By then, Farr Yacht Design had established a long-term relationship with the French builder. The 40.7 belongs squarely to the fourth generation of the Beneteau First range, which ran through 2004. Its defining feature is the balance Farr struck between a slender, IMS-derived hull, a high-aspect sail plan, and practical accommodations.
Design and Construction
The Bruce Farr & Associates hull reflects the firm’s IMS pedigree, with slender appendages, a fin-with-bulb keel, and a spade rudder. Its relatively fine bow is intended for upwind work, while straight runs aft favor speed off the wind. The target PHRF rating settled at 54.
The hulls were hand laid-up from pre-cut sections of glass wetted out with vinylester and polyester resins. Beneteau used vinylester resins to protect against blistering; earlier models employed the lower-cost Beneteau WaterShield process for the same purpose.
The hull itself is solid fiberglass. While it was still in the mold, a fiberglass pan was bonded in place to help retain its shape. This pan carries solid-fiberglass longitudinal stringers running from bow to stern, as well as six athwartships floors.
The fiberglass deck has a balsa core, with solid sections beneath the hardware. At the hull-deck joint, an internal flange is bonded to an external flange with polyurethane glue and stainless-steel bolts.
Tides Marine built the updated rudders with carbon-fiber stocks. Factory tests found these stocks had four times the breaking strength of stainless steel. The rudder bearings are self-aligning.
Rig and Sailing Performance
The First 40.7 carries a Sparcraft 9/10 fractional rig with triple spreaders and aluminium spars. Standard standing rigging is rod, while the tested configuration used Dyform rigging.
The mainsheet traveler sits just forward of the helm and runs on Lewmar ball-bearing cars. An above-deck mainsheet system leads to the aft winches. Running rigging is led aft through Spinlock XT clutches for the main, genoa, and spinnaker halyards, along with one reef, the outhaul, and topping lifts.
Writing in Yachting World, testers found the helm positive. Kevlar steering cables help avoid stretch. Under power, the boat tracked well astern, turned in 1.25 boat lengths, and cruised at about seven knots with another knot in reserve.
In winds of 16 knots gusting to 23, the boat made 6.5 knots close-hauled, tacked through 80 degrees, and gained half a knot after bearing away. In lighter air, testers hardened the sheets and sailed within 36 degrees of the apparent wind at 6.75 knots. Owners reported speeds of 8 to 10 knots in 12 to 15 knots of wind on high jibe angles.
Cockpit and Deck
The cockpit is laid out around racing ergonomics. Slatted teak seats conceal aft lockers that can be removed for racing, while quarter lockers bridged by a curved seat take the place of an open transom. A 63-inch leather-covered wheel is recessed below the sole.
Primary Lewmar 50 self-tailers and coachroof-mounted Lewmar 44s make up a six-winch arrangement suited to either crewed or short-handed sailing. Optional spinnaker winches and Harken Quattro winches support faster kite handling.
A propane well in the port corner vents overboard, while a starboard locker holds an inflatable. French regulations placed a life-raft canister beneath the helm seat.
The early sugar-scoop transom incorporates a teak-slatted swim platform and stainless-steel ladder. Nearly level, wide side decks have diamond-pattern nonskid, recessed stanchion bases, and 26-inch double lifelines, making it safe to move forward.
Accommodations
The saloon has two straight settees arranged around a 44-inch double-leaf table. Curved edges soften the table, nav station, and galley. Four Lewmar hatches and opening ports bring in light. Brushed-aluminium grabrails run from the cabin sole to the top of the companionway and also house roller shades for race-day simplicity.
There are two mirror-image aft cabins, each with a 78-by-60-inch berth, plus a forward V-berth measuring 7 feet 3 inches long. Headroom is 6 feet 3 inches aft and 6 feet 2 inches forward.
A single head serves all three staterooms. Located to starboard, it is adequate for showering in comfort, although the separate shower space is a tight 40 by 24 inches.
The conventional L-shaped galley includes a top-opening reefer whose lid forms the entire counter. It also has a double sink with pressurized hot and cold water and a gimbaled two-burner stove.
Tankage is beneath the settees, leaving high-level lockers and spaces behind the seat backs for stowage. A dedicated wine locker nods to the boat’s French origin.
Known Issues
The galley’s top-opening reefer creates a practical inconvenience: because its lid forms the entire counter, anything on the work surface must be managed whenever the reefer is opened. The single head is also a genuine shortfall for a boat of more than 40 feet with three cabins and six berths.
In the forward cabin, the small deck hatch makes spinnaker drops below tricky.
A centralized sea chest amidships routes several hoses to a single through-hull. It’s a sensible manifold, but also a single point worth inspecting for age and seal integrity.
The Verdict
The First 40.7 works as a versatile cruiser-racer. Its IMS-derived hull and high-aspect rig provide club-racing pace without giving up a genuine three-cabin interior. Construction is conventional, with a solid-glass hull, balsa-cored deck, and a useful structural pan. The cockpit is genuinely race-ready, while the wide, nearly level decks remain safe to move around.
Its compromises are typical of the breed: the reefer lid limits the galley counter, one head serves six berths, and the forward hatch is small for handling a spinnaker below.
Pros
- Slender Farr hull, with a fine bow and straight aft runs, provides good all-around performance
- Race-oriented cockpit with removable lockers and a six-winch layout
- Carbon-fiber rudder stocks and self-aligning bearings exceed the original stainless-steel specification
- Three cabins sleep six, with more than 6 feet of headroom throughout
Cons
- A single head serves all three staterooms
- The top-opening reefer occupies the entire galley counter
- The small forward deck hatch hinders spinnaker drops below
- The centralized sea chest creates a single through-hull failure point
