Beneteau First 14 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The First 14 is built around a light, modern, wide and flat planing hull with a wave-piercing bow and a surfboardlike shape carrying angular lines. Beneteau describes a wide and stable hull, and the construction uses high-quality vacuum infusion sandwich technology with solid fiberglass. Two centreboard slots are fitted; the daggerboard drops into the aft slot when singlehanding and the forward slot when doublehanding, which lets the sailor adjust the sail plan's balance to wind and crew without giving up the experience. The flat bench design means the boat can be turned upside-down and transported that way, and at 140 pounds it is light enough to ride on a car roof. Writing in Sailing World, the judges found the hull lively with either one or two aboard, and the beam and volume give the boat a lot of stability.

Rig and Handling

The rig is a fractional sloop with an aluminium mast that divides for storage and an aluminium rig overall, though the tested boat showed a two-part stayed carbon rig with a forked gooseneck that lets the boom rotate around it. The boat carries a three-sail inventory: a big square-top mainsail, a furling and self-tacking jib on a single centerline sheet riding a curved foredeck track, and a high-aspect spinnaker launched and retrieved on a single-line system that pulls the sail into a floor-mounted sock. A higher boom and absence of trapeze keep the cockpit clear, and the helm is head-whippingly responsive with narrow foils and the square-top main. One person can sail with the mainsail only; the boat is ideally set up for two, when the full sail plan makes for an exhilarating ride. On the water the bow rises quickly when planing and the transom sheds a sharp, clean flow.

Accommodations and Cockpit

This is an open dinghy, not a cabin boat, but the cockpit is where the design earns its entry-level promise. The spacious open cockpit is free of tangled ropes, with simplified control lines and an ergonomic layout that Sailing World's testers described as clutter-free and comfortable. There is flotation to support 500 pounds of combined crew weight, and the boat gives sufficient hiking momentum for the crew without requiring a trapeze. Removable wheels let the sailor explore distant shores and return overland rather than beating back to the launch.

Ownership and Refits

Beneteau positions the First 14 as hassle-free ownership thanks to easy-to-maintain deck equipment, dacron sails and a simple rig. The gennaker snuffer system and roller-furling jib make on-the-go sail changes straightforward, and the dividable mast with gear that stows inside the hull keeps trailering and storage uncomplicated. The CE certification is D2, consistent with its inshore dinghy role.

The Verdict

The First 14 succeeds as a genuine gateway to modern planing dinghy sailing. It strips away the ropes and trapeze work that intimidate newcomers yet keeps the responsive, fast feel of a contemporary design. Manuard's hull and the Seascape-built package make it as easy to own as it is to sail.

Pros