Beneteau First Class Challenge
Description
The Beneteau First Class Challenge is a high-performance fractional sloop monotype designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau in France from 1989 to the early 1990s. Developed as a racing-oriented variant of the Figaro Solo, it features a shorter rig and no running backstays for simplified solo handling, making it an accessible "club racer" for top-level competition on a budget. Integrated into the Figaro Solo class, it's optimized for offshore one-design racing like the Route du Rhum or transatlantic solos, with a lightweight fiberglass hull and swing keel for shallow-draft versatility. With limited production (exact numbers unknown but under 50 hulls), it's a rare collector's item today, prized for its seaworthiness and agility in moderate winds
Construction Details
| Designer | Jean Berret |
|---|---|
| Builder | Bellamer Oy |
| Length | 29.980 ft |
| LOA | 29.980 ft |
| LWL | 27.560 ft |
| Beam | 10.660 ft |
| Displacement | 5291 lb |
| Ballast | 184 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.910 ft |
| Year Built | 1989 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 40.09 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.15 ft |
| p | 36.71 ft |
| e | 12.63 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.09 ft | 11.15 ft | 36.71 ft | 12.63 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Beneteau First Class Challenge - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 36.71 ft - (11189 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.63 ft - (3850 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.13 ft - (11622 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 38.4 ft - (11704 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 239.73 ft² |
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Beneteau First Class Challenge - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 33.29 ft - (10147 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.46 ft - (4407 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.53 ft - (9001 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.98 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.82 ft - (3908 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 213.39 ft² |
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Beneteau First Class Challenge - GENOA
| Luff | * 39.53 ft - (12049 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.74 ft - (5407 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.53 ft - (11439 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.72 ft - (5096 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.99 ° |
| Area | * 330.46 ft² |
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Beneteau First Class Challenge - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 39.53 ft - (12049 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.07 ft - (6117 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.07 ft - (6117 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 674 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.