Beneteau First 53 Boats For Sale

The Beneteau First 53, also marketed as the First Yacht 53 and sometimes searched as the beneteau first 53f5, is a 53-foot luxury performance cruiser introduced in 2019 as the opening model of a new line aimed at the luxury-performance segment. It is the work of an Italian team: Roberto Biscontini, who has an America's Cup background, drew the hull, while Lorenzo Argento handled the deck and interior styling. The hull carries a vertical stem, a maximum beam of five meters set well aft and run to the transom, and twin rudders, giving a 17-meter, roughly 15-tonne boat that is equipped for cruising rather than stripped out for racing. Beneteau positions it for couples and small crews who want to cruise to the Caribbean or Mexico and still enter the occasional regatta.

On performance, the boat generates its own breeze in light air: in around 6 to 7 knots of true wind it makes about 7 knots under code zero. In stronger conditions of 15 to 20 knots gusting 25, the French crew recorded 14 knots without pushing hard. The performance package includes a tall carbon mast that stands three feet taller than the 86-foot aluminum rig while saving 220 pounds, North 3Di sails, an aluminum V-boom with a Harken Switch track to lower the mainsail for stowing, and a bowsprit with an integrated bow roller for the asymmetric and code zero. Three keel options are offered, with drafts of 6.2 feet shoal, 8.3 feet standard, and 9.9 feet deep, and the construction uses balsa coring down to the keel.

The cockpit is set up for short-handed sailing, with all lines led aft under the coachroof to two powered Harken winches and a hidden bank of clutches per side. There is no traveller; the boat uses a single-point mainsheet with an optional mainsheet plinth, backed by a powerful vang, plus hydraulic backstay and adjustable fairleads led back to the helm. The twin wheels sit forward, leaving a perch to steer from and an easy walk-through onto the side decks. A reverse sheer keeps the coachroof low while preserving headroom, the bulwark rises toward the stern, and a teak cockpit sole comes as standard. Three aft lockers include direct access to a garage for a 2.4-meter tender, with an internal passageway from stern to bow that bypasses the saloon.

The beneteau first 53 interior breaks from convention with no chart table or nav station, since systems run on a ship control setup monitored from a computer, iPad or phone, covering tanks, batteries and electronics. Argento brought back laminated, molded curved woodwork in Alpi teak or oak against lacquered bulkheads, with magnetic latches, soft-closing drawers and long handrails. The layout favors a large sofa lounge over a big dining area, with a small table for four that extends to seat six. The galley has twin fridges, a front-opening fridge/freezer, a drop-down fridge, a wine chiller, and deep sinks. Furniture sits on a stainless steel grid over the GRP structural matrix, which keeps the boat stiff and quiet underway. Water capacity is 700 litres.

Two interior plans are offered: three cabins and two heads, or three cabins and three heads with a skipper's cabin replacing the sail locker. The forward owner's cabin has a 1.6-meter island berth facing forward, split heads with a generous shower and bench seat to port and the basin to starboard, lit wardrobes each side and abundant stowage. Two double aft cabins are only marginally affected by the tender garage thanks to the five-meter beam. Auxiliary power is a Yanmar shaft-drive diesel, with an optional generator and a 220-litre-per-hour water maker available.

Anyone weighing a beneteau first 53 for sale should note the trade-offs: choosing the third head moves the galley forward and reduces work surface, and the carbon mast adds about $100,000 over the aluminum rig. On price, the First 53 listed at a €480,000 base ex VAT, with a well-optioned example reaching roughly €850,000. Examples are in active use both cruising and racing, which is worth keeping in mind when shopping the used market.