| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Groupe Finot |
| Location | France |
| Year | 1978 |
| No. built | 1065 |
| Builder(s) | Beneteau |
| Role | Micro Classracer-cruiser andday sailer |
| Name | Beneteau First 18 |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 1,389 lb (630 kg) |
| Draft | 3.61 ft (1.10 m) with keel down |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | glassfibre |
| LOA | 18.04 ft (5.50 m) |
| LWL | 16.57 ft (5.05 m) |
| Beam | 7.87 ft (2.40 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | Swing keel |
| Ballast | 397 lb (180 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | Transom-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 22.57 ft (6.88 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 6.46 ft (1.97 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 22.47 ft (6.85 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 8.53 ft (2.60 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | 7/8Fractional riggedsloop |
| Mainsail area | 108 sq ft (10.0 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 81 sq ft (7.5 m2) |
| Spinnaker area | 199 sq ft (18.5 m2) |
| Other sails | storm jib: 22 sq ft (2.0 m2) |
| Upwind sail area | 189 sq ft (17.6 m2) |
| Downwind sail area | 307 sq ft (28.5 m2) |
TheFirst 18 is a Frenchtrailerablesailboat that was designed byGroupe Finot as aMicro Classracer-cruiser andday sailer and first built in 1978.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
The design is sometimes confused with the much laterBeneteau First 18 SE which was introduced in 2008 as the Seascape 18 and then sold as the Beneteau First 18 from 2018 to 2020. From 2021 it has been sold as the First 18 SE.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]
The design was built byBeneteau in France, from 1978 to 1981, with 1065 boats completed, but it is now out of production. Production time was 150 hours per boat.[1][2][3][4][5][18][19][20][21]
The First 18 is a recreationalkeelboat, built predominantly ofglassfibre, with wood trim. The hull is solid fibreglass and the deck isbalsa-cored. It has a 7/8fractionalsloop rig, with a deck-stepped mast, one set of sweptspreaders andaluminium spars with continuousstainless steel wirestanding rigging. The hull has araked stem, areverse transom, a transom-hungrudder controlled by atiller and a fixed finkeel or optionalswing keel. It displaces 1,389 lb (630 kg) and carries 397 lb (180 kg) ofcast iron ballast.[1][2][3][4][5]
The keel-equipped version of the boat has a draft of 2.58 ft (0.79 m), while the swing keel-equipped version has a draft of 3.61 ft (1.10 m) with the keel extended and 1.83 ft (0.56 m) with it retracted, allowing operation in shallow water,beaching or ground transportation on atrailer.[1][2][3][4][5]
The boat is normally fitted with a smalloutboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[4][5]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double"V"-berthberth in the bow and twoquarter berths under the cockpit, plus a folding table. Thegalley consists of a fold down stove, located on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 4.42 in (11 cm).[1][2][3][4][5][22]
For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with a symmetricalspinnaker of 199 sq ft (18.5 m2). The boat has ahull speed of 5.45 kn (10.09 km/h).[1][2][3][4][5]
The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, theInternational Micro Cupper Class Association.[23][24]
In a 2022 review, Emmanuel Van Deth wrote, "the First 18, in thepocket cruiser category, is certainly one of the best choices. It opens all kinds of programs: day trips, regattas, cabotage... and why not bigger trips. A perfect support for those who have sailing ambitions inversely proportional to their budget."[22]