Beneteau First 41s5
Description
Designed by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design (France) and built by Bénéteau (France) from 1989–1993. The Beneteau First 41S5 (often stylized as "41 S 5") is a fast cruiser-racer from the late 1980s First series, blending competitive performance with weekend cruising comforts. At 41'4" LOA, it's a sleek monohull with a wide beam for stability, flared bow for dryness, and a reverse transom for easy boarding. Marketed as "surprising, innovative, and seductive," it was ahead of its time with a spacious interior (owner's version: forward master cabin, U-galley, nav station) and a fractional rig for responsive handling. Available in fin keel (deep L-shaped for upwind speed) or wing keel (shallower for trailering/beaching) variants. About 100 units produced; popular in Europe and the U.S. for club racing and coastal hops. Modern owners update electronics and sails for renewed life—still competitive in handicap fleets like PHRF (ratings ~120–140).
Construction Details
| Designer | Berret-Racoupeau |
|---|---|
| Builder | Beneteau |
| Length | 42.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 49.21 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13.12 ft |
| p | 50.52 ft |
| e | 16.73 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.21 ft | 13.12 ft | 50.52 ft | 16.73 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Beneteau First 41s5 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 50.52 ft - (15398 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.73 ft - (5099 mm) |
| Leech | * 52.5 ft - (16002 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 52.66 ft - (16051 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 422.17 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First 41s5 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 40.74 ft - (12418 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.92 ft - (5157 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.35 ft - (11079 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.09 ft - (4599 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 307.24 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First 41s5 - GENOA
| Luff | * 48.38 ft - (14746 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.81 ft - (6343 mm) |
| Leech | * 46.05 ft - (14036 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.68 ft - (5998 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 476.18 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Beneteau First 41s5 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 48.38 ft - (14746 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 23.62 ft - (7199 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.62 ft - (7199 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 971.33 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.