Beneteau First Class Europe
Description
The Beneteau First Class Europe is a high-performance fractional sloop monotype designed by Groupe Finot (Jean-Marie Finot) and built by Beneteau in France from 1989 to 1991. Developed as a one-design racer for international match and fleet racing events, it builds on Finot's successful First Class series (e.g., 8, 10, 12), emphasizing speed, seaworthiness, and simplicity for offshore competition and fast cruising. With limited production (estimated 20–30 hulls), it's a rare vintage performer today, prized for its lightweight fiberglass hull, efficient rig, and balanced handling in moderate-to-strong winds. Owners describe it as a "proven long-distance short-handed racer" with six-foot headroom and good stability, ideal for club fleets or coastal solos
Construction Details
| Designer | Jean-Marie Finot |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 37.340 ft |
| LOA | 37.340 ft |
| LWL | 34.320 ft |
| Beam | 11.060 ft |
| Displacement | 6834 lb |
| Ballast | 2094 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.230 ft |
| Year Built | 1989 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 38.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13.10 ft |
| p | 45.50 ft |
| e | 16.70 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.50 ft | 13.10 ft | 45.50 ft | 16.70 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Beneteau First Class Europe - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 45.5 ft - (13868 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.7 ft - (5090 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.55 ft - (14493 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 47.92 ft - (14606 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 387.73 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 32.53 ft - (9915 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.53 ft - (5343 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.96 ft - (8522 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.06 ft - (4590 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 244.95 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - GENOA
| Luff | 38.63 ft - (11774 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.31 ft - (6495 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.18 ft - (11028 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.65 ft - (5989 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.99 ° |
| Area | * 379.51 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
| Leech | 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 707 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 38.63 ft - (11774 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.62 ft - (6590 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.54 ft - (10833 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 626 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 38.63 ft - (11774 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 774 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First Class Europe - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 22.37 ft - (6818 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.95 ft - (3033 mm) |
| Leech | * 18.07 ft - (5508 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 7.86 ft - (2396 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.02 ° |
| Area | * 87.93 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
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.