Beneteau First Class 12 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Monohull · bulb

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

39.33' · 11.99 m

Displ.

9,480 lbs · 4,300 kg

First year

1985

The Beneteau First Class 12 represents a pivotal moment in the late 1980s when the French shipyard sought to bridge the gap between purebred offshore racing machines and highperformance cruisers. Designed by the renowned Groupe Finot, the vessel was conceived as the flagship of the "First Class" series, which included the smaller First Class 8 and 10. Launched around 1986, it was built to satisfy the demands of competitive sailors participating in prestigious events like the Tour de France à la Voile, while still offering the basic amenities required for fast passagemaking. The hull design features a moderate beam carried well aft, a characteristic Finot trait that provides significant stability and surfing potential in following seas, marking a departure from the pinched sterns of earlier IORinfluenced designs.