At just under 24 feet overall and a touch over eight feet in beam, the First 24 SE combines a vacuum-infused vinyl-ester hull with a composite swinging keel and lead bulb. The complete package is light enough to tow behind a family car, yet serious enough to reward a racing crew.
Design and Construction
Beneteau built the First 24 SE around a very light, modern vacuum-infused vinyl-ester hull with a floor assembly laminated to the shell in a single vacuum operation. Strong wings and closely spaced stringers are bonded in the same pull.
The interior is more than furniture: every internal component contributes to the boat’s stiffness. This allows the cabin to remain minimalist and aggressively weight-conscious without sacrificing a stable hull.
The composite swinging keel has a lead bulb and pivots on a spindle set into the keel box. When raised, it disappears entirely into the hull, giving a minimum draft of 10 inches for beach crawling or anchoring in shallow water. The arrangement also protects the structure in a grounding. The twin rudders are removable.
Three buoyancy bodies in the bow and amidships render the boat unsinkable and capsize-proof, given 36 percent ballast in the GRP-and-lead keel.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The First 24 SE carries a carbon-fiber rig without a backstay. Its far-aft sail plan centers on a powerful squarehead mainsail, while the light carbon mast can be raised by one person using the smart mast-raising system and a provisional mast crane, freeing the owner from fixed launch facilities.
The boom, bowsprit, and tiller are also carbon, helping keep weight above deck low. North sails made from thin foil spread the extensive sail area, which includes a 67-square-metre fractional spinnaker.
A light but precise steering system and the deep, ballasted keel provide complete control. YACHT measured a sail-load factor of 6.7—an exceptional sail-area-to-displacement ratio—which drives fast sailing in both strong and light winds. YACHT’s test sailors recorded the then-Seascape 24 reaching up to 16.6 knots and averaging 12 to 14 knots over distance.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The spacious, open cockpit is arranged to work for solo sailors, double-handed crews, or a full racing crew. Large-volume technical storage beneath the cockpit is accessible from outside.
Below, the First 24 SE has a simple but smart interior with basic cruising amenities for four, although YACHT notes that the boat is better suited to weekend cruises and holidays for two. The large, open-plan saloon sleeps as many as four adults: two in the V-berth and two on extendable side berths.
Removable crew bags hold personal gear beneath the benches, while provisions stow below the settees. An indoor-outdoor table can serve either the saloon or the cockpit. There’s also a dedicated space for a chemical toilet, and the cool box, porta-potti, and cooker fit beneath the companionway.
The interior is highly modular, allowing racing crews to strip out weight quickly.
Equipment, Transport, and Propulsion
SEANAPPS connectivity is standard, and the boat’s CE certification is C8. Its light structure and swinging keel make road transport straightforward, and the rudders can be removed completely for the journey.
According to the builder’s specification block, propulsion comes from an outboard.
Verdict
The First 24 SE is an unusual combination: a trailerable 24-footer that races like a sportboat yet provides genuine overnight accommodation for a couple. Manuard’s hull and Seascape’s interior thinking produced a boat in which the structure and furnishings work together, keeping it light and unsinkable without making it feel like a beach toy.
The carbon rig and squarehead mainsail require some learning, but they repay it with exhilarating speed.
Pros
- Vacuum-infused hull, structural interior, and unsinkable chambers
- Swing keel retracts entirely into the hull for a 10-inch minimum draft and easy trailing
- Carbon rig without a backstay, plus a smart mast-raising system for one person
- Genuine four-berth cabin in an 890-kilogram displacement package
Cons
- Minimalist interior is better suited to two people than four on holiday
- Light carbon rig and thin-foil sails imply more upkeep than cruising Dacron
- Outboard power only
