1982 Beneteau First 38

Designed by Jean Berret and introduced in 1982 the First 38 was one of the earliest sailboats to boast the popular three-stateroom layout now found on so many mass-produced monohulls. It also was one the first production boats built with a reverse scoop transom, another widely adopted feature. It is attractive and solidly built for an inexpensive mass-produced boat, an excellent value for anyone looking for a strong, fast cruising boat that can also be successfully raced.

Like all Beneteaus, the First 38 had a relatively short production run, from 1982 to 1985, but during that time over 200 hulls were built, several of which were exported to both coasts of North America. In 1986 much of the tooling for the First 38 was used by Beneteau to create the First 405, which has a different interior (just two staterooms instead of three), a deeper keel and more ballast, and is finished to a slightly higher standard.