Beneteau First 26
Description
The Beneteau First 26 is a compact masthead sloop designed by Groupe Finot and built by Beneteau in France from 1984 to 1991. As an early entry in Beneteau's performance oriented First line, it was engineered for agile day sailing, club racing, and short coastal cruises, offering a surprising blend of speed and livability in a trailerable package. With approximately 200–300 units produced, it's valued for its responsive handling and forgiving stability, making it an excellent "first boat" for couples or small families. Owners highlight its nimbleness in light-to-moderate winds and ease of trailering (under 10,000 lbs loaded), though it's best suited for protected waters rather than heavy offshore use due to its light displacement. Variants include a keel/centerboard option for shallower drafts (up/down: 2.79 ft / 5.74 ft) and basic vs. equipped interiors.
Construction Details
| Designer | Groupe Finot |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 26.300 ft |
| LOA | 26.300 ft |
| LWL | 22.900 ft |
| Beam | 9.200 ft |
| Displacement | 4814 lb |
| Ballast | 1455 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.300 ft |
| Year Built | 1984 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 32.31 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.56 ft |
| p | 27.23 ft |
| e | 8.85 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32.31 ft | 10.56 ft | 27.23 ft | 8.85 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Beneteau First 26 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 27.23 ft - (8300 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 8.85 ft - (2697 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.06 ft - (8553 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.02 ° |
| Diagonal | * 28.34 ft - (8638 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4 in - (102 mm) |
| Area | * 122.97 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 27.19 ft - (8288 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.03 ft - (4276 mm) |
| Leech | * 23.53 ft - (7172 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.14 ft - (3700 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 165.04 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - GENOA
| Luff | 32.29 ft - (9842 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.1 ft - (5212 mm) |
| Leech | * 30.32 ft - (9242 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.84 ft - (4828 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 255.77 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - GENOA
| Luff | 31 ft - (9449 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | 29.5 ft - (8992 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.19 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.86 ft - (4834 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.02 ° |
| Area | * 245.8 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 33 ft - (10058 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Leech | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 446 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 32.29 ft - (9842 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 19.01 ft - (5794 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.01 ft - (5794 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 522 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 18.7 ft - (5700 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 7.95 ft - (2423 mm) |
| Leech | * 15.28 ft - (4657 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.04 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.34 ft - (1932 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.02 ° |
| Area | * 59.27 ft² |
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Beneteau First 26 - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | 13.083 ft - (3988 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 8 ft - (2438 mm) |
| Leech | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 8.37 ft - (2551 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 11.57 ° |
| Area | * 51 ft² |
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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.