sailboat 27 foot

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First 27 SE brings high-tech performance, events and community know-how from the cutting edge of racing sports into recreational sailors' hands. She delivers extraordinary sailing experiences that were once reserved for professional racers. Sailors can challenge themselves on One Design long-distance races or enjoy fast adventure cruises in the best sailing spots, as she is also wholly trailable.

NAVAL ARCHITECT : Samuel Manuard INTERIOR DESIGN : Sito Concept and R&D : Seascape

WHY FIRST 27 SE ?

First 27 SE is a real high-performance planing sailboat, easily achieving thrilling double-digit speeds and delivering an incomparable sailing experience, resulting from modern design and building technologies.

Her superb seaworthiness, which crowned the boat with the B category, results from exceptional boat design, cutting-edge building technology and many safety features: three separate unsinkable chambers, a swinging keel system in case of grounding and increased bow volume with crash box.

The One Design racing calendar is comprised of fully crewed windward-leeward races and adventurous long-distance double-handed or solo challenges. Whichever you choose, you can count on the friendly community that will give you a proper challenge.

Sitting low on the trailer due to her hydraulically operated swinging keel, light structure, beam just below the width limit and light carbon mast, she is wholly trailable to different locations, for racing or cruising purposes. 

SAILING EXPERIENCE

Planing at double-digit speeds is easier than ever. The First 27 SE promises a thrilling and pure sailing experience. Her performance is rooted in her modern hull design and light but stiff vacuum-infused hull construction. She has a hull with very high initial stability, a deep lead-bulb keel, and an easily handled carbon rig with a large square-top mainsail without a backstay or runners. All this power is nothing if you can't manage it, so she's been designed with well-thought cockpit ergonomics and a balanced twin-rudder steering system. No matter if you're sailing solo, double-handed or fully crewed, First 27 SE will reward you with an astonishing sailing experience and pure joy under sail. 

LIVING ONBOARD

The First 27 SE is the only B category, trailerable 8m boat on the market with a fully functional interior. While it may look minimalistic, her extremely weight-sensitive interior is outfitted with components that also function as part of the boat's structure. She can accommodate up to 6 adults, two in a separate bow cabin and 4 in the saloon. Thanks to innovative magnetic doors, the mid-section of the boat can be converted to a proper marine toilet, front cabin extension, or "wet-room" for sail-changes. The interior also offers crew bags for personal belongings, a fridge, foldable table and sail-locker. Combined with other practicalities, these make her the ultimate adventure cruiser for sailing connoisseurs. The entire interior is modular, so you can quickly empty it and reduce weight for racing needs.

The International Owners Community and events calendar enable owners to challenge themselves on long-distance One Design challenges across the continent as a part of a great company of supportive, like-minded sailors.

Equipped With SEANAPPS

The easiest way to keep your boat safe and ready to cruise anytime.

The new Seanapps  app is the ultimate solution to help you indulge your passion for boating. With the touch of your finger, you can easily connect, monitor and order services for your boat – from routine maintenance, to requesting a wash or fuel or having us complete a repair.

The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

Length Overall

Beam overall

Light displacement

3417,17 lbs

Air Draft Max

Max. engine power

CE Certification

The thinking behind a modern sailing event – SE challenge's roots

It was almost dark when I stepped from the ever-balancing hull of my Seascape 18 onto the dock in Svendborg. To my surprise, the familiar cocktail of relief, elation, sadness, joy, and overwhelming sensation of accomplishment started to kick in.

Beginner Sailing Guide: How to choose the right sailboat and learn how to sail

The epic legend of the First : 40 years on

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Buying a BENETEAU doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We have teams of experts to guide you through the entire process – everything from sea trials, financing, and customization to after-sale commissioning, service, and maintenance. We are proud to have one of the largest, most highly-regarded dealer networks in the world. We’re ready to provide you with the assistance and expertise needed to launch you and your BENETEAU on a lifetime of happy, rewarding, and memorable voyages.

Other models in the range

4.3 m / 14’ 1’’

1.7 m / 5’ 7’’

5.55 m / 18’3’’

2.38 m / 7’ 10’’

7.29 m / 23’11’’

2.5 m / 8’2’’

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Marlow-Hunter, LLC

The 27 – an extraordinary entry-level crusier.

