Design and Construction
Farr's hull for the First 45 F5 is widely praised, and the boat draws on a moderate overall hull design. The bow shows minimal overhang with a fine entry that quickly fairs into U-shaped sections, then rounds toward amidships and slightly flattens toward the stern anchor. The plan view reveals a hull with considerable beam aft, which helps stability and supports the broad transom bearing the designer's name. A high aspect ratio fin keel with both leading and trailing edges curved, paired with a spade rudder set right at the aft end of the design waterline, completes a hull profile marked by a reversed counter aft.
The deck is where Pininfarina's influence dominates. The entire profile flows in an almost unbroken clean line from the short foredeck down to the tip of the transom, and test sailors found the smooth, sculpted lines indicate very low windage anchor. A tester noted an amorphous quality to the deck shape that he found less personally appealing despite the careful accent lines, and the transom itself has no swim step.
Rig and Handling
True to Farr's racing origins, the rig is a fractional sloop with a notably short 15-foot J dimension. The spreaders are swept aft with no runners or checkstays drawn, simplifying the rig for shorthanded sailing. Polar plots indicate strong reaching performance, and the sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.59 is enough for swift cruising anchor. One compromise sits in the cockpit: the main is sheeted at mid-boom, which a design reviewer found convenient but not efficient, attributing the choice to marketing rather than engineering anchor. The hull's moderate displacement of about 23,100 pounds and a length-to-waterline ratio near 200 keep the boat lively without being extreme.
Accommodations
Three interior layouts were offered: a pair of owner-cabin plans plus a four-cabin arrangement, the former split between two-cabin and three-cabin versions. Each features double berths, with the two- and three-owner layouts adding a single berth adjacent to the forward double. All share a common oval dinette with centerline island seating, and the interior itself was styled by Pininfarina in collaboration with Farr anchor. The deck and interior aesthetics from Pininfarina extend below as well as above, giving the boat a coherent design language rare in production cruisers of the period.
Known Issues
The mid-boom sheeting inefficiency is a design characteristic rather than a failure, and the absence of a transom swim step is a styling choice. The known points a buyer should note are the marketing-driven rig compromise and the unconventional deck shaping, neither of which affects seaworthiness.
Refits and Ownership
With around 240 built and a reported 80 sold at the Paris boat show on debut, the First 45 F5 entered service in meaningful numbers for a semi-custom performance cruiser. The collaboration of Beneteau, Farr, and Pininfarina means that original deck hardware, interior finishes, and rig components reflect a specific late-1980s-to-1990 design intent.
The Verdict
The First 45 F5 is a distinctive fusion of Farr's proven hull engineering and Pininfarina's low-windage styling, built in modest numbers but with a genuine offshore pedigree. It rewards a sailor who values clean deck aesthetics and strong reaching speed over maximum mainsheet efficiency.
Pros
- Farr hull with moderate, well-balanced proportions and strong reaching performance
- Pininfarina deck with exceptionally smooth, low-windage lines
- Three flexible interior layouts sharing a generous oval dinette
- Around 240 built with a round-the-world success
Cons
- Mid-boom main sheeting convenient but not efficient
- Transom lacks a swim step
- Amorphous deck shape divisive among reviewers
