Beneteau First 405
Description
Beneteau First 405 is a high-performance French cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Jean Berret of Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built by Beneteau from 1985 to 1990, with approximately 460 hulls produced in France. Measuring 39 feet 8 inches in length overall (waterline length 34 feet 1 inch, beam 12 feet 11 inches), it features a lightweight fiberglass hull—solid laminate below the waterline with balsa-cored deck—and is offered in deep fin keel (6 feet 6 inches draft), standard fin (5 feet 7 inches), or shoal draft (4 feet 11 inches) configurations, with a displacement of 18,739 pounds and 7,496 pounds of ballast (40% ratio) for excellent stability and motion comfort. The fractional sloop rig, with a sail area of approximately 800 square feet (SA/D ~17.5), delivers responsive handling, strong upwind performance, and versatility for PHRF racing or extended offshore cruising. The spacious interior accommodates six to eight in three private cabins: a forward owner’s stateroom with en-suite head, two aft double cabins, a large U-shaped galley, navigation station, saloon with convertible settees, and a second head with shower—all finished in warm teak for classic elegance. Renowned for its blend of speed, seaworthiness, and family-friendly layout.
Construction Details
| Designer | Jean Berret |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 40.000 ft |
| LOA | 38.250 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 50.20 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.44 ft |
| p | 44.29 ft |
| e | 14.40 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.20 ft | 14.44 ft | 44.29 ft | 14.40 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 46.29 ft - (14109 mm) |
| Foot | * 15.09 ft - (4599 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.77 ft - (14560 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.98 ° |
| Diagonal | * 48.18 ft - (14685 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 355.9 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 43.41 ft - (13231 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.29 ft - (5880 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.38 ft - (11698 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.05 ft - (5197 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.03 ° |
| Area | * 370.04 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 51.55 ft - (15712 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.65 ft - (7209 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.86 ft - (14893 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.24 ft - (6779 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 573.23 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 50.25 ft - (15316 mm) |
| Foot | 20.5 ft - (6248 mm) |
| Leech | 47.5 ft - (14478 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.28 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.32 ft - (5889 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.68 ° |
| Area | * 485.4 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 51.55 ft - (15712 mm) |
| Foot | * 24.47 ft - (7458 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.43 ft - (14457 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 946 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 51.55 ft - (15712 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1169 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 29.85 ft - (9098 mm) |
| Foot | * 10.85 ft - (3307 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.26 ft - (7699 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.01 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.9 ft - (2713 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.05 ° |
| Area | * 132.8 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.