Beneteau First 40.7

These weren't perfect sailing conditions, they were testing ones.

Ideal for a sail on the new Beneteau First 40.7, the latest in production-yacht haute couture.
Designed by Bruce Farr and Associates, the 40.7 bears a slinky hull with a clean and efficient deck, and weight-conscious interior.  It's a yacht which will transform a halfway handy crew to a club-racing pro as fast as a Queenslander might down a rum and coke -
Well, almost.

And while the 40.7 still has an air of French flair, looking a picture on the marina or riding at anchor off a beach, it's most comfortable when it's out sailing.  After all, this is what it has been designed for.

On the 40.7's deck you'll find a spacious cockpit with room for eight people - unlike most other European-connected yachts - on bench seats or around lots of bum-hugging, curvy decks. The styling is less avant garde than other Beneteaus, and there's not a full walk-through transom. In fact, you'd be right in proclaiming the 40.7 the most serious Beneteau yet. The cockpit has two removable lockers to increase deck space and improve the boat's rating in CHS or PHS divisions.

Displacement is 6900kg.

With a 9/10 rig, the 40.7 carries a powerful head of sail.

But being runner free, and with a hydraulic backstay, it's not a handful.

The owner of our test yacht formerly had a Northshore 33, but after just a few weeks aboard the 40.7 he was first home in the cruiser/racer division of the Cruising Yacht Club's hotly-contested winter series.

Easy as that.
Apparently, the 40.7 has the same handicap as a J35.

It sails as well as it rates.

Construction is semi-exotic, with a carbon rudder blade, composite rudder stock, and glassed-in frames.

Weight has been kept out of both ends of the boat, the transom certainly doesn't drag, and further savings are found in such things as the steering quadrant - it uses vectran instead of chain.

This is the first Beneteau with a Volvo saildrive, which reduces weight compared with a shaftdrive and places it low and well-centred in the boat.

The 40.7 is set for something of a showdown in coming months.

There will be four 40.7s in Sydney by the end of the year, all with virtually identical inventories.

However, each sail wardrobe will have been cut by a different sailmaker.
Our boat was the first 40.7 to arrive in Australia.

It had a full set of Hood sails, from a main with fully-battened top and mid-section with leech battens, through a range of headsail, to a couple of kites.

But even before they were unfurled, the 40.7 showed its agility.

Together, the saildrive with self-feathering prop and the massive 1600mm diameter wheel, make pulling out of the tight CYCA berth a cinch.

As the 38hp Volvo motors in search of wind, engine noise and vibration are both noticeably absent.

At this stage, the boat feels light and nimble, even though there's a 2.4m deep fin-bulb keel underneath us and a racy triple-spreader sports rig above.

An optional cruiser rig with a shorter stick and twin spreaders is available, as is a shallow-draft keel.
More racer than cruiser, the 40.7's rather large main (no lazy jacks) and the headsail both unfurl cleanly.

All deck gear is Lewmar - ball-bearing cars, two-speed self-tailing winches, jammers etc.
Sheeting angles come down to an impressive 10°.

In fact, the 40.7 has been designed around these performance-orientated sheeting angles to some degree .

Moving about the decks is simple enough with a low-profile cabin top that's curved, wide bulwarks, and shrouds that have been kept inboard.

While grasping the huge leather-bound wheel, you can easily see along either gunwale and pick up the tell-tales.

With the wind coming in at maybe 12kts, the 40.7 responded quickly and raced along to at least 8kts (the pick-up for the wind gauge was clogged).

The helm is well balanced, with a neutral feel and little effort required to pull around the tacks.

And running before the wind is just as efficient thanks to a wide traveller which runs right across the cockpit, just ahead of the binnacle upon which the B&G instruments are mounted.

Down below, the 40.7 is quintessentially Beneteau — nice curves and bumps, a French-polished look to the cherrywood joinery and a cheery choice of fabrics.

But unlike other Beneteaus, this one's more unassuming.

The frills have been omitted to save weight, and headroom only just accommodates a six-footer.

Essentially, there are three double cabins, each with 2m x 1.5m two-piece mattresses so you can fit leeboards.

Each has a hanging locker, storage cabinet, shelves and at least two opening ports for ventilation.

The two aft cabins would make useful berths offshore, while the bow cabin offers more room for the owner.

It's the place to bed down when at anchor and it accesses the single head located forward of the saloon.

Shared by both a doorway from the saloon and the owner's cabin, the head features a sit-down shower recess and plenty of easy-clean moulded surfaces.

It's bright and comfortable, no matter which way you approach it.

The saloon has twin lounges around a dinette with folding leaves.

Behind the lounges are neat storage cabinets and trailing off the starboard side is the nav station, with a big chart table, bookshelf, more lockers and a dedicated facia for flush-mounting your electronics.

Similarly, the galley to port is pure and simple, with L-shaped bench tops, double stainless sinks, pressurised hot and cold water, a massive 12V fridge and gimballed stove/oven.

The storage cabinets flanking the saloon continue into the galley, while cupboards and drawers are built in around the sink.

Despite all this, the 40.7 is a boat for those who relish racing, who get a kick from coming first, who love milking the most from every puff of wind.

Far-ranging enough to reach Hobart if desired, the yacht is exceedingly accommodating of crew as well as owner.

Christophe Vanek from Beneteau Vicsail in Rushcutters Bay, who sailed as bowman with the French in an America's Cup campaign, says: "The 40.7 is the only boat in the Australian market that can give you great performance with a luxury interior".

Whether it's the only 40-footer - a popular size yacht these days - that does that in Australia is open to conjecture.

However, there's no disputing this is one of the most performance-orientated Beneteaus ever.

During the European sailing season, the new 40.7 won virtually all the major regattas.
It would have been nice to be pitting the yacht in a club race in Sydney.

Even at my level, it seems wonderfully forgiving and optimistically fast.

Was that a whiff of victory, or of rum and coke, hanging in the air?