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Between the First 36 and the highly sporty First 36 SE, Beneteau is breaking new ground with the First 36 Spirit. Priced at 200,000 euros (excluding tax)?more than 57,000 euros less than the First 36?this new model focuses on simplicity and lightness to make fast sailing accessible to more recreational sailors.
Spirit, a name that has resurfaced more than 30 years later
Beneteau is looking back at its history to revive a somewhat forgotten name. In the early 1990s, the shipyard launched the First 300 Spirit, a sailboat that already embodied a certain simplicity and a direct connection between the sailor, the boat, and the elements. More than thirty years later, this philosophy returns to the lineup in the form of the First 36 Spirit.
This choice is not insignificant. The First family has expanded considerably and now encompasses several different concepts. Beneteau distinguishes between the First SE models, designed for racing; the First models, dedicated to fast cruising and planing; and the larger models geared toward yachting.
The First 36 Spirit fills a new role in this lineup: that of a fast, deliberately simplified sailboat, designed to make the First 36's performance accessible to a wider audience.
A First 36 on a Diet
The First 36 Spirit isn't starting from scratch. It is based on the First 36 platform, but Beneteau and Seascape have applied an approach to the boat that Andraž Mihelin, head of the First line, sums up as ?simplify, then lighten.?
The result is particularly noticeable on the scale. The First 36 Spirit has a stated light displacement of just 4,620 kg. Its hull is built using vacuum infusion, and Beneteau claims that this light weight should allow it to plane as soon as the wind picks up enough.
80 m² of sail area when sailing close-hauled
The reduced weight does not mean that Beneteau has compromised sailing performance. The First 36 Spirit has 80 m² of sail area for upwind sailing, divided between a mainsail of up to 42 m² and a jib of 38 m².
Downwind, the sail area can reach 183 m². The masthead gennaker has a sail area of up to 141 m², while a 72.5 m² furling fractional gennaker is also provided.
The shipyard also worked on the boat?s handling. The First 36 Spirit is equipped with two rudders featuring CNC-machined Corecell cores. The deck hardware and cockpit layout are designed to allow sailing with a small crew or even solo.
Fewer features, but still a genuine interior
However, the streamlined design does not turn the First 36 Spirit into a spartan racing boat. Instead, Beneteau is seeking a balance between light weight and cruising capability.
The interior thus retains a large salon and layouts designed for life on board. The shipyard sought to simplify the furnishings with solutions such as open storage, removable magnetic doors, and a retractable sink in the bathroom. The first images show, in particular, two double cabins and a bathroom, with a spacious central salon and a galley situated on either side of the staircase.
57,230 euros less than the First 36
It?s probably when it comes to pricing that the Spirit concept really comes into its own. The First 36 Spirit is priced starting at 200,000 euros (excluding tax). At its launch, Beneteau also priced the First 36 at 257,230 euros and the First 36 SE at 301,360 euros.
The Spirit therefore costs 57,230 euros less (excluding tax) than the First 36, a difference of more than 22 percent. Compared to the First 36 SE, the price difference is even greater than 100,000 euros.
This hierarchy also provides a better understanding of Beneteau?s strategy: three variations of the same size for three different uses. The Spirit promises ?the joy of planing for everyone,? the First 36 focuses more on fast cruising, and the First 36 SE remains the model most geared toward racing.
Samuel Manuard Still at the Helm of Architecture
The First 36 Spirit retains a design team closely linked to that of the First line. The naval architecture is by Samuel Manuard, while Lorenzo Argento is responsible for the exterior design. Pure Design & Engineering is involved in the structure, and SITO and Lorenzo Argento are responsible for the interior layout. The concept and R&D are handled jointly by the Seascape and Beneteau teams.
The First 36 Spirit is ultimately less a new platform than a new interpretation of the First 36. At a time when production sailboats tend to become more fully equipped, more sophisticated, and more expensive, Beneteau is taking the opposite approach here: removing features, reducing weight, and lowering the price point.
An approach that ultimately harkens back to the origins of the First line: offering sailboats that are fast enough to be fun to sail, yet spacious enough for cruising.
We'll have to wait until Boot Düsseldorf in January 2027 to see the First 36 Spirit make its world debut.
