Beneteau First 44

About the Beneteau First 44

The First 44 is a genuine dual-purpose boat, built for owners who refuse to choose between racing and cruising. It is quick and rewarding when you push it, with a fixed-centreline mainsheet and a bank of winches that put serious sail control within easy reach. Ease off, and the same hull settles into an unhurried Adriatic passage — islands falling away astern, the owner's cabin aft giving you a private end of the boat, and a distinctive forward dinette that turns the saloon into somewhere you actually want to linger.

What makes it rare is how far it can be tuned to the life you want. Three rig choices, from aluminium to a taller carbon spar, and two keels let it lean cruising or lean performance, and optional twin electronic water-ballast tanks help you reach the boat's full potential with fewer hands aboard. Drawn by Biscontini with an interior by Argento, it carries itself as the noblest version of the racer-cruiser idea — competitive on the water, civilised below.

Owning a First 44 need not mean owning the upkeep. Angelina sells this model and runs it under professional charter management, so a dedicated team handles maintenance, marketing and bookings while you keep your own weeks aboard. If you want to see how the numbers sit before you commit, we prepare a per-yacht feasibility study covering charter income, running costs and VAT recovery, so the decision is made in daylight rather than on hope.

• A true dual-purpose 44 that races hard and cruises in comfort on the same hull
• Fixed-centreline mainsheet and a full winch complement for serious, hands-on sail control
• Owner's cabin aft with a distinctive forward dinette in a traditional three-cabin layout
• Rig and keel choices that tune the boat from relaxed cruising to outright performance
• Professionally charter-managed by Angelina, so the upkeep is handled and your weeks stay yours

Tuned To You

The First 44 is built to be configured, not just bought. Its sailplan, keel and ballast can be set up for the racing you dream of or the cruising you actually do — often both.

• Twin electronic water-ballast tanks, optional, to reach full potential with reduced crew
• Three rig choices spanning aluminium to a taller carbon spar
• Two keel options to tune the boat cruising-to-performance
• Fixed-centreline mainsheet and four winches for precise sail control
• Traditional three-cabin, two-head layout with the owner's cabin aft
• Distinctive forward dinette, freed by the aft owner's suite, at the heart of the saloon