First 38
Beneteau · Jean Berret · 1989
Updated
The First 38 is a 11.38 m heavy displacement racing yacht designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau, first launched in 1989. It races in Class C. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 46% of the designs it races against. It is at its best in light air and struggles to hold that once it blows.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 46% of the boats it races against.
87th of 159 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 149 starts across 51 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
11.38 m
37′ 4″
Beam
3.73 m
Draft
1.89 m
Displacement
6.8 t
Sail area
77 m²
On the podium
Where a First 38 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
12%
of 149 starts by 9 boats
Wins
3%
Read from 149 starts by 9 boats between 2018 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a First 38 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
43ος Ιστιοπλοικος Αγωνας Κορφος ΄262026- Aegean Regatta2026
- 6η Regatta Σαρωνικού2026
XXX Lliga Social CMPO2026- "Φιλιας Σ.ε.ν.α.δ.π. - Ν.ο.δ2026
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
16%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
11%
of these races end on the podium
Sharper round the buoys. Short courses reward acceleration and manoeuvring, and that is where this design makes its money.
Who she races against
The designs a First 38 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the First 38 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
5.05
40°
Beam reach
8.03
90°
Broad reach
8.71
135°
Downwind VMG
7.57
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.
There is no obvious weak spot here. It rewards preparation and crew work more than it rewards picking the right day.
Where it gains
Its best ground is running deep once the breeze fills, where it does more than its size and sail area promise. It holds that advantage on a reach as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
It falls short on a broad reach once it pipes up, giving away time it never gets back. That is weight that has to be driven rather than released.
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 broad reach.
How fast is a First 38
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.31 | 4.45 | 4.88 | 5.05 |
| 52° | 5.08 | 6.56 | 7.03 | 7.20 |
| 60° | 5.37 | 6.79 | 7.23 | 7.42 |
| 75° | 5.60 | 6.99 | 7.44 | 7.76 |
| 90° | 5.53 | 7.04 | 7.60 | 8.03 |
| 110° | 5.59 | 7.23 | 7.84 | 8.44 |
| 120° | 5.42 | 7.16 | 7.88 | 8.73 |
| 135° | 4.85 | 6.84 | 7.68 | 8.71 |
| 150° | 4.10 | 6.15 | 7.26 | 8.16 |
| Run VMG | 3.55 | 5.34 | 6.49 | 7.57 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Roughly half carry a folding propeller. Crew weight is declared around 600 kg.
Rigging
First 38 rig and sail dimensions
A First 38 carries 13.52 m of mainsail hoist on a 4.40 m boom, a forestay 14.57 m above the deck and a 4.80 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 11 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 73 to 102 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.