Sailboat Bénéteau First 44 for sale

What could have been: the BENETEAU First 44 is not what you think it is

When does the First 44 suit you particularly well?

Let’s be honest and come straight to the point: If you are looking for a powerful performance yacht for sale to rival X-Yachts, Grand Soleil or Solaris, then the First 44 might be on your list because the name, design and builders promise power. However, apart from the timelessly elegant design, this boat unfortunately does not meet the requirements of very ambitious regatta sailors. To put it bluntly, the First 44 has been rather disappointing in terms of its sporting successes and has failed to win any notable trophies. To put it bluntly, the issue comes down to weight. At 10.6 tonnes, she carries around 1,000 kilograms more than her main rival, the Grand Soleil 44 — and effectively 1.5 tonnes more, since the GS 44 is also offered in a dedicated regatta version. The somewhat outdated X-Yachts XP 44 weighs just 8.6 tonnes, and even the luxurious Solaris 44 only has a displacement of 9.9 tonnes.

If your goal is to buy a boat that can win regattas, you should be aware of this. In fact, if that’s what you’re after, there’s no need to read on. But, if you want to buy a really smart yacht that sails faster than a normal cruiser, cuts an extremely sexy figure and has cruising qualities, then the First 44 could well be something for you - shall we take a look?

Argento and Biscontini: style rules!

Lorenzo Argento and Roberto Biscontini are legends of European yacht design. The two designers have already given the First 53, the 44’s big sister in the truest sense of the word, literal 'wings'. The introduction of the First 53 flagship yacht in 2018 marked the start of the brilliant renewal of the performance series from BENETEAU. And they have also done a great job with the First 44. Whether under sail, at anchor or simply in the harbour, the First 44 is a real eye-catcher. Her lines are deliberately restrained, like a tiger in motion: the sharp, upright stem subtly hints at a negative rake, countered by the elegantly integrated composite bowsprit. The relatively low freeboard creates its interior volume through a convex curvature toward the deck — a curve so understated you barely notice it until the flat, clean line of the coachroof draws your eye to it.

She is without doubt a very elegant yacht, almost sublime. Unlike her competitors against whom it competed, (as we now know, with very limited chances in pure sailing terms) the First 44 does not have to show off with aggressive angles or exaggerated lines. In keeping with the bourgeois charm of the French, the 44 has a rather dignified, almost English appearance. We think that Argento and Biscontini have done a great job with the design of this yacht!

A little too heavy…

…is an understatement. In terms of weight, the First 44 can in no way compete with its direct rivals Grand Soleil 44, XP 44 or Solaris 44. Only the very traditionally manufactured Dehler 46, which is similar in dimensions to the First 44, weighs 11.5 tons and approaches the performance of the First 44, which should actually be far superior. Of course, the dedicated racers had already spotted this weakness on paper, and it still shows today in the somewhat sluggish — if not outright disappointing — sales figures. In this sense, the First 44 shares a similar fate to the First 30 JK, which debuted to great fanfare yet followed a comparable trajectory, despite being penned by enfant terrible Juan Kouyoumdjian.

Nevertheless, even if this sounds a little negative, buying this boat is by no means a bad choice, even if the First 44 can only be considered a flop from a BENETEAU perspective. It’s always the expectations you start with. And they were quite high for this yacht - too high. This is a shame, because the First 44 is a well-balanced, fast yacht and could be of interest to you.

The burden of inheritance: First obliges

If you are looking for a brand new First 44 for sale, get good advice from an official dealer. Both the standard 'Cruising' version and the Performance version of this yacht have their own special features, which are particularly evident in the cockpit. And also on your bank account, since upgrading to the performance version is extremely costly and has to be something you really want, especially given that the yacht still won’t become a true 'performance' boat.

The name obliges. At BENETEAU, First stands for the high-performance sailing boats that have traditionally always sailed at the front in regattas. In fact, the First series was introduced long before the Oceanis. Even back then, it was important to Madame Roux to only allow the really big names in design and sailing to come to First. This legacy, combined with the brand’s formidable regatta record, inevitably places pressure on every new designer who has the honour of shaping a First. Whether the weight problem comes from Argento and Biscontini or is simply the reality of mass production in industrialised series production, we do not know. What is certain is that after the First 44, the management took a very close look at this when the next yacht in this series was launched. The slightly smaller First 36 is everything a First should be and much more, with nothing to criticse. Anyone looking for a sailing boat for sale will find it a cheaper alternative that is worth a closer look for both cruising sailors and ambitious racers.

