Design and Construction
Biscontini approached the hull with the methodical revision process he honed on America's Cup racers, and the result is a shape that rejects the hard chines used by many high-volume cruisers to inflate interior space. Instead the First 44 carries a narrow waterline beam with a more rounded canoe body to cut wetted surface, a fine bow and a pinched-in stern at the waterline. Yachting World notes the proportionately narrower waterline also produced a slightly deeper canoe body with more rocker, a geometry that helps the boat stay lively when the breeze fades. The high topsides and wide stern still give her the footprint of a current-generation cruiser, but the twin rudders and absence of chines keep the hull honest rather than boxy. Engineering was entrusted to the Mer Forte firm, known for high-end blue-water race boats, and the yacht is assembled and finished in a dedicated Beneteau workshop rather than on the standard production line.
Rig and Handling
The sail plan is built around a fractional nine-tenths, two-spreader aluminium rig with a slender mainsail and generously sized foresails, a modern configuration the builder says delivers lively sailing in any conditions. The mast is set further aft than on many cruisers, with four winches and a fixed centerline mainsheet block maximizing that plan's potential on the cruising deck. A dual-cylinder hydraulic backstay from Harken controls shape. The cruising version adds roughly 163 sq ft of canvas over the performance variant and is optimized for shorthanded sailing with two pairs of winches per side; the performance version carries three pairs of winches around the cockpit, two extra in the pit with clutches and diverters for cross-winching, and a longer carbon bowsprit. An optional carbon mast stands 1.8m taller than the standard rig, adding 11m² of upwind area. A 57hp Yanmar with saildrive and a three-bladed folding prop provides auxiliary power.
Water Ballast and Stability
A defining option is the pair of 80-gallon ballast tanks, filled and emptied individually by electric pumps from the helm stations and derived from Beneteau's experience with the Figaro 2. The system is simple to operate and takes three to four minutes per cycle, so it suits a long beat or a powered-up reach rather than short tacking; the tanks deliver righting moment equivalent to several crew on the rail without the need for bodies hiking out. On the performance version the deep 2.6m keel pairs an iron fin with a lead torpedo bulb, and that boat sheds roughly half a tonne of displacement versus the cruising hull through smaller tanks, no windlass, and lithium batteries.
Accommodations
Below, Argento kept a concept close to the First 53: a streamlined, well-lit interior of white lacquered surfaces, molded woods, indirect lighting and refined upholstery. The three-cabin, two-head layout places a six-seat saloon table opposite the settee and nav station, with a 1.9m starboard settee that can take an optional lee cloth. The forward cabin has a peninsula double but is short on stowage, a trade-off of the hull-following cabinetry. The cruising cockpit is inviting, with wide side-decks drawing in toward a folding table, and the boat carries CE certification for A12/B12/C14 offshore and coastal use.
The Verdict
The First 44 is a superbly competent boat of two halves, equally at home as a shorthanded cruiser or a lightly crewed performer, and its narrow-waterline hull makes it genuinely rewarding in the light airs that flatten lesser cruiser-racers. The dedicated build cell, Mer Forte engineering and Figaro-derived ballast mark it as a serious step above a generic production deck. The forward cabin's weak stowage and the ballast system's unsuitability for tight windward work are the only real caveats.
Pros
- Narrow waterline and rounded canoe body reduce wetted surface for light-air performance
- Two deck layouts cover shorthanded cruising and crewed performance needs
- Electronically controlled water ballast gives rail-meat righting moment without crew weight
- Dedicated workshop assembly with race-boat engineering pedigree
Cons
- Forward cabin lacks stowage
- Water ballast takes three to four minutes to cycle, poor for short tacking
