Racing sailboat First 36 SE

cruising-racing3-cabin7-berth

Overview
The BÉNÉTEAU First 36 SE (Seascape Edition) is a production planing sailboat designed for high‑speed ORC racing and performance offshore sailing. Developed from the First lineage with Seascape input, it prioritizes low weight, refined hull form and race‑oriented ergonomics to deliver competitive handicap performance and exhilarating planing behavior.

Design & Team

• Naval architect: Samuel Manuard
• Design: Lorenzo Argento
• Structural engineering: Pure Design & Engineering
• Interior design: Sito

Key selling points

• Planing performance: hull shaped to initiate and sustain planing for strong downwind acceleration and top‑end speed.
• ORC optimisation: hull, keel, displacement and cockpit layout tuned to improve ORC rating and on‑race performance.
• Lightweight, stiff construction: vacuum‑infused sandwich hull, deck, bulkheads and interiors, achieving roughly 400 kg weight reduction vs. the standard First 36.
• Race usability: tiller steering, optimized cockpit ergonomics and practical onboard solutions that preserve basic comfort while minimising weight.

Sailing Experience
The First 36 SE focuses on direct feedback and responsiveness: tiller steering for immediate helm feel, technical non‑skid foam in the cockpit and a refined hull that reduces wetted surface by nearly 3 m². The result is a production 36‑ft platform offering class‑leading planing sensations and competitive pace in ORC fleets.

Living Onboard
The layout retains three cabins, a saloon and practical living spaces while introducing race‑oriented refinements: carbon companionway steps, carbon fiddles replacing wood, removable crew bags instead of heavy lockers and lee cloths for safe offshore sleeping. Storage is optimised to balance performance needs and basic habitability.

Connected Boat
Integrated with the Seanapps mobile application and an onboard unit, the boat enables remote monitoring of battery status, tank levels and maintenance planning, plus route planning and sailing data review from a smartphone.

Specifications

• Length Overall: 39'4" / 11.98 m
• Beam overall: 12'6" / 3.8 m
• Lightship Displacement: 9,700 lbs / 4,400 kg
• Air Draught Max: 58'5" / 17.8 m
• Draught Min: 6'4" / 1.95 m
• Fuel Capacity: 18.5 US Gal / 70 L
• Water Capacity: 53 US Gal / 200 L
• Max. engine power: 29 HP