Beneteau First 44 Performance Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Hull and Design Philosophy

Biscontini's signature move on the First 44 is restraint. Where rival volume-focused designs lean on hard chines to plump the sections, the First 44 abandons that shortcut in favour of a narrower waterline and more rounded canoe body that reduces wetted surface. The bow is fine, the stern pinched tight at the waterline, and there is enough rocker to animate the hull in very light air without giving away stability in building breeze. The result is a hull shape with very high form stability — the kind that allows a deep, low centre-of-gravity bulb keel to do its job without the boat depending on beam alone. Two keel options are offered: a standard 2.15m fin and a performance 2.6m deep keel with an iron fin and lead torpedo bulb, the latter saving measurable displacement and shifting the ballast centre lower.

The Performance variant strips weight methodically — no windlass, no covered decks, AGM batteries swapped for lithium, and a carbon rig standing 1.6 metres taller than the standard aluminium spar. The result is half a tonne less displacement compared with the fully optioned cruising version, a number that makes itself felt across the speed range.

Rig, Deck Layout, and Handling

The standard rig is a fractional 9/10ths two-spreader aluminium mast with discontinuous rod standing rigging; the optional carbon version adds 11 square metres of upwind sail area and enlarges the off-wind inventory proportionally. Both versions are controlled via a dual-cylinder hydraulic backstay from Harken, allowing precise forestay tension adjustment, though testers found the standard halyards stretch enough to introduce luff crinkles under load — Dyneema running rigging would close that gap.

The Performance deck puts three pairs of winches around the cockpit for crewed racing. The cruising layout consolidates to two pairs, positioned just ahead of the helm stations so a shorthanded crew can handle mainsail, genoa, and kite without leaving the wheel. Lines run through covered conduits aft to clutch banks, falling into rope bags behind the cockpit seats. The bags are functional but on the small side when two-to-one purchase halyards add bulk to the pile.

Twin rudders on a boat of this type can produce a numb, disconnected helm, but the designers achieved a well-balanced feel — weather helm loads up progressively, sail trim adjustments register through the wheel, and the boat communicates clearly rather than hiding its preferences behind an over-neutral setup. Seat outboard of the wheel and lifting foot chocks support comfortable helming in either seated or standing posture.

The water ballast option deserves special mention. Twin 300-litre tanks, one each side, fill and empty by electric pump from the helm station. Activation takes three to four minutes, making the system unsuitable for short tacking but perfectly suited to a long beat or fully powered reach. Beneteau drew on experience from the Figaro 2 programme to package this technology, and the effective stability gain is equivalent to four crew sitting on the rail.

Accommodations

Lorenzo Argento's interior departs from the C-shaped saloon convention, substituting a fore-and-aft dinette to port that seats six when the lowering table is fully extended — and folds flat to produce a double berth for race crew overflow. To starboard, a 1.9-metre settee doubles as the seat for a modest but functional aft-facing chart table, with a 12-inch plotter mounted above it. This pairing means paper-chart planning can happen at anchor and proper navigation management continues offshore without the crew hunching over a cockpit instrument.

The three-cabin, two-head layout places the owner's cabin forward with a peninsula island berth and an en suite, while two aft cabins — identical in size — serve crew or guests. All berths exceed two metres in length and 160cm in width. Tank placement takes some compromises: water and fuel live under cabin berths rather than in a dedicated bilge space, which limits under-berth stowage. The galley carries an L-shaped arrangement with large top-and-front-opening refrigerator, adequate worktop, and a single-bowl sink; testers noted that a second sink bowl would have been welcome, and overhead lockers are absent throughout the main cabin. The overall finish deploys white lacquered surfaces, moulded woods, and indirect LED lighting to create a bright, modern feel that reads above its price point, though some edges that would benefit from solid-wood capping were left in veneered plywood.

Performance Underway

In very light conditions — genuine zephyr territory — the First 44 under Code Zero achieved four knots of boat speed in glassy water, a figure that underlines Biscontini's commitment to light-air efficiency without sacrificing form stability. In 7–8 knots of true wind the boat made six knots steady, with gusts to 7.5. Hard on the wind in building breeze the picture sharpens further: the boat tracks cleanly, sails trim responsively, and the twin-rudder setup communicates pressure through the wheel rather than absorbing it. Under power, the 57hp Yanmar with saildrive and three-bladed folding propeller delivered 8.5–9.0 knots at 3,000 rpm, a strong motoring performance for a boat carrying this much rig.

Off the wind the 207-square-metre asymmetric spinnaker — available as an option — is a formidable downwind weapon. Its size means leeward visibility from the helm suffers, something a watch captain needs to manage actively.

Known Limitations

Several details across both editorial tests point to areas worth evaluating before order placement. The engine water strainer cannot be visually inspected without removing the basket lid, a minor but recurring irritation for offshore passage-makers who do frequent engine checks. The cockpit liferaft stowage sits under the forward section of the cockpit seats, requiring the raft to be manoeuvred past the table before it can be deployed — not ideal in an emergency. Rope bags serve the line storage function but offer limited capacity when large-diameter purchase lines are in use. The aft cabins each have only two small opening ports for ventilation, which will feel restrictive in warm anchorages. And the cruising buyer contemplating occasional racing should know that the winch positions around the helm station can become congested when mainsail, genoa, and spinnaker sheets are all active simultaneously.

The Verdict

The First 44 is a genuinely dual-purpose machine, but it rewards buyers who make an honest decision early. Configured as the Performance variant — carbon rig, deep keel, lithium batteries, stripped decks — it becomes a serious offshore competitor with racing pedigree engineered by the Mer Forte firm, the same team behind the Figaro Beneteau 3. Configured as the cruising version with water ballast, covered decks, and electric primaries, it is a refined performance cruiser built for fast, comfortable passage-making with shorthanded friendliness. Attempting to straddle both worlds by adding every option is possible but produces some congestion at the helm and a boat that could benefit from clearer identity.

Pros

Light-air hull efficiency without sacrificing heavy-weather form stability
Water ballast system that is simple, effective, and drawn from proven race technology
Twin rudders with genuinely communicative helm feel
Performance variant yields meaningful weight savings via carbon rig and lithium batteries
Well-lit, modern interior above its price point
Strong auxiliary performance from the 57hp Yanmar

Cons