Novice sailors and veterans alike appreciate a boat that is easy to sail, packed with extra value and offers plenty of performance. The exciting Hunter 27 delivers all that and much more, resulting in an exceptional weekend cruiser with all the comforts of home. The Hunter 27’s impressive interior incorporates a refreshing sense of spaciousness with its large salon and 6’2” headroom. This interior shares the same warm, elegant design and materials with the largest Hunters. Other interior highlights on the Hunter 27 include solid wood cabinets and bulkheads, an L-shaped starboard galley, forward V-berth, private aft cabin, plus a fully enclosed head.

If you take a more environmentally-conscious approach to sailing, we also offer a completely green alternative to powering the 27. Partnering with the ELCO electric boat engine company, the Hunter team has developed a 100% emission-free propulsion and power package which we call the 27e. This breakthrough boat features the 10HP ELCO EP-1000. This state of the art electric propulsion system offers the same thrust as the standard 14HP diesel. Paired with our optional Green Energy package (Wind Powered Generator and T-Top with 3 Solar Panels, this power plant will propel and power your 27e with absolutely no emissions.

The Hunter 27 also features versatile sail plan options, allowing you to maximize your own performance requirements. Sail a Hunter 27 today. You’ll be glad you did!

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• Sailboat Guide

Albin Vega 27

Albin Vega 27 is a 27 ′ 0 ″ / 8.3 m monohull sailboat designed by Per Brohäll and built by Albin Marine between 1965 and 1979.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

There’s more to the modest-seeming Albin Vega than meets the eye. This little fiberglass 27 footer from Scandinavia can strut her stuff as a serious offshore cruiser and has become a multi-continental favourite with an army of fans. Created in 1964 by Swedish designer Per Brohall, builders Larsson Marine were looking for a bigger version of Brohall’s successful Viggen 23. Designed to be inexpensive but also light, spacious, fast and seaworthy, the Albin Vega’s popularity is a result of Brohall’s success in meeting his brief.

Like many boats of the time the Vega’s design gives a nod to the skinny lines and long keel of the Scandinavian Folkboat and in comparison with modern designs the term spacious might be misleading but unlike modern boats there was no trade off in seaworthiness for interior space. The Albin Vega is no longer in production, but during her ten year production run over 3000 boats were built. She has earned the reputation as an inexpensive all weather cruiser and an ideal starter boat.

In 1964 Lars Larsson, of Larsson Trade AB (in 1971 to become Albin Marin AB), commissioned Swedish designer Per Brohall to build a 27 foot version of his previous successful design, the Viggen 23, reputedly in the hope of increasing sales of their Albin engines. Brohall was one of the pioneers of early fibreglass construction in Sweden and published a number of books on small wooden boat building. He paired up with Larsson to design several boats, including the Albin 25, 21 and 30, but the Albin Vega was probably the most popular and widely known. Larsson Trade AB managed to produce 3450 Vegas at their impressive shipyard in Kristinehamn, Sweden before production ceased in 1979 and the shipyard closed down. Many of the Vegas unsurprisingly were sold in Scandinavia but a good proportion were shipped out to the rest of Europe and places as far away as the USA, Greenland and Hawaii.

Notable Voyages

The Vega has earned her reputation as an offshore cruiser by completing numerous offshore voyages and circumnavigations, the most famous being the voyage of John Neal whose book  Log of Mahina  chronicled his voyage from Seattle to the South Pacific.

More recently were voyages to Antartica and the Arctic made by controversial Norwegian Adventurer Jarle Andhoy and his crew in Berserk (and later  Berserk II ). These expeditions were filmed for Norwegian TV. According to their account of their Arctic voyage, they set a world record “as no other sailing vessel had ever sailed as far north in open water”.

In 2012, Matt Rutherford completed his solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the Americas via the Arctic’s Northwest Passage and South America’s Cape Horn. His 309 day voyage earned Matt two Guinness World records and has been captured in a documentary film called Red Dot on the Ocean .

