Beneteau First Yacht 53

Luxury performance-cruising isn’t entirely new. You can go fast and still be comfortable. You can even race if you make the right tradeoffs—or so says Groupe Beneteau, which recently launched its First Yacht 53, in the process also reinventing the company’s “First” brand.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Beneteau took the creation of this new boat seriously, staging a design competition between a number of different companies before choosing Roberto Biscontini as its naval architect and Lorenzo Argento for styling. Biscontini’s America’s Cup experience resulted in a balanced hull form, with a carefully positioned center of buoyancy, minimalist lines, a plumb bow, vertical transom, low coarchroof, open stern and max beam carried well aft in the interest of sail-carrying ability off-the-wind.

Forward, the boat is equipped with a fixed composite sprit. Aft,