Design and Construction
The First 405's hull is solid fiberglass below the waterline, with an iron ballast of 7,694 pounds fixed in a fin-keel configuration drawing either 7 feet 1 inch or 5 feet 7 inches. The deck is likewise solid fiberglass, and Beneteau finished the interior with Burmese teak for the partitions, tables, doors, floors and slats — a single wood chosen for its incomparable texture and tones. Reviewers who surveyed the tooling praised the general finish level as excellent, and the deck detailing as excellent, from the integrated companionway and main-cabin skylight hatch to the ramp-style cockpit coamings. Those coamings are very comfortable if you sit to weather when heeled, though less so otherwise. The companionway itself is notched into the cabintrunk aft so the ladder lands forward of the aft cabin bulkhead, a layout that gives a protected spot to sit when singlehanding.
Rig and Handling
Berret gave the 405 a masthead sloop rig with a sail area the manufacturer lists at 726 square feet and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.59; the displacement-to-length ratio sits at 183. A design review judged the rig a little short for hot light-air performance, yet observed that the shorter rig would make the boat docile and easy to sail. The general appearance is that of a fast boat, and test sailors found her strong and sailing well — a performance profile consistent with a fin-keel, spade-rudder hull of this ballast ratio.
Accommodations
Inside, the boat makes the most of a large living space typical of Berret's designs. A centerline island carrying the galley sinks and engine box meets you at the foot of the companionway; one reviewer disliked running into it, but acknowledged that this very feature makes the big aft cabin possible. The galley itself is huge and very well laid out. Heads are generous for the size — an aft head that is more-than-adequate and another more-than-adequate head forward. The quarter cabin holds a berth 6 feet 10 inches long set 33 inches aft of the door, a real sea berth rather than a cramped quarter-berth.
The Verdict
The First 405 is a thoughtfully engineered Berret design that pairs a robust solid-glass hull with a refined teak interior and a genuinely spacious three-cabin layout. She is easy to sail and stiff, if a touch under-canvased in the lightest air, and her cockpit and companionway details show the careful layout that made the First range respected in its era.
Pros
- Big aft cabin enabled by the centerline galley island
- Two adequately sized heads and a huge, well-laid galley
- Excellent deck finish and integrated hatch tooling
- Docile, easy-handling rig with strong sailing performance
Cons
- Rig slightly short for top-end light-air speed
- Centerline island obstructs the companionway approach
- Ramp coamings comfortable only when heeled
