Produced from 2000 through 2004, with 250 hulls completed, the 47.7 belongs to the fourth generation of the Beneteau First range. It also reflects Farr Yacht Design’s long relationship with the builder, which began in 1988. Buyers could choose from several keels and either a racing or cruising rig.
Design and Construction
The 47.7 measures 47 feet 7 inches overall, with a 41-foot-4-inch waterline and a 14-foot-9-inch beam. Displacement is 25,353 pounds, including 8,377 pounds of lead ballast.
The hull has a fine entry and a comfortably wide transom. Below the waterline, the laminate is a solid combination of chopped strand mat and woven rovings. Like other boats in the First range, the 47.7 uses latticework mouldings to form the hull’s structural matrix. These liners have no floors between their longitudinal and transverse members, but each element can be bonded and glassed into the hull.
Developing the tools and moulds took a full year. The interior joinery is produced on CNC machines, with quality-control checks at many stages of the production process. The production system concludes with a spell in the test pool.
The solid-fiberglass deck carries double lifelines, with gates on each side and aft, as well as a varnished mahogany toe rail. Non-slip surfaces cover anywhere a crew member might step, including the cabin side when the boat is heeled. Built-in Dorade vents sit in blister mounts protected by guards.
Rig, Cockpit, and Sailing Performance
All versions share a simple cockpit with single-wheel steering, a low pedestal, and a conventional winch layout, though the deck layout feels more angular and basic than the Starlight 46’s. Compared with the Starlight 46, however, the deck layout feels more angular and basic. The cockpit is also smaller because the boat’s maximum beam draws in more toward the stern.
The test boat carried the deep keel and the standard Sparcraft rig. Triple sweptback spreaders support a 15/16 rig, although the headstay stops just short of the masthead, making it closer to 31/32. The racing rig is five feet taller and carries slightly more sail area. It also includes a twin-groove headstay, a full spinnaker rig with carbon pole, a Max prop, and Nitronic rigging.
Writing in boats.com, testers found the boat light and responsive on the helm, with good visibility over the house and from the lee side. As the breeze builds, she heels easily until the lee rail approaches the water. She then stiffens and goes upwind like the proverbial scalded cat, making eight knots in a 15-knot breeze.
She also performs well on a broad reach, where the wide beam carries a large chute easily. Under sail, the test boat was well balanced and responsive, and gave the impression that she could be pushed hard without stressing the helmsman.
Accommodations
Beneteau offered two-, three-, and four-cabin layouts. The saloon is cavernous, with immense headroom and plenty of grab rails, though one tester thought such a large space could use more handholds.
To starboard is a dinette with a curved banquette, a smaller inboard bench, and a gimbaling table. Another settee sits to port, along with the navigation station, electrical panel, and dedicated tool storage.
In the standard layout, an L-shaped galley sits aft to starboard and out of the way. It provides acres of countertop, running from the double sink past a roller-covered stove lid and aft over the refrigerator/freezer.
The owner’s cabin lies forward, just ahead of the mast, and spans the full beam. It includes a large double berth to starboard, a port settee and hanging locker, and a surprisingly spacious forward head and shower.
The guest cabin aft to port has full headroom, a large double berth, and two large opening ports. Just forward is a day head, also fitted with a shower. Nine opening ports, two hatches, and a large mid-cabin skylight bring light into the interior.
Known Issues
Yachting World’s tester marked the boat down for its lack of foot braces, especially at the helm. The cockpit is too wide for the helmsman to brace against the opposite seat, while the single wheel makes it harder to move well out to weather.
The engine sits beneath the cockpit floor, with no dedicated engine room. On test, the boat was noisier under power than expected. Above six knots, noise and vibration bordered on excessive for a cruising boat. The tested hull had a two-bladed MaxProp that was thought to be over-pitched.
There are also signs of cost-conscious interior construction. Floorboards creak throughout the cabins. Lightweight panel mouldings and teak-ply infills are secured with simple Philips screws, while Velcro holds the seatbacks and headliners in place.
The Verdict
The First 47.7 is a seriously quick Farr-designed performance cruiser that trades some creature comfort and refinement for pace and volume. Its structural approach is modern and its sailing envelope impressive, but the noise under power and sparse cockpit foot bracing are real shortcomings for cruising buyers.
Pros
- Bruce Farr design free of handicap constraints, drawing on the 45f5 and 40.7 lineage
- Stiffens sharply and sails upwind at eight knots in 15 knots of breeze
- Cavernous interior with configurable two-, three-, and four-cabin layouts and a full-beam owner’s cabin
- Solid below-waterline laminate with a bonded latticework structural matrix
Cons
- Noisy, vibrating engine installation beneath the cockpit, with no dedicated engine room
- Too few foot braces in a cockpit too wide to brace across; the single wheel also limits seating to weather
- Creaking floorboards and cost-conscious fastening details
- Over-pitched MaxProp noted on the test boat
