Beneteau First 405E
Description
The Beneteau First 405E is a refined evolution of the classic French cruiser-racer sailboat designed by Jean Berret of Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design and built by Beneteau from 1986 to 1989, with approximately 200 hulls produced in France as a more performance-oriented variant of the standard First 405, incorporating enhanced rigging and hull refinements inspired by IOR racing shapes for superior speed and handling. Measuring 39 feet 8 inches in length overall (with a waterline length of 34 feet 1 inch and a beam of 12 feet 11 inches), it features a lightweight fiberglass hull—solid laminate below the waterline with balsa-cored deck—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) ensuring excellent stability and a motion comfort ratio ideal for offshore passages. The fractional sloop rig, often with a taller mast option boosting sail area to around 800 square feet (SA/D ~17.5-19), provides responsive upwind performance, balanced speed, and ease of short-handed sailing, making it a standout for PHRF club racing or long-distance cruising. The interior accommodates six to eight in luxurious teak-finished spaces, including an owner's forward stateroom with en-suite head, two aft double cabins, a U-shaped galley, navigation station, spacious saloon with convertible settees, and a second head with shower.
Construction Details
| Designer | Jean Berret |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 40.000 ft |
| LOA | 38.250 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 52.17 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.75 ft |
| p | 46.33 ft |
| e | 14.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.17 ft | 14.75 ft | 46.33 ft | 14.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Beneteau First 405E - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 46.33 ft - (14121 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.5 ft - (4420 mm) |
| Leech | * 47.91 ft - (14603 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 48.06 ft - (14649 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 335.54 ft² |
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Beneteau First 405E - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 43.37 ft - (13219 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.17 ft - (5843 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.38 ft - (11698 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.96 ft - (5169 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 367.73 ft² |
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Beneteau First 405E - GENOA
| Luff | * 51.5 ft - (15697 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.51 ft - (7166 mm) |
| Leech | * 48.84 ft - (14886 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.13 ft - (6745 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 569.65 ft² |
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Beneteau First 405E - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 51.5 ft - (15697 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 26.55 ft - (8092 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.55 ft - (8092 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1162.23 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.