First 40
Beneteau · Bruce Farr · 2008
Updated
The First 40 is a 12.24 m displacement racing yacht designed by Bruce Farr and built by Beneteau, first launched in 2008. It races in Class B. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 68% of the designs it races against.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 68% of the boats it races against.
30th of 92 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 923 starts across 110 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
12.24 m
40′ 2″
Beam
3.90 m
Draft
2.48 m
Displacement
7.9 t
Sail area
94 m²
On the podium
Where a First 40 finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
27%
of 923 starts by 37 boats
Wins
8%
Read from 923 starts by 37 boats between 2014 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a First 40 was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
66. Yil Donanma Kupasi2026- 25. Bosphorus Cup2026
- EAYK-TAYK Dogu Ege Yat Sampiyonasi2026
Edison Next Italian Offshore Sailing Championship - Campionato Italiano Assoluto d’Altura2026
Sandhamn Open 2026 - Swedish Championship in Offshore Racing (ORCi)2026
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
23%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
30%
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 40 actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the First 40 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
5.78
37°
Beam reach
9.04
90°
Broad reach
10.21
135°
Downwind VMG
8.56
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 to windward once it pipes up, where it outruns what it looks like on paper, and by a margin worth having. It holds that advantage on the run as well, so the gain is not down to one leg of the course.
Where it pays
There is no condition where it falls away badly, which is worth something over a season of mixed weather.
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 beam reach.
How fast is a First 40
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.71 | 5.11 | 5.59 | 5.78 |
| 52° | 5.67 | 7.36 | 7.83 | 8.02 |
| 60° | 5.96 | 7.55 | 8.03 | 8.27 |
| 75° | 6.17 | 7.70 | 8.26 | 8.66 |
| 90° | 6.17 | 7.83 | 8.38 | 9.04 |
| 110° | 6.18 | 8.00 | 8.79 | 9.54 |
| 120° | 6.02 | 7.94 | 8.86 | 9.99 |
| 135° | 5.38 | 7.55 | 8.57 | 10.21 |
| 150° | 4.53 | 6.80 | 8.07 | 9.43 |
| Run VMG | 3.92 | 5.89 | 7.25 | 8.56 |
How they are set up
The range each sail spans across the fleet.
Nearly all carry a folding propeller. A bowsprit is standard across the fleet. Crew weight is declared around 790 kg.
Rigging
First 40 rig and sail dimensions
A First 40 carries 16.03 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.51 m boom, a forestay 16.48 m above the deck and a 5.20 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 66 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 107 to 188 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.