Beneteau First 51 Race
Description
Beneteau First 51 Race (also known as the Tall Rig or Performance Rig variant) is the high-performance version of the flagship French cruiser-racer designed by Germán Frers and built by Beneteau from 1986 to 1992, with approximately 130 total hulls produced in France. Measuring 50 feet 10 inches LOA (waterline 42 feet 8 inches, beam 14 feet 1 inch), it features a lightweight fiberglass hull—solid laminate below the waterline with balsa-cored deck—and is typically equipped with a deep fin keel (7 feet 3 inches draft), though shoal-draft versions exist, with a displacement of 29,762 pounds and 11,905 pounds of lead ballast (40% ratio) for outstanding righting moment and stability. The Race/Tall Rig masthead sloop increases mast height by ~3 feet over the Standard Rig, boosting sail area to ~1,230 sq ft (SA/D ~20+), with rod rigging, oversized winches, a larger overlapping genoa, and a fully battened mainsail—optimized for IMS, IOR, and offshore racing while retaining blue water seaworthiness. The luxurious teak interior sleeps six to eight in three private cabins: a full-beam aft owner’s stateroom with en-suite head and shower, forward VIP with en-suite, guest double, large U-galley, nav station, and expansive saloon. A proven race winner in events like the Admiral’s Cup, Transpac, and Round-the-World legs, the First 51 Race remains a coveted performance classic.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 68.01 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 20.01 ft |
| p | 60.33 ft |
| e | 18.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 68.01 ft | 20.01 ft | 60.33 ft | 18.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 60.33 ft - (18389 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.5 ft - (5639 mm) |
| Leech | * 62.06 ft - (18916 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 62.48 ft - (19044 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 566.16 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 56.71 ft - (17285 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.16 ft - (7974 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.89 ft - (15206 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.99 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 23.01 ft - (7013 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 652.47 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 67.35 ft - (20528 mm) |
| Foot | * 32.03 ft - (9763 mm) |
| Leech | * 63.7 ft - (19416 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 30.02 ft - (9150 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.01 ° |
| Area | * 1010.93 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 67.35 ft - (20528 mm) |
| Foot | * 33.02 ft - (10064 mm) |
| Leech | * 61.96 ft - (18885 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1668 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 67.35 ft - (20528 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 36.02 ft - (10979 mm) |
| Foot | * 36.02 ft - (10979 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 2062 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.99 ft - (11884 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.73 ft - (4490 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.74 ft - (9979 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.02 % |
| Length Perp | * 12.01 ft - (3661 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19 ° |
| Area | * 234.09 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.