First 36

BRIDGING THE GAP

The BENETEAU First 36 was designed to bridge the gap between high-tech development in the world of racing and mainstream racer-cruisers. Even the standard version of First 36 will fully plane in a moderate breeze. However, this by itself was not the main challenge for the design and production teams. For 40 years, the Firsts were successfully hitting the elusive sweet spot between comfort, performance, utility, elegance, high-tech construction, and reasonable price. The First 36 is no different.

NAVAL ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MANUARD

DESIGN : LORENZO ARGENTO

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING: PURE DESIGN & ENGINEERING

INNOVATION AND RESEARCH: SITO

DESIGNED FOR SAILORS

The design team was coordinated by the experienced hand of Kristian Hajnšek, CTO of Seascape, who works closely with the team at BENETEAU to bring race-grade construction technologies into the segment of production racer-cruisers. On top of this exceptionally experienced team, we added an elite international group of designers; all of them are passionate sailors in their own right.

THE MODERN SAILING EXPERIENCE

Due to the easily achievable performance potential of the new BENETEAU First 36, we expect her to be a serious weapon for club handicap racing. As such, her design team strove to strike the balance between an easily planing hull and upwind performance.

RACING SPIRIT

The First 36 is optimized for short-handed sailing, making her perfect for ever-popular short-handed adventure distance races. Her high sail area, great displacement ratio, and balanced nautical design make her a top performer as a club racer, a safe and fun family cruiser, or a simply thrilling daysailer.

SAILING FUNCTIONALITY

The positioning of the six winches, steering wheels, and other deck gear was thoroughly tested on several mock-ups and a full-scale testbed sailboat to ensure the remarkable sailing experience promised. Details like an offshore hatch on the foredeck or removable cockpit benches show the priority paid to sail functionality over the style used throughout the design process.

RACING LAYOUT

In the racing layout, the wide and modern cockpit allows for different helm and trim positions, either for short-handed or fully-crewed sailing. In this setup, the table and bench extensions are removed, opening the working area in the cockpit.

A higher-than-average steering wheel position leaves enough room for the helmsman to move forward toward the mainsail winch when sailing shorthanded. In full crew mode, the cockpit winches' positioning allows one or two crew members to sail with legs in and work the mainsail or primary winches. It also allows cross-sheeting of all sheets to the windward side. Harken, Ronstan, Spinlock, and Antal deck gear were combined for optimal performance.

CRUISING LAYOUT

When you remove your racing gear and take your family cruising or daysailing, cockpit benches with cushions increase the seating area, adding storage space and line organization. The cockpit table is big enough to accommodate a crew of six. Additionally, the design team developed an ultralight swim platform to give sailors easy access to the water without affecting the boat's performance.

LARGEST LIVING SPACE IN ITS CLASS

Going against the trend, the 36 features a full-sized navigation table. While vital to navigation, it is also a suitable home office. Two portlights in every cabin allow airflow and natural light, while sectional indirect lighting, with a red racing option, illuminates the boat at night. Three cabins with easily accessible full-sized double berths and innovative heads round up the features of this bright and spacious interior.

The wide hull of the BENETEAU First 36 offers a spacious interior comparable to her much larger predecessors. The new First 36 has about the same living volume as the legendary First 40.7.

Simple, comfortable, and versatile, the First 36 interior was developed around three-cabin cruising functionality. Its most notable feature is the large central fridge with a removable cutting board, making this sailboat's galley the largest of her class. A corridor created by the foldable and removable table helps sailors move around the saloon safely.

OCEANIS SERIES: OCEANIS 30.1 - OCEANIS 34.1 - OCEANIS 37.1 - OCEANIS 38.1 - OCEANIS 40.1 - OCEANIS 46.1 - OCEANIS 51.

OCEANIS YACHT SERIES: OCEANIS YACHT 54 - OCEANIS YACHT 60

FIRST SERIES: FIRST 14 -  FIRST 14SE -  FIRST 18SE -  FIRST 24 -  FIRST 24SE -  FIRST 27 -  FIRST 27SE -  FIRST 36 -  FIRST 44 - FIRST 44 PERFORMANCE -  FIRST 53