Detailed sailboat specifications and datasheets since 2015
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First 32 Deep draft

Sailboat specifications

The First 32 is a 31’6” (9.6m) cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Jean Berret (France). She was built between 1980 and 1984 by Bénéteau (France). The Deep draft version displays a deeper fin allowing a lower center of gravity and extra performance especially upwind.

The First 32 has also been marketed as Bénéteau R/C 32 and she is as well listed, on Boat-Specs.com, in Shoal draft version (see all the versions compared).

First 32's main features

Model
First 32
Version
Deep draft
Hull type
Monohull
Category
Cruiser-racer sailboat
Sailboat builder
Sailboat designer
Sailboat range
Country
France
Construction
GRP (glass reinforced polyester):
- Hull: Single skin fiberglass polyester
- Deck: Sandwich fiberglass polyester
Number of hulls built
About 500
First built hull
1980
Last built hull
1984
Appendages
Keel : fin without bulb
Helm
Single tiller
Rudder
Single spade rudder
Unsinkable
No
Trailerable
No
Former French navigation category
2
Standard public price ex. VAT (indicative only)
N/A

First 32's main dimensions

Overall length
33’ 11”10.33 m
Hull length
31’ 6”9.6 m
Waterline length
27’ 11”8.5 m
Beam (width)
11’ 1”3.37 m
Draft
5’ 11”1.8 m
Light displacement (MLC)
8378 lb3800 kg
Ballast weight
3638 lb1650 kg
Ballast type
Cast iron
French customs tonnage
9.00 Tx

First 32's rig and sails

Upwind sail area
616 ft²57.2 m²
Downwind sail area
1054 ft²97.9 m²
Mainsail area
225 ft²20.9 m²
Genoa area
391 ft²36.3 m²
Solent area
316 ft²29.4 m²
Jib area
242 ft²22.5 m²
Stormjib area
62 ft²5.75 m²
Symmetric spinnaker area
829 ft²77 m²
Rigging type
Sloop Marconi masthead
Mast configuration
Deck stepped mast
Rotating spars
No
Number of levels of spreaders
2
Spreaders angle
0 °
Spars construction
Aluminum spars
Standing rigging
1x19 strand wire

First 32's performances

HN (French rating)
 iHN or "Handicap Nationale" is an empirical rating system used in France allowing various monohulls, of different sizes and designs, to race each other fairly. It is particularly suitable for cruiser and cruiser-racer. Therefore, by comparing these values, we can have an indication of the relative speed of 2 boats.
18.0
Upwind sail area to displacement
 iThe ratio sail area to displacement is obtained by dividing the sail area by the boat's displaced volume to the power two-thirds.

The ratio sail area to displacement can be used to compare the relative sail plan of different sailboats no matter what their size.

Upwind: under 18 the ratio indicates a cruise oriented sailboat with limited performances especially in light wind, while over 25 it indicates a fast sailboat.
253 ft²/T23.49 m²/T
Downwind sail area to displacement
 iThe ratio sail area to displacement is obtained by dividing the sail area by the boat's displaced volume to the power two-thirds.

The ratio sail area to displacement can be used to compare the relative sail plan of different sailboats no matter what their size.
433 ft²/T40.2 m²/T
Displacement-length ratio (DLR)
 iThe Displacement Length Ratio (DLR) is a figure that points out the boat's weight compared to its waterline length. The DLR is obtained by dividing the boat's displacement in tons by the cube of one one-hundredth of the waterline length (in feet).
The DLR can be used to compare the relative mass of different sailboats no matter what their length:

a DLR less than 180 is indicative of a really light sailboat (race boat made for planning), while a DLR greater than 300 is indicative of a heavy cruising sailboat.
175
Ballast ratio
 iThe Ballast ratio is an indicator of stability; it is obtained by dividing the boat's displacement by the mass of the ballast. Since the stability depends also of the hull shapes and the position of the center of gravity, only the boats with similar ballast arrangements and hull shapes should be compared.

The higher the ballast ratio is, the greater is the stability.
43 %
Critical hull speed
 iAs a ship moves in the water, it creates standing waves that oppose its movement. This effect increases dramatically the resistance when the boat reaches a speed-length ratio (speed-length ratio is the ratio between the speed in knots and the square root of the waterline length in feet) of about 1.2 (corresponding to a Froude Number of 0.35) . This very sharp rise in resistance, between speed-length ratio of 1.2 to 1.5, is insurmountable for heavy sailboats and so becomes an apparent barrier. This leads to the concept of "hull speed".
The hull speed is obtained by multiplying the square root of the waterline length (in feet) by 1.34.
7.08 knots

First 32's auxiliary engine

Engine(s)
1 inboard engine
Engine(s) power (min./max.)
15 HP / 25 HP
Fuel type
Diesel
Fuel tank capacity
11.9 gal45 liters

First 32's accommodations and layout

Cockpit
Closed aft cockpit
Cabin(s)
2
Berth(s) (min./max.)
4 / 5
Head(s)
1
Freshwater tank capacity
52.8 gal200 liters
Maximum headroom
6’ 2”1.88 m

First 32's saloon

Maximum headroom
6’1.83 m
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1980
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Albin Ballad (Albin Marine)
1971
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Feeling 920 Deep draft (Kirié)
1981
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Attalia 32 Deep draft (Jeanneau)
1983
30’ 2”9.2 m
First 305 Deep draft (Bénéteau)
1984
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First 32 Shoal draft (Bénéteau)
1980
31’ 6”9.6 m
First 29 Deep draft (Bénéteau)
1983
28’ 6”8.7 m
First 325 Deep draft (Bénéteau)
1984
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First 30E Deep draft (Bénéteau)
1981
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First 345 Deep draft (Bénéteau)
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First 35 - Berret Deep draft (Bénéteau)
1979
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First 375 Deep draft (Bénéteau)
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