The boat was launched in Europe a year before one period review was filed, and about 100 buyers had already signed on by the time that piece was written. It also established its racing credentials quickly. In the most recent running of the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, First 40s placed first and second under IRC: one took the overall win, while Wicked finished second overall.
The result has become a reference in the forty-foot class. The builder describes it as making no compromise on safety while keeping life aboard genuinely pleasant.
Design and Construction
The First 40 has a solid hull and a balsa-cored deck. Its vinylester resin-infused layup uses zone-specific stitchmat laminates, with extra strength in high-load areas. A structural grid forms part of the hull liner, which is laminated to the hull. The main bulkheads are bonded to the hull through 360 degrees, and molded deck beams provide additional support.
Solid-glass reinforcement sits beneath deck hardware such as the sheet winches, tracks, and anchor windlass. The balsa-cored deck saves weight while providing thermal insulation and acoustic quiet.
The hull has essentially straight, modern lines from its plumb bow to its subtly raked stern. A low-profile, wedge-shaped cabintrunk leaves wide, workable side decks. A small teak toerail adds a restrained touch of elegance, while black stripes over a grey background provide subtle hull decoration.
Rig and Sail Handling
The tall rig is a 9/10 fractional setup, with a tapered, three-spreader spar. The standard spar uses double spreaders and standing rigging made from flattened dyform wire. Single-pod chainplates virtually eliminate concerns about crevice corrosion down the road.
A hydraulic vang and double foil on the headstay are standard. The single backstay has a hydraulic adjuster. The boat is designed primarily around nonoverlapping headsails, while a retractable carbon bowsprit simplifies handling an asymmetric spinnaker.
The German sheeting system allows the sheet winches to handle the mainsheet as well. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the cockpit sole just forward of the wheel.
Test sailors found the First 40 extremely light and well balanced upwind in 5–8 knots true. In 10–13 knots, the boat tracked nicely with a very light helm, helped by its high-aspect rudder. With the deep T-keel, it felt similar to the First 10R but nowhere near as fidgety. Pressed in 20–22 knots, it pinched high and feathered through gusts with precise rudder feel, although its motion took on an unexpected urgency.
Keels and Performance
Two keel options were offered. The standard shoal keel draws 6 feet 4 inches, while the deep-draft T-keel of lead cast-iron draws 8 feet. The deep keel weighs about 760 pounds less than the shoal version and has substantially less wetted surface, giving it a significant performance advantage.
Powerful stern sections and a generous but shallow overhang aft help trim the static waterline and wetted area. In cruising mode, testers found the boat plenty stiff and safe enough to do the work for the crew. Downwind under the kite, it soaked low even in light air and retained good helm feel. In 15–22 knots, it made 6.7 knots and more with minimal effort and no rail weight.
Cockpit and Deck
The cockpit is excellent. It has a scooped-out single wheel, removable seat-lockers that racers can leave dockside, and an open transom with a fold-down ladder. Water drains almost instantly through the transom.
The deck comes prefitted for spinnaker gear. Harken 48ST primary and spinnaker winches are mounted on the coamings, with 44STs aft on the coachroof. A liferaft locker is cleverly fitted beneath the sole.
Accommodations
Nauta’s interior combines white laminate with light oak veneers, creating a bright, airy, contemporary space. The layout resembles that of the 40.7. The head is forward, making the bow cabin ensuite, and the V-berth measures 6 feet 8 inches long.
Two equal double cabins aft are spacious, with 6 feet of headroom and berths about 6 feet 6 inches long. Together, the three cabins provide private sleeping spaces for the crew.
Immediately to port at the foot of the companionway, the galley has double forward-facing sinks, a good icebox, and a small two-burner stove. Opposite, the wraparound navigation station is the interior’s standout feature.
A centerline table opens to seat most of the crew. Its position, however, makes the saloon a poor place to lay out sails while racing. Testers also noted too few handholds for moving around below when the boat was well heeled.
Equipment and Power
The standard engine is a 3-cylinder, 40-horsepower Yanmar diesel with saildrive and a two-bladed folding propeller.
The electrical system starts with one house battery and one starting battery. Pressurized water is standard, backed up by a manual pump. Freshwater is carried in two 26-gallon rotomolded tanks beneath the settees.
The Carbon Edition adds a carbon mast, lead keel, black composite wheel, and Raymarine regatta pack. It is delivered ready to race.
The Verdict
The First 40 is a genuinely dual-purpose 40-footer. Its Farr hull has real IRC and ORC pedigree, yet the boat also works well at anchor. The deep keel rewards the serious racer, the Nauta interior is both handsome and practical, and the cockpit ergonomics suit both a racing crew and a cruising couple.
It is stiff, quick, and well built. The centerline saloon table and shortage of handholds, however, clearly show its racing DNA.
Pros
- Proven race record, including first and second under IRC in the Sydney Hobart
- Strong, sophisticated infusion construction with full bulkhead bonding
- Nauta interior with three private cabins and an excellent navigation station
- Deep T-keel option with a meaningful performance advantage
Cons
- Centerline saloon table limits working space while racing
- Too few handholds for moving around below when well heeled
- Motion becomes urgent when the boat is overpowered in 20-plus knots
