Engineering:Beneteau First 26

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Short description: Sailboat class
First 26 fin keel
Beneteau First 26 sailboat Endorphin 3619.jpg
Development
DesignerGroupe Finot
LocationFrance
Year1984
No. builtabout 300
Builder(s)Beneteau
RoleCruiser-Racer
Boat
Boat weight4,814 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 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
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)

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. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 McArthur, Bruce (2019). "First 26 (Beneteau)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181225002349/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/first-26-beneteau. 
  2. Browning, Randy (2019). "Jean Marie Finot (Groupe Finot)". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190729154238/https://sailboatdata.com/designer/finot-groupe-finot-jean-marie/. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "First 26 fin keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190729154940/https://www.boat-specs.com/beneteau/first-26-fin-keel. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "First 26 lifting keel". boat-specs.com. 2019. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190729155053/https://www.boat-specs.com/beneteau/first-26-lifting-keel. 
  5. Browning, Randy (2019). "Beneteau". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181018234756/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/beneteau. 
  6. Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 323. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN:978-0-07-163652-0

External links