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 sailing functionality over 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 towards 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.
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 air flow 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.