BENETEAU First 44 for sale - hull, construction, design and sail plan

Modern series production: construction and hull of the First 44

The hull of the First 44 is manufactured using the vacuum infusion process, with a sandwich core made of balsa wood. For the deck, a more modern synthetic material made of PET is used for the core. The bulkheads and all the furniture are made from normal boatbuilding plywood, which is laminated or varnished accordingly. Other builders consistently pursue lighter construction using alternative core materials, vinylester resins, and composite structures - at least for the bulkheads. By contrast, the First 44 is essentially a hybrid: part lightweight‑construction philosophy, part traditional 'heavy' production‑cruiser build.

Nevertheless, the hull naturally fulfils the high structural requirements of offshore sailing, and the yacht is CE Category A certified. It sails with reassuring stiffness and makes good progress to windward, in our view, largely thanks to its very defined, sharply cut bow section. If you ever have the chance to see a First 44 hull standing on land (for example at a boat show or simply in winter storage), take a look at the bow from behind at an angle: you will recognise the distinctive bow shape. Biscontini has also given the aft hull a small outward 'twist', slightly reminiscent of IOR, which is probably intended to improve the planing properties. As you can see, there is modernity, creativity and potential in the First 44!

More performance thanks to carbon rigging

The performance version of the First 44 replaces the standard aluminium mast with high-quality carbon fibre from Axxon. The carbon mast is a full 1.50 metres higher, which increases the sail area upwind from 103 m² in the 'smallest' standard version to no less than 121 m²: that’s a lot more power!

The First 44 is also more enjoyable under gennaker or Code 0 in lighter winds. In those conditions, you can set a whopping 207 m² of sail with the gennaker (instead of the standard 170 m²) or 105 m² with the Code 0 (compared with 95 m² in the standard setup).

The performance version of the First 44 also comes with a mainsheet traveller that spans the entire width of the cockpit; on the standard boat, the mainsheet is attached via a somewhat traditional-looking bridle in the middle of the cockpit deck. In our opinion, this could have been solved more elegantly for the cruiser version. Improved winches, 'Fastnet' displays at the mast base, and a dark EVA hard foam deck covering complete the package.

It goes without saying that owners of performance yachts should have their sails made by their preferred loft. BENETEAU only offers the yacht with a Code 0 and we see that as a positive because OEM sails, even from well‑known brands, rarely match the quality of a genuine loft‑built sail.

Even more upwind power with keel options and water ballast

Those who fine‑tune the top end shouldn’t forget about what’s happening below the waterline. The First 44 is available for sale as standard with an elegant, albeit cast-iron, T-keel, which weighs 3.3 tonnes and has a draught of 2.15 metres. For those seeking additional rigidity and improved upwind performance (particularly with the large carbon rig aloft), the 2.60 m performance keel is the logical choice. This configuration uses an iron fin paired with a lead bulb, contributing a combined 3 tonnes of ballast.

The First 44 is available for sale with an optional water ballast system. This system lets the skipper pump 300 litres of water at the push of a button into tanks located in the aft cabin areas, effectively simulating the weight of up to six crew. It allows the yacht to sail extremely high upwind in single‑ or double‑handed mode while remaining stable and safe. The electrically operated setup completes a full transfer in about three to four minutes. If you buy a First 44 with this system, you can only sail it in CE Category A areas with a maximum of six crew (in other areas it can be sailed with 12).

The dinghy garage of the First 44

The stern garage on this sailboat is also worth mentioning. From our point of view (and that of many dealers and owners), this is another point on the unfortunate list for the First 44. The garage itself is contradictory, because BENETEAU itself has issued the edict that stern garages for dinghies only make sense on yachts from 55 feet and upwards. Then the dinghies you can fit are large and practical enough to use and the space the garages take up on board the yacht is minimal. And we can only agree with that! However, a garage has been built into the First 44 which is accessible as soon as the bathing platform opens, but this garage only fits a maximum of a 2 metre long tender without an engine, which then also has to be partially deflated. There are no aids for loading or unloading the dinghy; there is only a hatch into the garage from the deck. Many owners also report that the garage is so close to the waterline that it is always flooded with seawater even when the boat is only moderately loaded which adds even more weight (and moisture) to the boat. There are workarounds with covers that close the garage all round, but these do not change the basic problem. Here too it's well-intentioned, but rather inadequate in practice.

BENETEAU First 44 for sale - all the information for skippers/sailors

Fast, but not super-fast: what First 44 skippers should know

If you're looking for a First 44 for sale, reading this article should make it clear that if you have serious regatta or performance ambitions, you should only choose the Performance version. And even then, modifications are still necessary to compensate for the weight deficit. In this case, professional or Corinthian skippers would probably opt for the afore mentioned competitors or other brands that are fully geared towards racing.

