Beneteau First 38s5
Description
The Beneteau First 38s5 is a high-performance French cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Jean Berret of Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design with iconic interior styling by Philippe Starck, and produced by Beneteau from 1989 to 1995, with approximately 120 hulls built in France. Measuring 38 feet 3 inches in length overall (with a waterline length of 32 feet 6 inches and a beam of 12 feet 4 inches), it features a lightweight fiberglass hull—solid laminate below the waterline and balsa-cored deck—for agile performance, available in deep fin keel (6 feet 7 inches draft), standard fin (6 feet 3 inches), shoal draft (5 feet 2 inches), or wing keel (5 feet 2 inches) configurations. The interior, famed for Starck’s minimalist luxury with light woods, aluminum accents, marble counters, and modular layouts, offers two versions: an owner’s layout sleeping six with private aft double cabin, two heads (one en-suite), forward V-berth, U-shaped galley, spacious saloon with convertible settees, and navigation station; or a charter version with mirror-image aft cabins and single head. Its fractional sloop rig (sail area ~750 sq ft, SA/D ~19) delivers lively acceleration in light winds, powerful upwind pointing, and balanced speed for PHRF club racing or coastal passages, though IOR-influenced hulls may pound slightly in chop. Out of production but prized on the used market for its timeless style, seaworthiness, and low-maintenance appeal.
Construction Details
| Designer | Jean Berret |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 38.250 ft |
| LOA | 38.250 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 47.15 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.80 ft |
| p | 47.90 ft |
| e | 15.41 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.15 ft | 12.80 ft | 47.90 ft | 15.41 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 47.9 ft - (14600 mm) |
| Foot | * 15.41 ft - (4697 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.38 ft - (15051 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.8 ft - (15179 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 375.57 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 39.09 ft - (11915 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.55 ft - (5044 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.79 ft - (10604 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.72 ft - (4487 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.02 ° |
| Area | * 287.68 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 46.41 ft - (14146 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.33 ft - (6197 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.12 ft - (13448 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.2 ft - (5852 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.01 ° |
| Area | * 445.51 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 46.41 ft - (14146 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 23.04 ft - (7023 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.04 ft - (7023 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 909 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.