Beneteau First 27 Review, Versions and Used Prices

From Seascape 27 to Beneteau First 27

The Beneteau First 27 did not start at Beneteau. It started in Slovenia, where a small company called Seascape commissioned French designer Sam Manuard to draw a 27-foot boat that could plane like a sportsboat but still let two people sleep, cook and sail offshore. The Seascape 27 built a loyal following in the Adriatic and Central Europe, and Beneteau bought the company in 2018 and folded the boat into its First range.

That produced two Beneteau versions. The First 27 SE, for Seascape Edition, is essentially the original boat with its swing keel and outboard. The plain First 27, launched at the end of 2020, softened the concept for a wider market with a fixed keel, an inboard diesel, a shorter aluminum mast and a small galley. Both share Manuard's hull, and both are what people mean when they search for a Beneteau First 27 sailboat.

One warning for shoppers: the older Beneteau First 27.7 from the early 2000s is a completely different boat, so check the name and year carefully when browsing listings.

SE or standard, which First 27 suits you

Yachting World measured the differences closely. Compared with the SE, the First 27 carries about 20 percent less sail upwind and 13 percent less downwind, displaces roughly 300 kilograms more, uses a fixed fin with a torpedo bulb that draws about 30 centimeters less, and swaps the outboard for a 15 hp Yanmar inboard. Removing the keel box also opens up the interior.

Choose the SE if you want the fastest boat, plan to trailer often and do not mind an outboard. With the keel raised it floats in far shallower water, so it launches from a ramp more easily. Choose the First 27 if you want an easier boat to live with, an engine that does not hang off the transom and an interior that feels like a small cruiser.

• Seascape 27 and First 27 SE: swing keel about 2.0 m down, outboard, larger rig
• First 27: fixed T-bulb keel about 1.7 m, Yanmar 15 hp inboard, pinhead main
• Both: 7.99 m length, 2.54 m beam, trailerable width

What the test numbers say about speed

This is a quick boat by any standard. Cruising World's Boat of the Year judges saw nearly 8 knots close-hauled in 10 to 14 knots of breeze and 10 knots on a close reach with the asymmetric up. With a sail area to displacement ratio of about 26, it has the power to plane in a modest breeze.

It is also good in light air. In Yachting World's test in only 3.5 to 6.5 knots of wind, the First 27 made 2.8 knots in 4 knots of true wind, 4 knots in 5 knots of breeze, 4.5 knots upwind in 6 knots, and 5.5 knots at 120 degrees to the true wind in 6.5 knots. A barchemagazine test of the SE recorded 5 to 6 knots close-hauled in 8 to 10 knots of breeze and close to 10 knots under gennaker on a beam reach in 12 to 14 knots.

Those numbers put it well ahead of most 27-foot cruisers and in the same territory as purpose-built sportsboats, while carrying a head, berths and an engine.

Built for short-handed distance racing

The Cruising World judges described the boat's mission as short-handed distance racing and called it a tool for becoming a better sailor. That is exactly its niche. Lines lead aft, the cockpit is long enough for two to work in, and Harken winches and Seldén spars come standard on the boats tested in the US.

In Europe the Seascape and First 27 SE have strong double-handed and solo racing fleets, and their yardstick handicaps reflect sportsboat pace. In the US, owners race PHRF and ORC Club or enter coastal distance races where the boat's offshore CE category B rating and built-in buoyancy matter.

Sleeping four in 26 feet

Below, the First 27 has a double berth forward, settee berths in the saloon and enough room for up to six in a pinch. There is an enclosed marine toilet with a holding tank, a folding table and, on the standard First 27, a small galley with a gas burner and a sink. The SE keeps things more minimal, with storage bags instead of heavy cabinetry to keep weight down.

This is camping-style cruising rather than a floating apartment. Headroom is limited and the interior is open. For a weekend or a week of coastal cruising, two people will be comfortable. Families with children will appreciate the extra berths for an overnight, but the boat makes the most sense for couples or a pair of racers.

Towing a 26-foot boat that sails like a 35

At 8 feet 4 inches wide, the First 27 fits within the standard 8 foot 6 inch US trailer width limit without a wide-load permit. That is a major part of its appeal. You can store it in a driveway, tow it to regattas and change cruising grounds from one season to the next.

Weight is the catch. At around 3,900 pounds for the fixed-keel First 27, plus trailer and gear, you need a full-size pickup or SUV. Fixed-keel boats need a hoist or crane to launch, while swing-keel SE and Seascape boats can use a ramp. The mast is about 40 feet above the waterline on the First 27, so plan a gin pole or a crane for stepping.

Ownership costs and the used First 27 market

Running costs are modest. Expect roughly $3,500 to $9,000 per year for insurance, a seasonal slip or dry storage, bottom paint and routine maintenance. Racing owners spend more on sails: a laminate upwind set and a new gennaker can easily exceed $10,000.

The US used market is small. Seascape 27s start in the $50,000s, First 27 SE boats trade in the $70,000 to $100,000 range, and late First 27s ask up to about $130,000 with trailer and full sails. Supply is thin, so many buyers look in Europe and import. Because Beneteau has moved the boat out of its current range, expect values to hold reasonably well for clean examples.