Class CDisplacementCruiser/Racer

First 30 (Kouyoumdjian)

Beneteau · Juan Kouyoumdjian · 2010

Updated

The First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) is a 9.50 m displacement racing yacht designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian and built by Beneteau, first launched in 2010. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 80% of the designs it races against.

First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) - Juan Kouyoumdjian - BeneteauP 12.29 mLOA 9.50 m
Race Edge80Proven in racing

Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 80% of the boats it races against.

32nd of 159 in its class.

Under 10 kn
86
10–16 kn
37
Over 16 kn
72

This design has been found in real race results — 91 starts across 22 events — not only in measurement files.

Length

9.50 m

31′ 2″

Beam

3.21 m

Draft

1.93 m

Displacement

4.1 t

Sail area

63 m²

On the podium

Where a First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) finishes when she goes racing.

On the podium

0%

of 91 starts by 8 boats

Wins

0%

Wins0%0
Seconds0%0
Thirds0%0
Off the podium100%91

Read from 91 starts by 8 boats between 2019 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.

Recent regattas

The latest events where a First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.

  • LithuaniaKlaipėda ORC European Championship2026
  • Italy151 Miglia - Trofeo Cetilar2026
  • ItalyPasquavela - Inshore2026
  • ItalyCampionato Invernale dell'Argentario - Coastal Race2026
  • ItalyCampionato Invernale Marina di Loano2026

Raced one we are missing?

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Round 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

0%

of these races end on the podium

28 races of 10 NM or less

Offshore & coastal

0%

of these races end on the podium

39 races over 10 NM

Level across both. Plenty of designs fall away once the course gets long — a light hull that thrives round the cans can struggle through a night at sea. This one does not.

Who she races against

The designs a First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.

This design aheadRival ahead
First 36.734%ahead in 21 of 61 meetings, 46 races
First 34.712%ahead in 7 of 59 meetings, 42 racesalmost always behind
First 31.752%ahead in 22 of 42 meetings, 34 racestoo close to call
X-354%ahead in 3 of 71 meetings, 33 racesalmost always behind
First 35 (Farr)13%ahead in 8 of 61 meetings, 30 racesalmost always behind
Grand Soleil 37 (Carkeek)0%ahead in 0 of 22 meetings, 22 racesalmost always behind
Mat 110%ahead in 0 of 26 meetings, 18 racesalmost always behind
Neo 3500%ahead in 0 of 17 meetings, 17 racesalmost always behind
Sun Fast 3725%ahead in 4 of 16 meetings, 16 races
M 376%ahead in 1 of 16 meetings, 16 racesalmost always behind
Comet 5112%ahead in 2 of 16 meetings, 16 racesalmost always behind
Elan E438%ahead in 6 of 16 meetings, 16 races
X-36225%ahead in 4 of 16 meetings, 15 races
Dufour 40514%ahead in 2 of 14 meetings, 14 races
Swan 3723%ahead in 3 of 13 meetings, 13 races
Dufour 3508%ahead in 1 of 13 meetings, 13 races
Elan 3400%ahead in 0 of 13 meetings, 13 races
Comet 410%ahead in 0 of 13 meetings, 12 races
Oceanis 3310%ahead in 0 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Hanse 3700%ahead in 0 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Sun Odyssey 34917%ahead in 2 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Oceanis 3117%ahead in 2 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Finngulf 280%ahead in 0 of 12 meetings, 12 races
X-998%ahead in 1 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Express0%ahead in 0 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Cumulus17%ahead in 2 of 12 meetings, 12 races
Dehler 39 (Judel/Vrolijk)82%ahead in 9 of 11 meetings, 11 races
Bolt 370%ahead in 0 of 11 meetings, 11 races
Grand Soleil 40 (Paperini)27%ahead in 4 of 15 meetings, 11 races
Elan 31036%ahead in 5 of 14 meetings, 11 races
First 45 (Briand)0%ahead in 0 of 11 meetings, 11 races
Grand Soleil 39 (Maletto)9%ahead in 1 of 11 meetings, 11 races
J/9220%ahead in 2 of 10 meetings, 10 races
Fareast 2820%ahead in 2 of 10 meetings, 10 races
Grand Soleil 40 (Polli)0%ahead in 0 of 10 meetings, 10 races
Sun Odyssey 45.210%ahead in 1 of 10 meetings, 10 races
Grand Soleil 34 (Skyron)0%ahead in 0 of 10 meetings, 10 races
T 340%ahead in 0 of 10 meetings, 10 races
Mat 1010%ahead in 0 of 9 meetings, 9 races
JOD 3544%ahead in 4 of 9 meetings, 9 races

Some of the boats it races against

How the First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) has fared against each of them, boat against boat on corrected time. Ordered by how often the two meet, not by who wins.

First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) vs X-35ahead 4% of 71 head-to-heads
First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) vs First 36.7ahead 34% of 61 head-to-heads
First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) vs First 35 (Farr)ahead 13% of 61 head-to-heads
First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) vs First 34.7ahead 12% of 59 head-to-heads
First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) vs First 31.7ahead 52% of 42 head-to-heads

Speed at every angle

The shape of this design's speed, drawn from the measured fleet. Pick a wind and watch it stretch.

36930°60°90°120°150°WIND9.8

Upwind VMG

5.00

39°

Beam reach

8.29

90°

Broad reach

9.83

135°

Downwind VMG

7.64

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 earns its keep off the wind. A course with long free legs suits it better than a windward-leeward.

Where it gains

Its best ground is cracked off in a strong breeze, where it goes better than its measurements say it should, and by a margin worth having.

Where it pays

It falls short on the beat when it blows, giving away time it never gets back. That is a displacement hull working to its designed speed.

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.

True wind
Upwind+0.05 kn
Beam reach+0.15 kn
Broad reach+0.22 kn
Downwind+0.16 kn

Full width is 0.8 kn either way.

At 10 knots this design makes back more than its rating asks on the broad reach.

How fast is a First 30 (Kouyoumdjian)

Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.

Angle6 kn10 kn14 kn20 kn
Beat VMG3.364.544.915.00
52°5.136.606.987.11
60°5.416.817.197.35
75°5.656.987.507.80
90°5.687.157.668.29
110°5.787.388.178.89
120°5.647.308.279.47
135°5.066.987.959.83
150°4.276.327.398.73
Run VMG3.705.476.557.64

How they are set up

The range each sail spans across the fleet.

Mainsail28 m² – 39 m²
Headsail23 m² – 32 m²
Gennaker74 m² – 97 m²
Spinnaker83 m² – 89 m²

Nearly all carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 480 kg.

Rigging

First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) rig and sail dimensions

A First 30 (Kouyoumdjian) carries 12.30 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.40 m boom, a forestay 12.70 m above the deck and a 4.58 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 13 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.

Rig

Mainsail hoistP12.30 m11.77 – 12.80
Boom lengthE4.40 m3.99 – 4.84
Forestay heightIG12.70 m12.51 – 14.00
Fore triangle baseJ4.22 m3.84 – 4.30
Spinnaker hoistISP13.41 m11.76 – 14.80
BowspritTPS4.58 m4.36 – 5.09
Boom above deckBAS1.65 m1.64 – 1.68

Sails

Mainsail34.5 m²28.2 – 39.2
Headsail28.2 m²23.4 – 31.7
Gennaker89.8 m²73.6 – 97.0
Spinnaker83.9 m²82.7 – 89.2

The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 74 to 97 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.

Other designs under the same name

The name has been carried by more than one design. They are different boats.