Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass with a reinforcing grid inside, while the deck uses a balsa-core sandwich construction with an inner molding that contains structural deck beams, achieving light weight without sacrificing rigidity. Rather than the blunter foils common on cruising boats, Briand specified deep, narrow-chord keel and rudder foils more at home on a dedicated racing yacht. The rudderstock itself is injection-molded biaxial and unidirectional glass set in epoxy, mounted in ball and roller bearings for precise, progressive feel at the wheel. The optional deep bulb keel stretches draft to nine feet two inches; the standard fin draws just under eight feet, giving buyers a meaningful choice depending on their intended cruising grounds.
On deck, the aesthetic logic runs deep. Flush hatches, twin banks of control lines led aft, and only two Harken winches on either side of the companionway breaking the deckhouse roofline create a genuinely uncluttered working platform. A signature detail: a retracting anchor sprit and roller that live belowdecks, emerging only when the hook needs deploying. The result eliminates the usual foredeck snagging hazard during sail changes and reinforces the boat's clean visual line from stem to stern. Even the Harken roller-furler drum is housed belowdecks, bringing the foot of the genoa right down to the deck.
Rig and Sailing Performance
The First 50 carries a tall, three-spreader, tapered aluminum rig that puts considerable sail area aloft and earns the boat a competitive IRC rating. Under test in a steady twelve-knot breeze, the boat accelerated like a racer, heeling to twenty-five degrees in the puffs while remaining entirely composed. Tacking angles came in at just over sixty degrees, and a close reach produced eight knots without apparent effort — performance the deep bulb keel undoubtedly contributed to.
The in-mast furling mainsail and roller-furling genoa together make the boat genuinely shorthanded-friendly. Line loads on the mainsail furler are substantial, but an electric winch just to port of the companionway handles them with ease. The boom is positioned high — at shoulder or head height depending on the sailor — which makes manual furling of the mainsail impractical should the electrical system fail, a trade-off buyers should consider carefully. Under power, the turbocharged Yanmar diesel and three-blade folding prop move the boat at a confirmed eight knots while keeping main-saloon noise to a manageable level.
Twin thirty-five-inch steering wheels give two helmsmen room to work, and the layout ensures easy reach to the two primary winches just forward of each wheel, as well as the centerline-mounted mainsheet winch. Centerline and helm foot braces provide meaningful security when the boat heels, an important detail for shorter or less experienced crew.
Cockpit and Deck Ergonomics
The cockpit is organized around shorthanded practicality. Winches and clutches are well positioned for single-handed sailing, and the low coachroof maintains clear sightlines from any position in the cockpit. A large cockpit table perfect for entertaining disappears into a locker in the cockpit sole when racing calls for unobstructed movement. Wide side decks ease passage fore and aft and simultaneously reinforce the yacht's visual impression of length. The companionway washboards stack neatly clear of the opening, with the option to leave the lower board in place as a sea barrier underway — a thoughtful detail on a boat that aspires to offshore use.
Accommodations and Interior
Nauta Design's hand is evident the moment you step below. Light-colored Alpi wood trim, stainless steel accents, five overhead hatches, and twelve Lewmar opening portlights produce an interior that reads as a bright, airy Manhattan loft apartment rather than a traditional teak-trimmed cabin. The Alpi itself is unusual: stacked, laminated, and cut to achieve a consistent grain pattern running the length of the cabin, then bonded to a plywood core. The sole is laid in parquet rather than conventional teak-and-holly strips.
The layout offers one cabin forward and two aft. The forward owner's cabin sits on centerline with a queen berth accessible from both sides and an en-suite head with a folding track-mounted shower door. Both aft cabins carry double berths and share a single head and shower. The navigation table swings away to create additional seating at the saloon table, and the grabrails are molded flush into the structure rather than bolted on. Headroom through almost all cabin spaces reaches six and a half feet. Storage is extensive but unconventional: concealed compartments, a fold-out hanging locker styled as a detachable suitcase, and a hidden microwave require some familiarization time before they feel intuitive.
Known Considerations
The in-mast furling arrangement, while convenient, relies on electrical power for practical operation given the boom's elevation. Buyers with offshore ambitions should audit the electrical system and backup arrangements carefully. The low cabin profile and fine bow that give the First 50 its rakish looks also invite questions about wave and spray management in genuinely rough conditions — the original test noted this as an open question. The deep-keel option opens exceptional upwind performance but restricts access to shoal cruising areas like parts of the Bahamas and some Mid-Atlantic anchorages. The standard keel is the more versatile cruising choice; the deep keel suits sailors prioritizing racing and deep-water passages.
The Verdict
The Beneteau First 50 is what happens when a production builder commissions a megayacht designer and pairs him with a serious styling house, then holds both accountable to a genuine performance brief. The result is a fifty-footer that sails with real urgency, wears its looks effortlessly, and delivers a contemporary interior that will suit owners who think of their yacht as a pied-à-terre afloat rather than a traditional ship. It asks its owners to accept some compromises — the in-mast furling system's electrical dependency, the high boom, and the draft implications of the performance keel — but for the family that wants to win a club race on Saturday and anchor in a Caribbean bay by Christmas, few production boats at this length have made a more persuasive case.
Pros
- Philippe Briand hull with racing-grade narrow-chord keel and rudder foils
- Retractable anchor sprit keeps foredeck clear for sail handling
- Twin wheels with well-positioned primary winches suit shorthanded crews
- Contemporary Nauta Design interior is bright, airy, and thoughtfully detailed
- Three-spreader aluminum rig earns a competitive IRC rating out of the box
- Electric winches and furling systems make the boat manageable without a large crew
Cons
- In-mast furling mainsail is impractical to handle manually given the boom height
- Deep-keel option restricts access to shallow cruising areas
- Single shared head for both aft cabins limits comfort for two couples
- Low cabin profile raises questions about sea-keeping in heavy offshore conditions
- Concealed storage throughout requires a learning curve before becoming intuitive
