Design and Construction
The First 28 is a light-displacement monohull. Her displacement-to-length ratio of 186 identifies her as a lightweight racer-cruiser rather than a heavy voyager. She carries 2,205 pounds of iron ballast in a cast-iron fin keel, giving her a ballast-displacement ratio of 37 percent, and steers with a spade rudder.
The standard keel draws 5.64 feet. Beneteau also offered a 4.27-foot shallow-draft version and a swing-keel variant, although the shoaler boat gives up some performance and stability. Both the hull and deck are solid fiberglass.
With 338 square feet of sail and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.5, the First 28 is designed to accelerate in modest air rather than carry a heavy load through a seaway.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries 338 square feet of sail: a 139-square-foot mainsail and a genoa of roughly 200 square feet. Control lines lead aft to the cockpit, and a self-tacking jib was available as an option. This arrangement makes the boat manageable for a single sailor or small crew.
The First 28 is fast and entertaining in light to moderate winds and can sail on all points. In stronger conditions, she needs an early reef to control heel and weather helm. Hull speed is about 8 knots, and she can exceed that downwind under spinnaker. Load her with too much heavy cruising equipment, however, and that lively performance fades dramatically.
Accommodations and Systems
Below, the First 28 sleeps six in two double berths and two singles. There’s a double in the forepeak, another double aft, and saloon settees that convert to singles.
The interior is spacious and comfortable for a boat of this length, with 1.8 meters of headroom. The galley has a sink, stove, and icebox, while the chart table has its own seat. The head includes a marine toilet and washbasin.
A 100-liter water tank and 40-liter holding tank support coastal use. Auxiliary power comes from either a 10- or 18-horsepower diesel, supplied by a 6.6-gallon fuel tank. Overall, the arrangement is better suited to weekend coastal cruising than offshore living.
Seakeeping and Limitations
The main cautions arise from the design’s numbers rather than faults in any particular hull. A Ted Brewer comfort ratio of 17.2 puts the First 28’s motion firmly in lightweight racing-boat territory. Upwind, she is tender and can slam hard enough to be unpleasant for cruising crews.
Her capsize screening formula of 2.2 places her outside the envelope considered prudent for ocean passage-making, with an associated risk of capsize in strong winds and heavy seas. The shallow-draft version further compromises stability. These are characteristics to respect, not repairs to schedule.
The Verdict
The First 28 captures the early-1980s First philosophy in a Finot design: light, quick, and cheerful in coastal conditions, with a roomy six-berth interior that punches above its 28-foot length. She rewards crews who sail her lightly loaded and within her coastal remit, and punishes those who ask her to cross oceans or carry a heavy cruising inventory.
Pros
- Light-displacement hull and a 16.5 sail-area-to-displacement ratio deliver lively performance in light air
- Cockpit-led control lines and an optional self-tacking jib make short-handed sailing practical
- Six berths—including two doubles and converting saloon settees—plus 1.8 meters of headroom feel generous for the boat’s size
- Fin keel and spade rudder contribute to a hull speed of about 8 knots, which she can exceed downwind under spinnaker
Cons
- A comfort ratio of 17.2 indicates a lively, slamming motion upwind that many cruising crews dislike
- A capsize screening formula of 2.2 rules her out for ocean passage-making
- The shallow-draft version gives up performance and stability
- Heavy cruising gear dramatically reduces her otherwise lively performance
