Design and Construction
The First 265's hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, and she rides on an external bolt-on lead keel drawing 4 feet 2 inches. The transom is a molded sugar-scoop with the swim platform lifted 9 inches above the water and a small lip of transom still projecting below. Access to that platform is roped off with a single lifeline and pelican hook, and the low lifelines sit at what testers described as tripping height—a detail that matters more at the dock than underway. Inside, the cabin is finished with varnished cherry bulkheads and trim over a full teak sole, with practical dark green velvet upholstery and eight opening ports plus a forward hatch for light and air; screens for the ports are standard, though none are fitted to the hatches.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig steps the mast on deck over a compression strut in the cabin, and the spar is mounted on a hinge so it can be lowered at bridges, trailer ramps, or for maintenance—though Beneteau cautioned that lowering should not be done without side-sway preventers. An adjustable split backstay lets the helm tune mast bend, while genoa sheets run to cars on C-shaped aluminum cabintop tracks that double as handrails. The mainsheet traveler cannot be moved forward because the companionway bridge deck runs well past the boom's midpoint. A standard tiller keeps the cockpit simple, and Lewmar winches—single-speed #16 self-tailers—handle the sheets. Under sail, the lighter hull accelerates quickly; in a test with 15 knots steady and 20-knot gusts under full sail she heeled no more than 25 degrees close-hauled, and testers judged her the faster boat in strong, shifting winds. Her PHRF rating is 168.
Accommodations
Below, the layout favors a couple with guests. A large aft double berth measures 60 by 77 inches and is oriented so you sleep parallel to the keel; forward, the V-berth runs 88 inches long, narrowing from 76 inches at the back to 19 inches at the tip, and the table drops to complete it without fuss. The head sits opposite the galley, which gains a small flat surface at the nav station for counter space. Storage is a strong point: three separate hanging lockers include an open-air unit in the head, and she carries more stowage lockers than the Catalina 270. Cockpit seating is shaped with canted backs and integrated grab rails, and the boat seats no more than seven at the dock. The transom ladder is three steps wide at 8-1/2 inches with treads only 1-1/4 inches across, formed by flattening the stainless tube.
Power and Systems
The standard engine is a single-cylinder 9-horsepower, 26-cubic-inch Volvo, raw-water cooled, housed in a plywood box lined with soft foam. Access to the engine and shaft log was very good in the test boat. Beneteau also offered an outboard version of the 265 when the design appeared in the 1990s. Tankage is modest: a 16.25-gallon water tank and an 11.5-gallon holding tank. The gimbaled two-burner non-pressure alcohol stove is adequate but reflects the boat's minimalist cruising brief.
The Verdict
The First 265 is a brisk, well-finished small cruiser-racer that punches above its length in accommodation and stowage, with a hull that accelerates and stays upright in a breeze. The iron ballast, modest tankage, and single-speed winches mark her as a day-sailer and weekender rather than a long-range cruiser, and the tripping-height lifelines and narrow transom ladder ask the owner to be deliberate on deck.
Pros
- Quick, light hull with good upwind angle and a 168 PHRF
- Generous berths and three hanging lockers with class-leading stowage
- Varnished cherry and teak interior with eight opening ports
- Very good engine and shaft-log access
Cons
- Low lifelines at tripping height and a narrow 1-1/4-inch transom-ladder tread
- 9-hp raw-water-cooled Volvo noted as less effective upwind than a comparably sized rival
- Small water and holding tank capacities for extended stays
