Ben' First 27.7

[StellaGirl]

Ben\' First 27.7

Has anyone sailed on a Ben First 27.7 and if so what are your opinions? Possibility I can go into joint ownership of one and just wondered what people thought...

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[Hurleyburly]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

YM slated it.

The one they tested had corrosion on the lifting keel after only a few months and the lifting mechanism wasn't up to the job. Looked at it at SBS - all out racing machine and quite pricey.

Definitely won't stand up to Sydney - Hobart conditions (excepting most recent race).

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[Jimmy20V]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

I know a couple of 27.7 owners, and they love them.

Not sure about pricey tho, £40k on the road aint all that much for a boat of its size... But I stand to be corrected.

All machines like the 27.7 are gonna be a nieche (sp) market, like the First Class 8, 10. when compared to cruisy boats...

Also (though this is open to debate) YM and Beneteau have always had a dodgy relationship....

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[Badger]

First 27.7 claims first European Yacht of the Year

In the first of the new European Yacht of the Year Awards the Bénéteau First 27.7 was announced as overall winner at the Düsseldorf Boat Show yesterday. The awards, which have been established as a result of an initiative by the German magazine Yacht, were judged by the editors of 11 leading European yachting magazines from the UK (Yachting World), Denmark (Bådnyt), Italy (Fare Vela), Sweden (Segling), Norway (Seilas), Switzerland (Swissboat/Yachting), France (Voiles & Voilers), Germany (Yacht), Greece (Yachting), Austria (YachtRevue) and Spain (Yate). Amongst the 6 selection criteria, performance and innovation have played a major role in the First 27.7 victory and in her public success

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[david_e]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

I looked at the original prototype in Holland last year, very nearly bought. The concept is great. Fast, easy to sail short and light handed, go-anywhere keel, and room inside.

The lay up is also a bonus in that it does not have the inner moulding format (which isn't bad).

Great week-end boat, should always sell well on the 2nd hand market.

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[Twister_Ken]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

Crawled over the one at the SBS. Looked like it would be great fun to sail in sheltered waters, but it was a bit depressing downstairs. Don't seem right somehow, walking in the bilge.

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[Jacket]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

Down below its a bit like my boat, with open lockers and the like. I found that when I got my stuff on board, it looked much more lived in and less bleak.

Anyway, I thought that the whole point of owning a relatively small boat was that it left you lots of dosh to spend in the pub? So the only time you're down below, you're too merry to notice how bleak it is.

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[Jeremy_W]

Re: Ben\' First 27.7

I think the real question is "should a relatively inexperienced sailor (it's still your first year, I think) buy a part share in a yacht which (purely based on the comments above) is basically a racing machine with few concessions to cruising"?

IMHO - probably not. In practice there are two types of yacht shares
(i) Cruising -you have the sole use of the yacht as skipper and master under god every 2nd/ 3rd/ etc. weekend plus 2 weeks in the summer etc.
(ii) Racing - we'll be out there every weekend for the racing and positions in the crew will be decided by ability. So Fred, who once placed in the top 20 at the Enterprise Nationals is always skipper.. Bill who has sailed the Atlantic as Mate in a Tall Ships Race is always crew boss/ mast... as novice StellaGirl gets to pack the spinnaker and make the sandwiches. That's pastiche but I have seen yacht racing syndicate members who NEVER get their hands on the mainsheet or tiller.

It sounds like you are more likely to be in a racing yacht share with the Ben 27.7. If you are committed to the racing side of sailing, better to spend your money on training courses in yacht racing skills and buying an old cheap dinghy and then practise, practise, practise! Then, when you do buy, you won't enter yacht racing as the lowest level of skill totally dependent on your crew.

If you prefer cruising then the Ben 27.7 doesn't sound ideal. You could have, for example, a Contessa 26 all to yourself for the price of a 1/4 share in a £40K.
Benny.

If you haven't decided whether racing or cruising is your scene keep your money in your pocket and spend another year as itinerant crew until your ideas firm up.

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