Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid solid fiberglass and resin with substantial scantlings built into the high-stress zones, while the keel joins a moderate stub — a detail that, on period examples, could show a narrow crease where fairing material had fallen away. Two keel drafts were catalogued: a standard 6 ft 5 in and a shallow 5 ft 6 in, the latter paired with a slightly shorter rig. At 37 ft 1 in overall, 33 ft 2 in on the waterline, and 12 ft 6 in in beam, the 375 carries about 15,400 lb of displacement — a mass that test sailors noted as substantial, yet the boat surprised with acceleration and upwind speed. The deep fin keel and large spade rudder give her infinitely maneuverable close-quarters behavior with only a hint of prop-walk from a feathering prop.
Rig and Handling
The standard double-spreader, keel-stepped mast rises 49 ft above the deck, shortened to 47 ft 6 in over the shoal-draft version. A babystay adjustable from the cockpit checks mast pumping in heavier seas, but the big overlapping genoa could be a handful when tacking. In production cruising form she proved easy to handle and well mannered for families, and could be powered up for success around the buoys when the occasion demanded. Despite an IOR-influenced narrow stern that denies her the off-wind surf of a modern wide-transomed flyer, the 375 performs admirably upwind and reaching; one tester called her the perfect coastal cruiser for inland waters with proven offshore capability.
Accommodations
Two interior layouts were offered. One places the galley to port with a generous double aft cabin and a voluminous cockpit locker to starboard; the other puts the galley to starboard with a single berth aft cabin and a separate double cabin, its salon table likewise to starboard, the head always aft opposite the galley. The alternative three-cabin arrangement squeezed the heads and navigation space. Warm teak cabinetry runs throughout, the main cabin has a U-shaped port settee around a mast-attached table, and stowage is unusually good. The cockpit itself is small by modern standards, with two-angled vertical coamings too low to lend real back support. Bénéteau described the 375 as a very beautiful habitable cruiser for six to eight, an elegant boat to set sail on.
Mechanical and Refit
From the factory she emerged with the sturdy Volvo Penta 2002, a 28-hp diesel on shaft, strut, and fixed prop, fully capable of the 7.7-knot hull speed; powering to 2,800 rpm yields 6 to 6.5 knots with reserve for adverse conditions. The Beta 30 has been fitted as a direct replacement using the same beds, shaft, strut, and prop. Many 375s, like others of the genre, will have seen a hard life, a consideration that sits behind any refit assessment.
The Verdict
The First 375 is a Berret derivative of a winning Admiral’s Cup hull, built in real numbers and respected across cruising and racing. She is no lightweight flyer, but her narrow stern denies the off-wind surf of a modern design while she remains quick and well mannered with teak-lined comfort and uncommon stowage — provided the small, unsupportive cockpit and a possibly hard-used history are weighed.
Pros
- Race-derived hull from a 1985 Admiral’s Cup design, with proven seaworthiness
- Deep fin and spade rudder deliver precise, maneuverable handling
- Two distinct layouts; teak interior and unusually good stowage
- Direct-replacement repower path (Beta 30) on original beds
Cons
- Small cockpit with low coamings and poor back support
- Big genoa can be a handful; narrow IOR stern limits off-wind surfing
- Many examples likely to have had a hard service life
