Detailed sailboat specifications and datasheets since 2015
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First 456 Shoal draft

Sailboat specifications

The First 456 is a 45’10” (13.95m) cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Frers Naval Architecture & Engineering (Argentina). She was built between 1982 and 1987 by Bénéteau (France). The Shoal draft version features a shorter keel to grant access to shallow areas.

The First 456 is as well listed, on Boat-Specs.com, in Deep draft and S / Deep draft version (see all the versions compared).

First 456's main features

Model
First 456
Version
Shoal draft
Hull type
Monohull
Category
Offshore cruiser-racer sailboat
Sailboat builder
Sailboat designer
Sailboat range
Country
France
Construction
Hull and deck: GRP (glass reinforced polyester)
First built hull
1982
Last built hull
1987
Appendages
Keel : fin without bulb
Helm
Single helm wheel
Rudder
Single spade rudder
Unsinkable
No
Trailerable
No
Former French navigation category
1
Standard public price ex. VAT (indicative only)
N/A

First 456's main dimensions

Overall length
46’ 7”14.2 m
Hull length
45’ 10”13.95 m
Waterline length
39’ 5”12 m
Beam (width)
14’ 1”4.3 m
Draft
6’ 5”1.95 m
Light displacement (MLC)
26455 lb12000 kg
Ballast weight
10362 lb4700 kg

First 456's rig and sails

Upwind sail area
1238 ft²115 m²
Downwind sail area
2217 ft²206 m²
Mainsail area
441 ft²41 m²
Genoa area
797 ft²74 m²
Jib area
431 ft²40 m²
Stormjib area
161 ft²15 m²
Symmetric spinnaker area
1776 ft²165 m²
Rigging type
Sloop Marconi masthead
Mast configuration
Keel stepped mast
Rotating spars
No
Number of levels of spreaders
2
Spreaders angle
0 °
Running backstays
1 set(s)
Spars construction
Aluminum spars

First 456's performances

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.
236 ft²/T21.94 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.
423 ft²/T39.3 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.
197
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.
39 %
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.
8.41 knots

First 456's auxiliary engine

Engine(s)
1 inboard engine
Engine(s) power (min./max.)
55 HP / 80 HP
Fuel type
Diesel
Fuel tank capacity
52.8 gal200 liters

First 456's accommodations and layout

Cockpit
Closed aft cockpit
Cabin(s) (min./max.)
2 / 4
Berth(s) (min./max.)
4 / 10
Head(s) (min./max.)
2 / 3
Freshwater tank capacity
105.7 gal400 liters
Boiler capacity
11.1 gal42 liters
Have you spotted incorrect data?  You can report it in the forum or contact the webmaster

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