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

First 40.7

Production boat · Farr Yacht Design · Beneteau · since 1997

Boats
21
Results
63
Wins
29
Races
24
Length
11.92m
Beam
3.78m
Draft
2.4m
Weight
7.0t
Sail area
94.87m²
Official builder page
OverviewCompareBoats21Races24

Why sailors choose the First 40.7

The First 40.7 is a Farr-designed production racer-cruiser that became a standard club and offshore racing boat, often in one-design fleets as well as IRC. Owners like its strong upwind and off-wind speed for the price and its comfortable three-cabin layout. It wants crew weight on the rail in a breeze, and used buyers should check the keel attachment and stowage is limited.

  • Fast for a production boat, performance at a good price
  • Works for club racing and comfortable cruising
  • One-design fleets as well as handicap racing
  • Likes a breeze and plenty of crew weight
  • Check keel attachment on used boats; limited stowage

Our note

Most successful

  1. 1Yamamay7 wins · 7 results
  2. 2Ariel4 wins · 9 results
  3. 3Kim3 wins · 7 results

Specifications

Production boat

Designer
Farr Yacht Design
Builder
Beneteau
First built
1997
Length
11.92m
Waterline
10.62m
Beam
3.78m
Draft
2.4m
Displacement
6,970kg
Ballast
2,707kg
Sail area upwind
94.87m²
Keel
bulb

Deep-draft keel figures; a 1.9 m shoal keel was also offered.

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

  • Balanced and grippy in 16-23 knots, though the crew of five wanted more weight on the rail; few rivals match its precision at the price.

    Yachting World boat test (archive) · Yachting World, 2007

  • Owners rate it highly upwind and downwind and very stable; buyers should survey the hull-keel joint, and the galley and forward cabin are tight.

    Practical Sailor used-boat review by Darrell Nicholson · Practical Sailor, 2025