First 45 (Briand)
Beneteau · Philippe Briand · 2007
Updated
The First 45 (Briand) is a 13.66 m displacement racing yacht designed by Philippe Briand and built by Beneteau, first launched in 2007. It races in Class A. Across the measured fleet it goes better than its own numbers promise, ahead of 18% of the designs it races against. It comes alive as the breeze builds, and gives time away in the light.
Goes better than its own measurements promise, and does it better than 18% of the boats it races against.
38th of 46 in its class.
This design has been found in real race results — 186 starts across 43 events — not only in measurement files.
Length
13.66 m
44′ 10″
Beam
4.20 m
Draft
2.41 m
Displacement
11.1 t
Sail area
112 m²
On the podium
Where a First 45 (Briand) finishes when she goes racing.
On the podium
27%
of 186 starts by 18 boats
Wins
4%
Read from 186 starts by 18 boats between 2014 and 2026, counting races with six boats or more.
Recent regattas
The latest events where a First 45 (Briand) was on the start line, named as the organisers publish them.
Round Aeolian Race 2026 - Campionato Italiano Offshore ORC2026
25. Bosphorus Cup2026
"Πανελληνιο Κυπελο ORCI 2026"2026- Andros Race 2026 - Eurobank Private Bank Cup2026
- 32nd Cyclades Regatta - '262026
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
33%
of these races end on the podium
Offshore & coastal
22%
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 45 (Briand) actually lines up with, most often first. The bar shows how those meetings ended.
Some of the boats it races against
How the First 45 (Briand) 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
5.92
38°
Beam reach
9.33
90°
Broad reach
10.28
135°
Downwind VMG
8.73
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 upwind in a strong breeze, where it does more than its size and sail area promise, and by a margin worth having.
Where it pays
It falls short cracked off 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.
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 45 (Briand)
Boat speed in knots, by true wind angle and wind strength.
| Angle | 6 kn | 10 kn | 14 kn | 20 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beat VMG | 3.73 | 5.18 | 5.71 | 5.92 |
| 52° | 5.72 | 7.54 | 8.11 | 8.31 |
| 60° | 6.04 | 7.78 | 8.34 | 8.57 |
| 75° | 6.26 | 7.94 | 8.57 | 8.98 |
| 90° | 6.19 | 8.09 | 8.67 | 9.33 |
| 110° | 6.24 | 8.29 | 9.11 | 9.92 |
| 120° | 6.08 | 8.18 | 9.12 | 10.35 |
| 135° | 5.44 | 7.72 | 8.81 | 10.28 |
| 150° | 4.56 | 6.83 | 8.26 | 9.55 |
| Run VMG | 3.95 | 5.92 | 7.35 | 8.73 |
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 860 kg.
Rigging
First 45 (Briand) rig and sail dimensions
A First 45 (Briand) carries 17.85 m of mainsail hoist on a 5.52 m boom, a forestay 18.32 m above the deck and a 6.10 m bowsprit. Typical figures across the 34 boats measured under the current VPP, with the range each one spans.
Rig
Sails
The spinnaker spreads widest of all — 122 to 198 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.