Design and Construction
The hull shows a fine entry and a comfortably wide transom, and below the waterline the laminate is a solid combination of chopped strand mat and woven rovings. The First range uses latticework mouldings to provide the structural matrix within the hull; these liners have no floors between the longitudinal and transverse members, yet each element can be bonded and glassed into the hull. Developing the tools and moulds took a full year, and interior joinery is produced using CNC machines with quality control checks made at many stages of the production system, which ends with a spell in the test pool. The deck is a solid fiberglass structure carrying double lifelines with gates on each side and aft, a varnished mahogany toe rail, and excellent non-slip surfaces wherever one might step, including on the cabin side for use when heeled. Built-in Dorade vents sit in blister mounts with protective guards.
Rig and Handling
Common to all versions is a simple cockpit with single-wheel steering, a low pedestal, and conventional winch layout, though the deck layout feels more angular and basic than the Starlight 46's and the cockpit is not as large as that boat's since the maximum beam draws in more toward the stern. The test boat carried the deep keel and Sparcraft standard rig with triple sweptback spreaders supporting a 15/16 rig, the headstay just shy of the masthead making it more like 31/32. The racing version is five feet taller and carries slightly more sail area with a twin-groove headstay, full spinnaker rig with carbon pole, Max prop, and Nitronic rigging. Writing in boats.com, testers found her 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 nears the water, then stiffens up and goes upwind like the proverbial scalded cat, knocking off eight knots in a 15-knot breeze. She is broad-reaching too, the wide beam carrying a big chute easily, and under sail she was well balanced, responsive, and gave the impression of being pushable hard without stressing the helmsman.
Accommodations
Two-, three-, and four-cabin layouts were offered. The saloon has immense headroom and is cavernous, with plenty of grab rails, a starboard dinette of curved banquette and smaller inboard bench, a gimbaling table, and to port another settee and the nav station carrying the electrical panel and dedicated tool storage. The standard layout has an L-shaped galley aft to starboard, out of the way, with acres of countertop wrapping from double sink past a roller-covered stove lid and aft over the refrigerator/freezer. The owner's cabin forward spans the full beam just ahead of the mast, with a large starboard double berth, port settee and hanging locker, and a surprisingly spacious forward head and shower. A guest cabin aft to port has full headroom, a large double berth, and two large opening ports, with a day head just forward also carrying a shower. Nine opening ports, two hatches, and a big mid-cabin skylight light the interior, though one tester noted the huge saloon could do with more handholds.
Known Issues
Yachting World's tester marked her down for a lack of foot braces, especially for the helmsman, in a cockpit too wide to brace across on the opposite seat; the single wheel also makes it more difficult to get well out to weather. The engine is positioned under the cockpit floor with no dedicated engine room, and on test the boat was noisier under power than expected, the noise and vibration over six knots bordering on excessive for a cruising boat. The tested hull was fitted with a two-bladed MaxProp that was thought to be over-pitched. Throughout the cabins the floorboards creak. Lightweight panel mouldings and teak ply in-fills are fastened with simple Philips screws, and Velcro holds 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. The structural approach is modern and the sailing envelope impressive, but the noise under power and the sparse foot bracing are real shortcomings for the cruising buyer.
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, configurable three-cabin-plus interior with full-beam owner's cabin
- Solid below-waterline laminate with bonded latticework structural matrix
Cons
- Noisy, vibrating engine space under the cockpit with no dedicated room
- Lacks foot braces in a too-wide cockpit; single wheel limits weather seating
- Creaking floorboards and cost-driven fastening details
- Over-pitched MaxProp noted on the test boat
