Beneteau First 32 S5 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The First 32 S5 is a moderate-displacement sloop with a fin keel and a spade rudder, its solid fiberglass hull laid up to production-yard standards of the era and reinforced by a molded interior grid system of stringers and floors that is bonded and glassed to the hull. The deck is cored with end-grain balsa, though some reports indicate other materials in select areas. Above the waterline the styling reads modern and racy: a sugar scoop transom, raked bow, and sloped coachroof give the boat a contemporary profile, and the true sugar scoop aft is practical for boarding from a dinghy or the water. The hull itself has a relatively fine entry and a moderate beam carried aft, and because the hull tapers aft of amidships the cockpit is narrow compared with more modern boats — a trade that preserves secure bracing when heeled at the cost of lounge space.

Rig and Handling

The 32 S5 carries a 7/8 fractional sloop rig with double spreaders and discontinuous rod rigging, paired with a backstay adjustable from either side of the cockpit through a single 12:1 tackle. With a displacement/length ratio of 192 in the deep-keel version and a generous sail plan, the boat is quick around the buoys and earned a PHRF rating of 144 to 153 seconds per mile. Test sailors found her steering light and responsive under power or sail, tacking quickly even in light air, and she parts the water with little effort while pointing high with ease. The fractional rig and relatively generous sail area give good drive in light to moderate airs, and the hull form carries that drive through short-to-moderate chop without excessive hobby-horsing; in heavier seas the narrow forward sections help her slice into waves rather than pound. Period reviews noted a cumbersome mid-boom mainsheet arrangement that makes quick adjustments difficult, and the 140 percent genoa had a tendency to snag crossing the boat when tacking in light air. The Isomat roller furler places its drum below deck level, which complicated efforts to clear a furling problem.

Performance Envelope

Owners report a boat that feels lively off the wind and quite rewarding upwind for a 32-footer, and the theoretical hull speed of 7 knots is one the boat can exceed in the right conditions. The deep keel draws 6 feet; a shoal-draft wing keel was offered at 4 feet 5 inches for shallow-water sailors. At 9,260 pounds she sat halfway between the smaller First 310 and the larger Oceanis 370, with lead ballast supporting a hull that the maker called quick and the press called audacious.

Accommodations

Starck's interior concept gives the 32 S5 cleaner lines and a styling modern for its day, with white upholstery and shiny aluminum trim set against dark mahogany cabin sole and curvaceous cabinets. A large, well-lit and ventilated quarter berth on the port side aft could serve as a master cabin, while the head sits conveniently to starboard in the same area. Typical layouts favor a forward V-berth and a modest saloon with settee berths, with the aft arrangement varying by version; headroom and tankage suit weekending and short coastal cruises rather than long liveaboard stretches.

Known Issues

A recurring theme among First-era Beneteaus is that the interior's vinyl backing and cushion foam break down where the climate is warm and humid, and reupholstery is common. Owners and surveyors also call out core and deck-interface wear such as soft spots or leaking stanchions and deck hardware, plus gelcoat crazing and osmosis on some examples built before modern gelcoat practices. A few owners report survey findings near the keel-to-hull area, with local deformations or compressions traced to hard groundings or poor support.

Refits and Ownership

For a used purchase, new standing rigging is recommended if its age is unknown, and an updated propeller selection to suit cruising preferences is a frequent debate between two- and three-blade choices. Refreshed electronics and sails bring the boat current, and targeted core or through-fastener repairs are warranted where surveys show water ingress.

The Verdict

The First 32 S5 is a distinctive late-1980s expression of the performance-cruiser idea: Berret's naval architecture wrapped in Starck's break-from-tradition interior, quick on the race course and tidy for coastal weekends. She rewards an attentive helm and a crew willing to manage a mid-boom mainsheet, and her narrow aft sections and balsa deck demand a surveyor's eye for water ingress.

Pros