Beneteau First 47.7 Race Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull carries a fine entry and a comfortably wide transom, with a counter-moulded structure and appendages developed over a full year of tool and mould preparation. Beneteau’s First range at this era used latticework mouldings as the structural matrix within the hull; on the 47.7 those liners have no floors between the longitudinal and transverse members, yet each element can be bonded and glassed into the hull for stiffness. The hull laminate itself is a solid lay-up combining chopped strand mat and woven rovings. Interior joinery was produced with CNC machines, quality control was thorough at many production stages, and every hull ended with a spell in the test pool. The deck plan includes excellent non-slip surfaces wherever one might step, including on the cabin side for use when heeled, built-in Dorade vents in blister mounts with guards, double lifelines with gates on each side and aft, and a varnished mahogany toe rail.

Rig and Handling

All versions share a simple cockpit with single-wheel steering, low pedestal and conventional winch layout, swept-back spreaders on three sets, and a nine-tenths fractional rig. The test boat carried the deep keel and Sparcraft standard rig with triple sweptback spreaders supporting a 15/16 rig, its headstay just shy of the masthead. A racing version stands five feet taller and adds a twin-groove headstay, full spinnaker rig with carbon pole, Max prop and Nitronic rigging; cruising versions turn up with shorter mast, smaller sail plan and shallower draught. Test sailors 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; settled in, she goes upwind hard, knocking off eight knots in a 15-knot breeze. She is broad-reaching with the wide beam carrying a big chute easily, and remains easily handled with just a few crew aboard. Under sail she was well balanced and forgiving, and the secondary winch position makes short-handed sailing a realistic proposition.

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 with curved banquette and smaller inboard bench, a gimbaling table, and to port another settee and the nav station carrying the electrical panel and tool storage. The galley is aft to starboard in standard L-shaped form, with acres of counter wrapping from double sink past a roller-covered stove lid to the refrigerator/freezer. The forward owner’s cabin spans the full beam just ahead of the mast, with a starboard double berth, port settee and hanging locker, and a surprisingly spacious forward head and shower. A guest cabin aft to port and a day head just forward of it round out the plan. Light comes from a big mid-cabin skylight, nine opening ports and two hatches. The moulded headliner and teak-ply in-fills fastened with simple Philips screws, held with Velcro in places, speak to production pragmatism rather than custom joinery.

Known Issues

The cockpit lacks foot braces, especially for the helmsman, and the single wheel makes it harder to get well out to weather. Floorboards creak throughout the cabins. The engine sits under the cockpit floor with no dedicated engine room, and on the water the boat proved noisier under power than expected; over six knots the noise and vibration bordered on excessive for a cruising boat. The test example’s two-bladed MaxProp was thought to be over-pitched. The huge saloon is great for entertaining but could do with more handholds.

Refits and Ownership

Period tests note good quality equipment throughout, from the Lewmar 58 primary and 48 aft winches sunk into each coaming to the immense wheel and forward cockpit Lewmar 44s with Spinlock stoppers. An electric windlass lives in the forward anchor locker, with a separate sail locker aft of it. A teak-planked fold-down transom platform is provided, though there is no walk-through to it. The builder offered full polar diagrams in the brochure, and a variety of standard rig, keel, engine and accommodation configurations let an owner optimize toward racing or cruising.

The Verdict

The First 47.7 is a serious Farr-designed performer that trades some cruising refinement for race-bred responsiveness and volume. She is fast upwind and forgiving offshore, but the open cockpit and under-engine noise are real compromises.

Pros