For the cruising sailor who prefers fast sailing, the First 44 is definitely suitable: its speed is still far beyond that of a cruiser, and the sailing fun that comes with it is supported by the yacht’s great racing look. The weight of the cruising version can also be reduced by a few simple steps. For example, foregoing a real wood deck covering has an immediate positive effect and the influence of the sails should also not be underestimated. So there are definitely some adjustments that can be made.

Yachts are not houses: the cockpit problem

In addition to the weight, the core problem of the First 44 from our point of view is the following: apparently, or rather, obviously, the designers were not only inspired by the First 53, but actually copied it. It seems as if the - wonderfully functional - cockpit layout of its big sister has simply been scaled down to fit the 44. Voilá. You can clearly see that this leads to problems in practice when you look at the winch layout and the line routing. This has been 'achieved' very unhappily on the First 44. The winches are too close together, and in both variants - cruising and performance - the cockpits cannot be described as easy to use. You can’t shrink or enlarge boats like you can houses.

Of course, this does not make the First 44 unsailable; you can certainly get used to the cockpit. If you mainly sail alone or if there are two people on board, the cockpit is OK, but if you want to have fun with your active friends, you have to put up with a lot with the First 44 cockpit.

The First 44 as a (fast) cruising boat

If not a regatta yacht, then at least a fast cruising yacht? We can give the 'green light' for everything on deck: the First 44 sails well in weather, copes with waves and can quickly bridge long holiday passages. The First 44 can be fitted with a sprayhood, to keep spray and waves out of the cockpit even in bad weather. A bimini is also available for sale from the shipyard, which can be closed using sunshades. So far, so good: are you all set for a great holiday or even a long sailing trip? Well, not quite: in this case, the restrictions or compromises you have to make as a cruising skipper are below deck…

BENETEAU First 44 for sale - comfort, below deck

The layout of the First 44

First of all, there is only one cabin layout on ofer for the First 44 - hardly surprising as many performance yachts are not very flexible when it comes to the 'downstairs'. The First 44 is available for sale as a classic three-cabin yacht with an owner’s cabin forward and two almost symmetrical aft cabins. Almost symmetrical, because the starboard cabin has to give up some volume to the day and guest bathroom which is reflected in a smaller entrance area and a smaller hanging locker. At 2.04 x 1.38 metres, the sleeping area is the same in both aft cabins and is a comfortable size. Two elegant hull windows provide additional natural light, but unfortunately they are very far forward in the hull so you can’t enjoy the view when lying down. At the front of the First 44, there is a beautiful half island bed in the owner’s area; the second bathroom is installed here.

Exemplary (and certainly not standard!), BENETEAU has installed a bathroom to starboard and also one to port. This is important on a boat that is likely to sail with a lot of leeway, as it means that at least one toilet can always be flushed with water and is reasonably comfortable to use.

Yachts are not houses, part two

The fact that the BENETEAU First 44 is only available for sale with one type of wood (ALPI teak) and only one wood colour for the floorboards certainly doesn’t help the yacht to find fans. So the only thing you can do when personalising the specification is to change the colour and fabric type of the upholstery. Here, a lighter wood variant or more freedom with the floor boards would have made it more appealing, because the reddish-orange colour of the ALPI teak imitation is certainly an acquired taste.

For a yacht in this price range, the furniture also looks … cheap. BENETEAU has improved this in the First 53, where there is greater use of real wood or solid laminated moulded parts. The quality of the furniture on the First 44 is not convincing and cannot really be distinguished from an Oceanis.

The biggest shortcoming from our point of view, however, is that the shipyard seems to have made the same mistake in the general layout of the yacht as it did with the cockpit, simply reducing the (previously wonderfully successful) saloon of the First 53 to the dimensions of the First 44. The result is an almost frighteningly cramped saloon! What works really well on the First 53, namely orientating the furniture along the alignment of the outer walls rather than along the longitudinal axis, creates what we consider to be an unfavourable effect on the First 44. The tapered saloon looks even narrower!

The settee to starboard is the only place to relax because the dining table opposite takes up too much space. And again: this works so wonderfully on the First 53 because it is so large as are are the individual elements. It doesn’t work on the First 44, because the dining area looks completely oversized and the small settee looks out of place. Woe betide anyone sailing with six or more people. Where are they all supposed to sit down and feel comfortable?

The galley is fully equipped and its L-shape has an ergonomic layout. If you only use the saloon for eating, you won’t have any problems. But from our point of view, it is not suitable as a place to relax, unwind or have a good time on board with the small sofa only offering space for two people sitting or one person reclining. It looks even smaller due to the almost comic-like, somewhat loveless flange-mounted navigation table, at which you are supposed to sit facing the opposite direction to the direction of travel. However, it is so small and unloving that you would be better off removing it and extending the settee instead.

