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Black-sailed racing yachts close together at a start
Photo: Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

First 34.7

Production boat · Farr Yacht Design · Bénéteau · since 2005

Boats
15
Results
43
Wins
16
Races
17
Length
9.99m
Beam
3.37m
Draft
2m
Weight
4.5t
Sail area
70.3m²
Official builder page
OverviewCompareBoats15Races17

Why sailors choose the First 34.7

The First 34.7 was drawn by Farr with a clear brief to rate well under IRC, so it is stiff and light with a T-bulb keel. Testers found it rewarding and lively, a smaller cousin of the 40.7 for club handicap racing with a practical interior. The small rudder can let go suddenly when pushed, and some deck layout details are less refined than rivals.

  • Optimised for IRC: high stability, low weight
  • Easy and lively to sail with a light, direct helm
  • Practical two-cabin layout for cruising
  • Small rudder stalls with little warning when pressed
  • Deck control layout less tidy than some rivals

Our note

Most successful

  1. 1Melagodo2 wins · 7 results
  2. 2ANATELOUSSA AFRODITI2 wins · 4 results
  3. 3Bitxet2 wins · 4 results

Specifications

Production boat

Designer
Farr Yacht Design
Builder
Bénéteau
First built
2005
Length
9.99m
Waterline
8.73m
Beam
3.37m
Draft
2m
Displacement
4,520kg
Ballast
1,670kg
Sail area upwind
70.3m²
Keel
bulb

Deep-draft version; loa_m is hull length as listed by the source

Published figures for the design; individual boats are often modified. Sources: boat-specs.com

What sailors and testers say · in our words, from the linked pages

  • Rewarding upwind and lively downwind, but the IRC-driven small rudder gives little warning before losing grip, so a lapse in concentration gets punished.

    Yachting World test by Matthew Sheahan · Yachting World, 2006