The Beneteau First 18SE is a compact and agile sailing yacht, perfectly crafted for those who seek the thrill of racing and the joy of coastal cruising. Measuring just 5.55 meters in length, this modern monohull is designed by the renowned naval architect Sam Manuard, ensuring exceptional performance and handling on the water. The yacht’s lightweight and planing hull configuration, built from durable GRP, offers superb speed and agility, making it a favorite among competitive sailors and recreational enthusiasts alike. The First 18SE is equipped with a retractable keel, allowing for easy trailerability and access to shallow waters, enhancing its versatility for exploration. The deck layout is optimized for simplicity and efficiency, featuring a spacious cockpit that can comfortably accommodate up to four day guests. Inside, the minimalist design focuses on functionality and comfort, with enough space to sleep two. While this yacht is primarily powered by sails, an optional outboard engine can be added for auxiliary power, making it even more adaptable to various sailing conditions. The Beneteau First 18SE embodies the perfect blend of excitement, practicality, and innovation, making it an ideal choice for sailors looking to make the most of their time on the water. With a new price starting at approximately 25,000 EUR, this yacht offers exceptional value for both new and seasoned sailors. Used models are equally attractive, with prices ranging from 15,000 EUR to 20,000 EUR, depending on condition and equipment.
Length
5.6M
Beam
2.4M
Draft
1.5M
Day Guests
4
Sleeping
2
Cabin
0
Cruise Speed
0KT
Max Speed
0KT
Fuel
0L
Engine
Optional Outboard
Naval
Sam Manuard
Exterior
Sam Manuard
Interior
Beneteau In-house Team
New Starting From
€25,000
High Price Brokerage
€20,000
Low Price Brokerage
€15,000
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A chine runs the length of her hull, and it is there to do real work.
Sam Manuard drew that chine to add stability and lift as she picks up speed, the same thinking behind the planing hulls he has built a career on. Polyester sandwich construction with a honeycomb core keeps both hull and deck light without sacrificing stiffness, a genuine engineering choice rather than a cost saving one. A swiveling keel adjusts her draught from a deep 1.5 metres down to a shallow 0.18 metres, letting one boat cover open water and a skinny anchorage without a second thought. At 500 kilograms fully rigged, with 125 kilograms of that as ballast, she carries a quarter of her own weight low down, enough to keep her standing up to a proper breeze.
She needs barely three knots of wind to start moving.
In three to five knots true, the First 18 SE holds around 3.8 knots of boat speed, and that climbs to 4.5 knots upwind over the ground once the breeze reaches four to five on the Beaufort scale. Bear away under her optional gennaker in a surf and she is capable of 13 to 14 knots, performance figures that belong on a far larger, far more expensive boat. Carbon fibre rigging without spreaders or a backstay keeps the rig simple and light, while a mainsail of 15.6 square metres and a 106 percent furling genoa of 9 square metres give her enough power in moderate air without ever feeling overpowered.
There is no backstay, and there are no spreaders.
Carbon fibre rigging removes both, simplifying the boat and cutting weight aloft where it matters most for stability. Twin rudders keep her tracking true even heeled hard over, and a bowsprit that extends well clear of the bow gives the optional 35 square metre gennaker room to fly clean of the mainsail. The swiveling keel and its winch are the only real mechanical systems aboard, deliberately simple for a boat that will see more trailer miles than most yachts see marina berths. A mast standing 8.52 metres above the waterline keeps her within reach of a standard road trailer, one more sign that portability was designed in rather than added as an afterthought.
The cabin holds two benches, a winch, and nothing else.
That bareness is deliberate. The First 18 SE is built for sailing rather than for living aboard, and every kilogram left out of the interior is a kilogram that does not need to be pushed through the water. Two day guests can join comfortably in the cockpit, which is kept open and free of anything to trip over, while crew sit out sideways on deck for a boat that rewards active sailing over passive cruising. An outboard is available as an option for auxiliary power when the wind drops or a marina needs to be reached under control, though she is happiest under sail. Upholstery for the cabin benches is optional, left to an owner who wants a little more comfort for the occasional overnight.
At 25,000 euros new, she costs less than many family cars.
That price buys a boat with genuine racing pedigree behind her design, built to plane rather than simply to sail fast downwind, and light enough to trailer behind an ordinary car rather than requiring specialist transport. Sam Manuard’s naval architecture and exterior lines carry through a hull built for two clear jobs, shallow water access through her swiveling keel and genuine speed once the breeze fills in. For a buyer who wants a serious introduction to performance sailing, or a second boat that gets used far more often than a bigger yacht ever would, the First 18 SE offers a rare combination of low cost, low complexity and real capability on the water.
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