Beneteau First 44 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Beneteau First 44 means weighing a modern performance cruiser that Beneteau positioned as the noblest version of the racer-cruiser type, linking the First 36 and First 53. The design is too new for widespread end-of-life concerns, but its two-deck-layout philosophy and equipment tiers make for distinct used-boat profiles.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin layouts are the more common on the used market, but both are available; ex-charter examples are common. The standard arrangement is a three-cabin, two-head plan with a salon six-seater table opposite the couch and nav station and a forward peninsula double berth that lacks stowage. Below decks, designer Lorenzo Argento retained a similar concept and layout to the Beneteau First 53, with a 1.9-meter starboard settee optional with lee cloth. The cruising version is optimized for shorthanded sailing with two pairs of winches either side, while the performance version adds two pit winches and a longer carbon sprit.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, bow thruster, chartplotter, electric winches, and autopilot are commonly fitted. Air conditioning, inverter, teak decks, hot water, bimini, and swim platform are often seen. Less common owner additions include cockpit shower, heating, solar, AIS, life raft, code zero, self-tacking jib, and Starlink. The builder equipped the model with Seanapps, and the test cruising version carried a 1-meter bowsprit with integrated anchor stowage; the optional carbon mast is 1.8 meters taller than standard and adds 11 square meters of upwind area.
What to Inspect
Documented known issues are limited. The forward cabin's peninsula bed lacks stowage, a fixed accommodation limitation rather than a defect. The water ballast system uses twin 80-gallon tanks activated from the helm with electric pumps and takes three to four minutes to fill or empty, so verify pump operation and tank integrity. The performance version has smaller tanks, no windlass or associated battery, and lithium service batteries to save weight — confirm which version you are viewing and inspect accordingly.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in the United States, Croatia, Spain, Australia, Greece, and the United Kingdom. When inspecting, check the version (cruising versus performance), confirm water ballast pump and tank condition, verify the forward cabin layout suits your stowage needs, and confirm fitted equipment matches the commonly fitted or often seen tiers rather than assuming upgrades.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Beneteau First 44. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 10 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 1 | $ 849,000 | — |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $ 584,024 | -31.2% |
| Nov 25 | 3 | $ 514,009 | -12.0% |
| Dec 25 | 2 | $ 447,463 | -12.9% |
| Jan 26 | 4 | $ 550,189 | +23.0% |
| Feb 26 | 4 | $ 508,448 | -7.6% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $ 411,896 | -19.0% |
| Apr 26 | 13 | $ 447,463 | +8.6% |
| May 26 | 6 | $ 600,000 | +34.1% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 524,251 | -12.6% |
Where they're listed
Beneteau First 44 listings appear across 9 countries. Croatia has the most listings with 11 (28.2%), followed by United States and Spain.
Country view
39 listings · 9 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | $ 411,896 | 11 | 0 | 28.2% |
| United States | $ 600,000 | 9 | 4 | 23.1% |
| Spain | $ 515,744 | 8 | 2 | 20.5% |
| Australia | $ 669,046 | 4 | 1 | 10.3% |
| Greece | $ 514,009 | 3 | 0 | 7.7% |
| Germany | $ 492,613 | 1 | 0 | 2.6% |
| United Kingdom | $ 447,463 | 1 | 1 | 2.6% |
| Italy | $ 504,830 | 1 | 0 | 2.6% |
| New Zealand | $ 524,251 | 1 | 1 | 2.6% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance 44 Performance | 44.85' | $ 338,280 | 60 | 8 |
| Beneteau First 44.7 | 44.83' | $ 139,999 | 46 | 9 |
| Beneteau First 44You are here | — | $ 503,226 | 39 | 9 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 44 | 47.41' | $ 993,307 | 23 | 5 |
| X-Yachts Xp XP 44 | 45.54' | $ 559,342 | 21 | 8 |
| Solaris 44 | 44.62' | $ 570,704 | 17 | 2 |
| Grand Soleil 44 | 47.08' | $ 503,226 | 12 | 2 |
| C&C 44 | 44.17' | $ 61,900 | 9 | 0 |
| Beneteau First 44 Performance | 48.06' | $ 570,475 | 1 | 0 |