During the Cannes boat show next September, Beneteau will officially launch the new First 30.
'Replacing the very successful 31.7 (more than 1600 units sold) is no easy task' says First project director Eric ingouf especially with a brief from the top management at Beneteau asking him 'to create a design which at minimum, can be as successful as the First 30 had been in 1977.' Way back, that First 30 was Beneteau's first entry into the world of competitive sailing...thereafter Beneteau built a staggering 969 units.
In 1977 André Bénéteau had partnered with André Mauric, designer of the half-tonner 'L’Impensable' which had won the Half-Ton Cup in 1973. In 2010, Chantiers Beneteau asked Juan Kouyoumdjian to draw the lines. With a surname that is too complicated for most to pronounce, Juan K is the designer of world class fast designs including ABN Amro and Ericcson 4, overall winners of the 05-06 and 08-09 Volvo Ocean Races resepctively. Michel Desjoyeaux, skipper of the monohull Foncia, and winner of the Vendee Globe 2001 and 2009 amongst many other achievements in the Beneteau Figaro class, is also on board to contribute with his vast experience in short handed sailing.
The new First 30 promises to be no ordinary 30-foot performance sail boat. Even at a glance, the boat is bubbling with new ideas....but most of all the new first 30 will be customer focused.....the first 2 boats have been on the water since early July, a full two months prior to the official launch of this boat, in order to fine tune every aspect prior to the first deliveries....and yes it will also come with its own Tuning Guide signed by the Team First 30 itself.