Beneteau First 25 Review and Identification Guide

Three Beneteaus called First 25, and which one this is

Type beneteau first 25 into a listing site and you can get three unrelated boats. This page covers the original: Jean-Marie Finot's First 25 of 1979, a masthead family cruiser that sailboatdata credits with 1,115 hulls by 1984. Beneteau files it under its 1977 to 1983 First generation and describes it as a fast family cruiser.

The second is the Finot-Conq boat that Beneteau listed simply as the First 25 in its 2006 to 2016 range. It is the same 7.90 m hull as the First 260 Spirit, First 25.7 and First 25S, with twin rudders and a lifting keel, and we cover that lineage on our First 25.7 page. The third is the Beneteau 25, also known as the Platu 25, a Farr design that sailboatdata warns not to confuse with either. If the boat in front of you has twin rudders and a plumb bow, it is not the 1979 First 25.

• First 25 (1979 to 1984): Finot, masthead rig, single transom-hung rudder, fixed or swing keel
• First 25 (late 2010s name for the 25S): Finot-Conq, twin rudders, square-top main, 2,150 kg
• Beneteau 25 or Platu 25: Farr design, a separate racing boat

Safety first, then speed, in Finot's own order

Beneteau's heritage page quotes the design priorities plainly: the first concern when taking a family cruising is safety, in construction and in handling, and the second is a boat that is fast and pleasant to steer. Finot answered with a beamy hull of 2.80 m (9 ft 2 in) on a 7.50 m (24 ft 7 in) length, a masthead rig that keeps the mainsail small and the loads manageable, and a transom-hung rudder that is easy to inspect and repair.

The numbers support the brief. Sailboatdata lists the fixed-keel boat at 1,800 kg (3,968 lb) with 700 kg (1,543 lb) of ballast, a ballast ratio near 39 percent, a sail area to displacement ratio of about 18 and a displacement to length ratio of about 171. That combination produces a stiff, reasonably quick boat rather than a skittish one, which is exactly what a family with children aboard wants.

Fixed keel or swing keel

Sailboatdata lists two versions. The fixed fin draws 1.30 m (4 ft 3 in). The swing keel version draws 0.80 m (2 ft 7 in) up and 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) down, and is recorded at a heavier 2,200 kg (4,850 lb) with an iron keel. In practice the swing keel boat suits drying harbors and shallow cruising grounds, while the fixed keel is simpler, lighter and generally the better buy unless you truly need the shoal draft.

On any swing keel boat of this age, the pivot, the lifting tackle or winch and the keel case are the parts that decide the price. A seized pivot or a cracked case can cost more to fix than the boat is worth.

Two cabins and a table for eight

The brochure leads with the accommodation. Two separate cabins provide berths for five people, one of them a double, which is generous for a 25-footer of the late 1970s. A big sliding companionway hatch opens onto a saloon where Beneteau claimed eight people could sit around the table. The galley sits to port of the companionway and was pitched as equipped for long cruises, while a well-sized chart table with a bookshelf is on the starboard side.

The finish relied on teak, which Beneteau promoted as satisfying the most demanding owners. Four decades on, that teak is a mixed blessing: it gives the boat a warm traditional feel, but water stains, lifting veneer and tired varnish are common, and a full interior refinish is a big job.

A deck laid out for short-handed sailing

Beneteau made a point that every line on the First 25 led back to the cockpit, so a couple or even a single-hander could sail it. Three winches were standard, the cockpit benches had teak slats, and the backrest angle was chosen for comfortable long watches. Standard gear included an aluminum rubrail, a stemhead fitting with an anchor roller, fairleads and halyard stoppers.

A masthead rig is forgiving for a family: most of the drive comes from the headsail, which can be furled, and the small main is easy to reef. The trade-off is less sail shape control than a fractional rig, so the 25 is happiest cruising and in casual club racing rather than at the sharp end of a fleet.

Owning a 1979 to 1984 First 25 today

Everything on a boat this age has probably been replaced at least once or needs replacing now. Engine details vary by boat and are not well documented, so evaluate whatever is installed on its own merits and price a repower into your offer if it is original. Standing rigging older than about 10 to 15 years, original chainplates and the rudder bearings are the usual big-ticket items.

Prices in the US typically run from about $5,000 for a project to around $15,000 for a well-sorted boat with good sails, and annual costs of $2,500 to $6,000 cover a mooring or slip, insurance, a haulout and routine maintenance. For a family that wants a cheap, seaworthy pocket cruiser with two cabins, that is good value, provided the survey is clean.

If you were really looking for the newer First 25

If your search was for a 2010s boat, the one you want is the Finot-Conq hull. Beneteau's 2018 equipment list for that First 25 shows a 7.90 m overall length, a 2.75 m beam, 2,150 kg displacement, a lifting keel of 0.85 m to 1.85 m or a fixed keel of 1.45 m, a 14 hp Yanmar inboard, and a square-top main of 24.5 m2. Beneteau notes it gained a code zero in 2016. It is a completely different, much more modern boat, and our First 25.7 and 25S page covers it in detail.