Detailed sailboat specifications and datasheets since 2015
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First 27 (Shoal draft)

Main featuresFirst 27 Shoal draft
Model
First 27
Version
Shoal draft
Hull type
Monohull
Category
Cruiser-racer sailboat
Sailboat builder
Bénéteau
Sailboat designer
Sailboat range
Country
France
Construction
GRP (glass reinforced polyester):
- Hull: Single skin fiberglass polyester
- Deck: Sandwich fiberglass polyester
Number of hulls built
About 70
First built hull
1978
Last built hull
1980
Appendages
Keel : fin without bulb
Helm
Single tiller
Rudder
Single spade rudder
Unsinkable
No
Trailerable
No
Former French navigation category
2
 
Main dimensionsFirst 27 Shoal draft
Overall length
27’ 7”8.4 m
Hull length
26’ 1”7.95 m
Waterline length
21’ 6”6.55 m
Beam (width)
9’ 10”3 m
Draft
4’ 5”1.35 m
Mast height from DWL
37’ 1”11.3 m
Light displacement (MLC)
5291 lb2400 kg
Ballast weight
1984 lb900 kg
Ballast type
Cast iron
French customs tonnage
5.90 Tx
 
Rig and sailsFirst 27 Shoal draft
Upwind sail area
436 ft²40.5 m²
Downwind sail area
753 ft²70 m²
Mainsail area
161 ft²15 m²
Genoa area
274 ft²25.5 m²
Solent area
215 ft²20 m²
Jib area
161 ft²15 m²
Stormjib area
32 ft²3 m²
Symmetric spinnaker area
592 ft²55 m²
I
 iFore triangle height (from mast foot to fore stay top attachment)
34’10.36 m
J
 iFore triangle base (from mast foot to bottom of forestay)
10’3.05 m
P
 iMainsail hoist measurement (from tack to head)
29’ 6”9 m
E
 iMainsail foot measurement (from tack to clew)
9’ 2”2.8 m
Rigging type
Sloop Marconi masthead
Mast configuration
Deck stepped mast
Rotating spars
No
Number of levels of spreaders
1
Spreaders angle
0 °
Spars construction
Aluminum spars
Standing rigging
1x19 strand wire continuous
 
PerformancesFirst 27 Shoal draft
IOR rating
 iIOR, or International Offshore Rule, was a measurement rule system used internationally for ocean racing. It allows boats of different sizes and designs to race each other fairly. Therefore, by comparing these values, we can have an indication of the relative speed of 2 boats.
18.5
HN (French rating)
 iHN or "Handicap Nationale" is an empirical rating system used in France allowing various monohulls, of different sizes and designs, to race each other fairly. It is particularly suitable for cruiser and cruiser-racer. Therefore, by comparing these values, we can have an indication of the relative speed of 2 boats.
10.0
Upwind sail area to displacement
 iThe ratio sail area to displacement is obtained by dividing the sail area by the boat's displaced volume to the power two-thirds.

The ratio sail area to displacement can be used to compare the relative sail plan of different sailboats no matter what their size.

Upwind: under 18 the ratio indicates a cruise oriented sailboat with limited performances especially in light wind, while over 25 it indicates a fast sailboat.
243 ft²/T22.59 m²/T
Downwind sail area to displacement
 iThe ratio sail area to displacement is obtained by dividing the sail area by the boat's displaced volume to the power two-thirds.

The ratio sail area to displacement can be used to compare the relative sail plan of different sailboats no matter what their size.
420 ft²/T39.05 m²/T
Displacement-length ratio (DLR)
 iThe Displacement Length Ratio (DLR) is a figure that points out the boat's weight compared to its waterline length. The DLR is obtained by dividing the boat's displacement in tons by the cube of one one-hundredth of the waterline length (in feet).
The DLR can be used to compare the relative mass of different sailboats no matter what their length:

a DLR less than 180 is indicative of a really light sailboat (race boat made for planning), while a DLR greater than 300 is indicative of a heavy cruising sailboat.
242
Ballast ratio
 iThe Ballast ratio is an indicator of stability; it is obtained by dividing the boat's displacement by the mass of the ballast. Since the stability depends also of the hull shapes and the position of the center of gravity, only the boats with similar ballast arrangements and hull shapes should be compared.

The higher the ballast ratio is, the greater is the stability.
38 %
Critical hull speed
 iAs a ship moves in the water, it creates standing waves that oppose its movement. This effect increases dramatically the resistance when the boat reaches a speed-length ratio (speed-length ratio is the ratio between the speed in knots and the square root of the waterline length in feet) of about 1.2 (corresponding to a Froude Number of 0.35) . This very sharp rise in resistance, between speed-length ratio of 1.2 to 1.5, is insurmountable for heavy sailboats and so becomes an apparent barrier. This leads to the concept of "hull speed".
The hull speed is obtained by multiplying the square root of the waterline length (in feet) by 1.34.
6.21 knots
 
Auxiliary engineFirst 27 Shoal draft
Engine(s)
1 outboard or inboard engine
Engine(s) power (min./max.)
8 HP / 16 HP
Fuel tank capacity
6.6 gal25 liters
 
Accommodations and layoutFirst 27 Shoal draft
Cockpit
Closed aft cockpit
Cabin(s)
1
Berth(s)
6
Head(s)
1
Freshwater tank capacity
23.8 gal90 liters
Maximum headroom
5’ 11”1.81 m
Galley headroom
5’ 11”1.8 m
Head headroom
5’ 1”1.56 m
 
SaloonFirst 27 Shoal draft
Maximum headroom
5’ 11”1.8 m
Saloon table length
3’0.92 m
Saloon table width
2’ 5”0.74 m
Berth length
6’ 7”2.01 m
Chart table
2’ 10”0.84 m x 2’0.6 m
Berth width
2’ 2”0.68 m
 
Fore cabinFirst 27 Shoal draft
Maximum headroom
4’ 8”1.42 m
Berth length
6’ 8”2.03 m
Berth width
5’ 5”1.65 m
 
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