All in all, the saloon of the First 44 is disappointing across the board - even the inexpensive mass cruisers do it better. The choice of wood makes it dark and feel very cramped and the visual alignment of the furniture, which tapers towards the front, adds to this: there’s no such thing as a feel-good saloon!

Hope: a revised First 44?

There are indications that a task force at the shipyard is currently working on modifying the current production of the First 44 so that the boat’s biggest problems can be rectified. This of course speaks in favour of the yacht’s concept: as we have already said, it is mega-chic on the outside and has the potential to be an absolute high-flyer, both structurally and conceptually. If BENETEAU could get the weight problem under control, nothing would stand in the way of a phoenix-like rise from the ashes: the cockpit can be redesigned (new deck moulds are nowhere near as expensive as those for the hulls), and the furniture design, being modular, can also be quite easily changed. We wish the First 44 all the best! Whether and when something will come of this - or whether a completely new 15-metre First will be launched in a few years’ time - is not yet clear, as all those involved are keeping quiet. So for now, it’s a matter of waiting — or doing what some owners have done and getting the best out of the boat as it is. One upgraded First 44 tackled the 2023 Transpac and came in second after crossing the Pacific. That’s solid proof it performs!

Outsider or trendsetter? The First 44e

BENETEAU also used the First 44 as a test platform for an all-electric drive, powered by two large 4 kW batteries from Torqeedo. What made it unusual was the propulsion system. Two Torqeedo pod drives were installed slightly off the centreline, a setup the yard claimed enables manoeuvring almost like a catamaran. This configuration, marketed as the First 44e, was briefly offered to private buyers but has since been discontinued. You may be able to find these 'electric' boats for sale on the second-hand boat market from time to time.

Elium resin, which makes GRP laminates 100% recyclable, was also tested on the First 44, with BENETEAU testing the load limits of these laminates under real world conditions in a long-term sailing test. Elium hulls can be 'melted down' after use, whereby the glass fibre and resin can then be cleanly separated. Both basic materials of the GRP are thus recovered and can be 100% reused. Elium hulls are just as resilient as 'normal' polyester or vinylester yachts, but are around 30% more expensive to produce, according to the shipyard. Following the very successful test programme with the First 44, BENETEAU has decided to use Elium as the standard material for its flagship, the Oceanis Yacht 60, though First 44s are not available for sale in Elium for the time being.

Nevertheless, this proves that the shipyard is making serious progress in the field of sustainability: all the better to know that it was the First 44 that provided the proof of safety and feasibility.

Chic yacht with lots of (unutilised) potential

Well, you see, it’s not quite as negative as it looked at the beginning of this article, is it? The First 44 is a very pretty, almost excitingly sexy yacht that will attract attention both in the marina and under sail. The high rig and sail area are particularly impressive in the performance version.

Only the more ambitious racers will care that the yacht’s performance on serious regatta courses doesn’t quite live up to the expectations and reputation associated with the 'First' name. Most sailors will still be able to coax plenty of power and performance out of the yacht. And if you have the enthusiasm, the time, and the budget, a disciplined weight‑reduction programme and a few smart upgrades can definitely bring the yacht up to speed.

If you’re into 'darker' boats and usually sail solo or with just one other person, the layout will probably suit you well. The saloon is very narrow for a boat this size, but in this scenario it won’t feel like a drawback, otherwise it is far too narrow for this size of boat.

The First 44 needs a connoisseur who recognises and uncovers its hidden and unused potential. You will be rewarded with a timelessly elegant design and what is sure to be a great sailing experience.

The First 44 on the used boat market

Not many First 44s have been built, so they are unlikely to play a major role in the used boat market. If you do find a used First 44 for sale, be sure to note the distinction between standard/cruising and performance variants. Some owners have carried out significant customisations on their First 44 boats. Any conversion or addition should be carried out professionally otherwise there is a risk of losing the warranty or even the CE certification and therefore should always be carefully inspected.

If the rumour is true and a revised First 44 comes out (soon) which no longer has any weight problems, solves the cockpit issue and possibly even offers a beautiful, bright saloon appropriate to the class, the used boat prices for the 'old' First 44 are likely to suffer. This would give bargain buyers an opportunity but sellers would loose out. But as of early 2026, this is all still unclear.

BENETEAU First 44 for sale - what we particularly like:

• Very chic exterior thanks to the designers Argento and Biscontini
• Beautiful, high rig with lots of power
• Many rig and keel options

BENETEAU First 44 for sale - you should take a close look:

• Clearly too heavy a yacht for serious regatta participation
• The cockpit and interior layout is based on that of the larger First 53 and scaled down proportionally: it doesn't quite work
• The tender garage is far too small and does not stay dry

Further reviews and test reports: