The Beneteau First 375 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Beneteau First 375 is a popular sailing yacht, designed and manufactured by the French company Beneteau. Known for its speed and agility, it was first introduced in the 1980s and is often used for both cruising and racing.

The yacht features a well-designed interior with ample living space, making it a comfortable choice for longer voyages and is well-regarded for its balance of performance and comfort.

A Beneteau First 375

Published Specification for the Beneteau First 375

Underwater Profile: Fin keel & spade rudder

Hull Material: GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall: 37'1" (11.3m)

Waterline Length: 33'2" (10.1m)

Beam: 12'4" (3.8m)

Draft: 6'6" (2.0m)*

Rig Type: Masthead sloop.

Displacement: 15,432lb (7,000kg)

Ballast: 5,291lb (2,400kg)

Designer: Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design

Builder: Beneteau (France)

Year First Built: 1985

Year Last Built: 1989

The Beneteau First 375 was produced in two versions:

Deep Draft Version*: This version featured a deeper fin keel, allowing for a lower center of gravity and enhanced performance, especially upwind;

Shoal Draft Version: The shoal draft version had a shorter keel, granting access to shallower areas.

Design Ratios: The Key Performance Indicators

The Design Ratios will give a reasonable prediction of how the boat is likely to perform in a seaway, but of course nothing beats a trial sail in various wind and sea conditions.

With a Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.8, the Beneteau First 375 falls into the lower end of the reasonably good performance category. This suggests that the sailboat should have decent power, enabling it to achieve good performance in various wind conditions. It won't be extremely high-performance like racing yachts, but it won’t be underpowered either.

A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 34.3 indicates moderate stiffness, which translates into the sailboat being fairly capable of standing up to the wind. It's important to note, however, that this ratio does not account for the distribution of ballast. A sailboat with its ballast concentrated lower in a bulb keel would be stiffer compared to one with a shallower draft keel. Consequently, the exact stiffness and performance can vary based on these factors not reflected in the ratio.

With a Displacement/Length Ratio of 189, the Beneteau First 375 is categorized as a light displacement yacht. This implies that the sailboat should require relatively little sail area to reach its design hull speed, making it efficient in varied wind conditions. Light displacement boats typically offer better acceleration and agility.

The Comfort Ratio of 24.5 suggests that the boat has motion characteristics typical of a coastal cruiser. It indicates moderate stability and a balance between agility and comfort. While it won't offer the same level of comfort as a heavier bluewater vessel, it should provide acceptable comfort for coastal cruising activities.

With a Capsize Screening Value of 2.0, the Beneteau First 375 is on the threshold of being suitable for ocean passages. Although it does meet the basic criterion for bluewater capability (a value of 2.0 or less), it's right on the edge, so prudent sailors might prefer it for coastal cruising rather than extensive ocean crossings.

Theoretical Nature and Limitations of the Design Ratios:

Ballast/Displacement Ratio - This ratio may be somewhat misleading as it lacks context regarding the actual distribution of the ballast. The same ratio can imply different levels of stability depending on whether the ballast is placed higher or lower in the keel. Thus, relying solely on this figure without considering design specifics can result in an inaccurate evaluation of the boat's stiffness and performance under sail.

Comfort Ratio - Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio tends to favor heavy displacement, narrow-beamed vessels with long overhangs. Modern light-displacement, beamy cruisers typically do not fare well in this metric, though they may still provide acceptable levels of comfort and possess bluewater capability. The design philosophy has evolved, and today’s boats often achieve comfort through other design elements not captured by this single ratio, like hull form and the use of modern stabilizing technologies.

In conclusion, while these ratios offer a helpful theoretical perspective, they come with inherent limitations and should be considered alongside other design details and real-world performance evaluations when assessing a sailboat's capabilities.

What Does the Yachting Press have to say about the Beneteau First 375?

"Launched in 1985 at a time of huge expansion for Bénéteau, the First 375 was popular with cruising and racing skippers and enjoyed success in both fields, selling nearly 300 units.

She was derived by Jean Berret from a highly successful Admiral’s Cup design of 1985, Phoenix. In production form she proved easy to handle and well mannered for families, though the big genoa could be a handful.

When required she could be powered up for success round the cans. Like others of her genre, many will have had a hard life. Those in need of a refit should be priced accordingly. T

here were two interior layouts: one with double cabins fore-and-aft and one with an extra, twin-bunk cabin aft. This squashed up the heads and navigation area.

She had a good galley and comfortable saloon. Stowage was unusually good."

Yachting Monthly, July 2009

I wrote this article using GPT-4, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model, as a research assistant to develop source material. I wrote the final draft in its entirety and believe it to be accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Dick McClary, creator and owner of sailboat-cruising.com