At nearly 48 feet overall, with a beam just under 14 feet, the First 44 combines the volume of a modern cruiser with two distinct personalities. In the words of one reviewer, it behaves as a superbly competent boat of two halves—a docile cruiser or a hungry performer, depending on its configuration.
Hull Design and Construction
Biscontini developed the hull through the methodical revision process he honed on America’s Cup racers. Rather than using the hard chines often found on high-volume cruisers to increase interior space, he drew a narrow waterline and a more rounded canoe body to reduce wetted surface.
The fine bow and pinched-in stern at the waterline accompany what Yachting World described as a slightly deeper canoe body with more rocker. The First 44 still has high topsides, a broad stern, and twin rudders, but without hard hull chines, its sections remain closer to those of a classic performance hull than a cruiser designed to maximize beam.
Engineering was entrusted to Mer Forte, a firm known for high-end blue-water race boats. The yacht is assembled and finished in a dedicated Beneteau workshop rather than on the standard production line.
Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling
The modern, generous sail plan centers on a fractional 9/10ths, two-spreader aluminium rig, with a slender mainsail and generously sized foresails. A mast stepped farther aft, four winches, and a fixed centerline mainsheet block are intended to draw the full potential from the rig. A dual-cylinder Harken hydraulic backstay provides shape control.
The cruising version is optimized for shorthanded sailing, with two pairs of winches per side. It also carries roughly 163 square feet more canvas than the performance model.
The performance version instead has three pairs of winches around the cockpit, plus two additional pit winches with clutches and diverters for cross winching. It also carries a longer carbon bowsprit. An optional carbon mast stands 1.8 meters taller than the standard rig, adding 11 square meters of upwind sail area and about 10 percent to the Code 0 and spinnaker areas.
Under power, a 57 hp Yanmar with saildrive turns a three-bladed folding prop. Depending on the version, sources place displacement between roughly 21,600 and 23,500 pounds.
Water Ballast and Stability
One of the First 44’s most distinctive options is its electronically controlled water-ballast system. Twin 80-gallon tanks can be filled or emptied from the helm stations using simple electric pumps.
Beneteau drew on its earlier ballast systems and experience with the Figaro 2 to bring this technology to First 44 owners. The system provides the equivalent of about 350 kg of rail weight per side—roughly four people on the rail. Filling takes three to four minutes, making the system better suited to a long beat than short-tacking work.
The performance version further reduces weight through smaller tanks, lithium service batteries, and the deletion of the windlass and its associated battery. These measures save about half a tonne compared with the cruising hull. This version also uses the deeper 2.6 m iron-fin-and-lead-bulb keel.
Interior and Accommodation
Below, Argento followed a concept close to that of the First 53. The First 44 has a three-cabin, two-head layout, with white lacquered surfaces, molded woods, tasteful upholstery, and indirect lighting creating a streamlined, well-lit interior.
The saloon includes a six-seat table opposite the settee and navigation station. A 1.9 m starboard settee with an optional lee cloth doubles as crew seating. Forward, the cabin has a peninsula double berth, though this arrangement comes at the expense of stowage.
Beneteau presents the craftsmanship and material finish as masterful, citing the full range of fit-out expertise available in the dedicated workshop.
Verdict
The First 44 is a design with two distinct personalities: a spacious, well-finished light-air cruiser and, in ballast-equipped form, a performer with a taller carbon rig and less cruising equipment and tank capacity. Its rounded hull and dedicated engineering give it a coherence that many crossover racer-cruisers lack.
There are clear compromises. The forward cabin’s peninsula berth reduces stowage, while the water-ballast system’s three-to-four-minute fill time limits its usefulness during short-course tactical sailing. Even so, the two configurations give owners a meaningful choice between cruising convenience and a more performance-focused specification.
Pros
- Narrow waterline and rounded canoe body reduce wetted surface for light-air performance
- Electronically controlled water ballast draws on Figaro 2 racing experience
- Three-cabin, two-head interior with refined Argento styling and a dedicated-workshop finish
- Optional taller carbon rig adds meaningful upwind and downwind sail area
Cons
- Forward cabin’s peninsula berth limits stowage
- Three-to-four-minute water-ballast cycle restricts short-course tactical use
- Performance version gives up the windlass and some tank capacity to save weight
