displacement / Length 179 Light
Comfort Ratio 16.2 Racing / light coastal
Capsize Screening 2.18 Better suited to coastal use (> 2.0)
Hull Speed 6.4 kn Theoretical max displacement speed
How these numbers are calculated
SA / Displacement
SA ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(2/3) — Power-to-weight. < 16 under-canvassed, 16–20 cruiser, > 20 racer.
Ballast / Displacement
Ballast ÷ Disp × 100 — Stability/stiffness. Higher carries sail better.
Displacement / Length
Disp(lt) ÷ (0.01 · LWL)³ — < 100 ultralight, 100–200 light, 200–300 moderate, > 300 heavy.
Comfort Ratio (Brewer)
Disp ÷ (0.65 · (0.7·LWL + 0.3·LOA) · Beam^1.33) — Motion in a seaway. Higher = more comfortable offshore.
Capsize Screening
Beam ÷ (Disp ÷ 64)^(1/3) — ≤ 2.0 favored for offshore; > 2.0 better for coastal use.
Hull Speed
1.34 · √LWL — Theoretical max displacement speed in knots.

Estimated price

$20,000 typical range $16,000 – $24,000

⚠ Rough estimate only — not market data. Derived from a simple model based on length and hull age; actual asking prices vary widely with condition, equipment, engine hours and location.

Data sources: Wikidata (CC0) · Wikipedia (CC-BY-SA)