First 211
Beneteau · Jean-Marie Finot · 1992
Updated
The First 211 is a 6.22 m displacement racing yacht designed by Jean-Marie Finot and built by Beneteau, first launched in 1992. It races in Class C.
Length
6.22 m
20′ 5″
Beam
2.50 m
Draft
1.75 m
Displacement
1.2 t
Sail area
25 m²
On the podium
Where a First 211 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
8%
of 109 starts by 4 boats
Wins
2%
Read from 109 starts by 4 boats between 2020 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a First 211 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Regatta Sozopol Sailing Cup2026
Yacht Club Domaso Circolo Velico del Lario Asd2026
¨16ο Athens Trophy 2026¨2026- "Αιγινα2026
- 1° Tappa Campionato Velico del Lario2026
Raced one we are missing?
Report a regattaRound the buoys, or offshore
A short windward-leeward and a night at sea ask different things of a boat. Here is how this one does in each.
Round the buoys
3%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
24%
of these races end on the podium
Better the longer it gets. Boats that settle into a groove and hold it gain ground once the course stops turning.
Who she races against
The designs a First 211 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Also met, too few times for a figure:
Salona 40 (7 meetings), Bavaria Cruiser 34 (7 meetings), Bavaria Cruiser 33 (6 meetings), First 47.7 (6 meetings), First 41 (6 meetings)
Some of the boats it races against
How the First 211 has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.
Speed at every angle
The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.
Upwind VMG
4.21
38°
Beam reach
6.70
90°
Broad reach
7.60
135°
Downwind VMG
6.18
170°
Speed in knots at 20 knots of true wind. Green marks the angles that pay: the closest useful beat and the deepest run worth sailing.
Where it wins and where it pays
Every boat is judged against its own measurements — length, weight, sail area. The quicker those say it should be, the more it has to deliver just to break even. Going fast is not enough: it has to go faster than its own numbers promised.
This design is even-tempered. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is cracked off once it pipes up, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage on the beat as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
It falls short downwind in a working breeze, giving away time it never gets back.
Above the line it delivers more than promised and gains on the fleet. Below, it falls short. Move the wind: plenty of boats sit on one side in the light and the other when it blows.
Full width is 0.4 kn either way.
At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the upwind.
How fast is a First 211
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 2.76 | 3.69 | 4.14 | 4.21 |
| 52° | 4.14 | 5.30 | 5.71 | 5.86 |
| 60° | 4.33 | 5.43 | 5.87 | 6.07 |
| 75° | 4.53 | 5.62 | 6.03 | 6.44 |
| 90° | 4.76 | 5.86 | 6.35 | 6.70 |
| 110° | 4.79 | 5.95 | 6.64 | 7.37 |
| 120° | 4.64 | 5.86 | 6.61 | 7.67 |
| 135° | 4.19 | 5.61 | 6.36 | 7.60 |
| 150° | 3.59 | 5.18 | 5.94 | 6.91 |
| Run VMG | 3.11 | 4.49 | 5.31 | 6.18 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Most run a fixed propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 310 kg.
Rigging
First 211 rig and sail dimensions
A First 211 carries 8.29 m of mainsail hoist on a 2.87 m boom, a forestay 8.59 m above the deck and a 2.97 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 7 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 30 to 38 m² depending on bowsprit and set-up. Before ordering a sail, read the figure on your own measurement record rather than the typical one for the design.