Beneteau First 31.7 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull is a straight-stemmed, single-skinned shell with little overhang, built over an integral GRP structural grid for stiffness single-skinned hull with integral grid. Above, the deck is balsa-cored, and the coachroof carries a gently sloping profile that reads as elegant from any angle. Form stiffness comes from a hull kept wide at the transom, with volume carried above the waterline rather than below, which adds righting moment as she heels. The keel is a deep L-shaped profile in which the ballast bulb extends aft from the leading edge; compared with the earlier First 310 from which this hull evolved, the 31.7's keel and rudder were made deeper with a heavier bulb, and the rig stands a little taller. A solid mahogany footchock at the companionway makes maneuvering below more comfortable while adding a touch of visual warmth.

Rig and Handling

The 31.7 carries a nearly masthead, keel-stepped Sparcraft rig with a simple double-spreader arrangement and no extreme spreader sweepback, and there are no runners to manage. The forestay attaches just a few centimeters below the black band, so the headsail is not quite masthead, and the boat came standard with a 140% overlapping genoa for a working sail area around 500 square feet. On the water, test sailors found her capable of planing dead flat on a deep reach under single-reefed main and a #4 jib as gusts rolled over the stern quarter, with the stern keeping the bow down and no awkward transition—just a surge. Upwind in a brisk breeze she heels until she sits on her broad aft section and then accelerates, tracking extremely well and showing no desire to broach or stagger when overpressed. Her wake stays quiet from the leeward quarter no matter the angle.

Accommodations

Below, the standard layout offers two cabins and one head. The master sits in the V-berth forward with just under six feet of standing headroom except when the filler cushion extends the berth, ventilated by a large overhead hatch and served by lockers both sides; a removable panel in the vee gives floor space when the bed is unused. The main saloon is flanked by twin straight settees with a drop-leaf centerline table holding the usual Beneteau bottle stowage, and four dine in comfort easily—or six with the slightly curved settees pressed into use. The portside aft main cabin berth runs almost two meters. The galley to port holds a 12-volt refrigerator, single sink, and two-burner propane stove-oven; just aft is the door to the second private cabin with a double berth and standing headroom by the hanging locker, opposite a shower-head combo with a wet-gear bin. White molding with cherry veneer was standard, a finish rather high-end for a boat often bruised in Wednesday-night races.

Cockpit and Deck Gear

The cockpit is wide and short, broad because the beam carries aft at deck level, with teak-surfaced seats and a recessed teak bum pad for the steerer set in each coaming. A traveller bridgedeck bisects the cockpit from coaming to coaming, giving end-boom sheeting, and the 8:1 backstay tails run through the transom to cams on that bridgedeck. Twin Lewmar #30 halyard winches and three jammers sit each side of the recessed companionway; sheet winches are self-tailing Lewmar #40s. A huge lazarette lies under the starboard seat, and engine controls are in the cockpit sides to port with the throttle to starboard. The helm is tiller-only—no wheel was offered—and a nifty push-button tiller extension lengthens or shortens as needed. B&G instruments ride a tubular console at the mast's trailing edge.

Power and Tankage

Most examples were powered by a 21 hp Yanmar diesel, though some early models carried Volvo engines. Tankage is eight gallons of fuel and 42 gallons of water, modest but in keeping with a light-displacement racer-cruiser meant for coastal and club racing use.

The Verdict

The First 31.7 is a Finot hull that punches above its weight, out-sailing many lighter boats of her length and offering genuine planing performance without sacrificing a civilized two-cabin interior. She is a focused design: tiller steering, no wheel option, and a deep bulb keel reward the sailor who values response over creature comforts.

Pros

Finot/Conq hull adapted from the Figaro delivers flat planing and tenacious upwind tracking
Deep L-shaped bulb keel and taller rig than the 310 predecessor improve stability and drive
Wide, short cockpit with full-width traveller and self-tailing winches is race-ready
High-end cherry and white interior with practical two-cabin, one-head layout

Cons