Configuration and Layout

The Vega is a modest displacement masthead sloop with a cutaway stern and inboard rudder. She’s a bit lacking in classic cruiser curves with an almost straight sheerline from bow to stern which gives her a slightly hunchbacked appearance from certain angles. Her keel is not the traditional full keel of an offshore cruiser but, modified to half the length of her waterline, it’s enough to keep her tracking well while creating less friction and giving better light air performance. Her rudder is firmly fixed to the rear of the keel and uncommonly, the propeller exits under the counter stern above the rudder. She has an unusual bow pulpit configuration which allows for step through disembarking and is typical for Swedish boats which often have to be moored bow forward off rugged coastlines.

Her interior layout is fairly standard for a boat this size with, from bow to stern, chain locker, v-berth, head, single berths either side of the saloon and a galley split either side of the companionway stairway. With her 8ft beam there is not a lot of space to work with below but she can carry two adults comfortably on long voyages plus perhaps two children on shorter trips. The four berths are a decent size (6′ and 6′ 6″) and the table in the saloon screws in and can be unscrewed and relocated to the cockpit. There is no designated chart table so improvisation is required here. Headroom is not over generous with 5′ 10″ in the main cabin. The cockpit is considered to be the right size for offshore work and has good drainage and tall coamings for protection. One owner points to its use as an enjoyable cockpit bath with the drains plugged.

Construction

Built in the early days of fibreglass construction, the Vega’s hull is solidly constructed fibreglass up to one inch thick in parts, however the cabin top and deck are cored fibreglass which, while not necessarily weak, is prone to flexing and could do with reinforcement to withstand lengthy offshore work. The joints are strong and waterproof  with good sized stainless steel bolts, spaced 5 inches apart, holding hull and deck together.

By all accounts the Vega under sail handles easily and is a well balanced creature with no weather helm. Despite her shallow draft she is reported to point well to windward and while tender initially up to around 10 to 15 degrees of heel she carries full sail easily up to 20 knots. She’s a fast boat downwind but offshore cruisers would do well to carry a large spinnaker or drifter for light airs.

Buyer’s Notes

While the rudder is well supported by its attachment to the keel the rudder itself has some weaknesses. The rudder fittings should be carefully examined and the play in the rudder tested. The deck and cabintop are cored with PVC foam and may be subject to ‘oilcanning’ so reinforcement is advised for offshore work. With her deck-stepped mast the Albin Vega is susceptible to compression damage at the mast foot but this is often remedied by adding supports below. The large window’s in the hull are a weak point for offshore work and the stem fitting at the bow has been deemed inadequate. The Vega is also known to be difficult to control under power in reverse.

More than 3000 Albin Vegas were built and there are generally a number for sale on the used boat market, the majority of which can be found in Europe and the UK. A search of the current boat market shows prices around 9,000 to 12,00 Euros depending on condition. There are eight different national Albin Vega Associations, each with their own website as well as a worldwide umbrella organisation Vega One Design Association (VODA). Prospective owners have a wealth of contacts here and there is also an owner’s group on Yahoo (link below).

Links, References and Further Reading

» Albin Vega 27 Boat Review by John Vigor » Albin Vega Owner’s Site » Albin Vega Yahoo Group » Albin Vega Worldwide Database » Nick and Jenny Coghlan’s circumnavigation in Tarka the Otter (1985-89) » A Swedish circumnavigation by a young group of friends (2005-2007) » Red Dot on the Ocean , a documentary film capturing Matt Rutherford’s circumnavigation of the Americas in his Albin Vega 27

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• Sailboat Reviews

C&C 27 Boat Review

With hundreds still sailing, the 27 is an affordable option in cruiser-racer market..

This fast and handsome cruiser/racer from the 1970s is an excellent example of what made C&C Yachts such a successful company. C&C stands for George Cuthbertson & George Cassian, the design team that, in 1969, joined in partnership with Belleville Marine Yard, Hinterhoeller Ltd. and Bruckmann Manufacturing to form C&C Yachts. The company had a tumultuous history, from growing to capture an estimated 20 percent of the U.S. market during the 1970s, to suffering a devastating fire in 1994 while owned by Hong Kong businessmen Anthony Koo and Frank Chow of Wa Kwang Shipping. Along the way, they built a tremendous number of boats, not only in the racer/cruiser genre that was their mtier, but also the Landfall cruiser line, and a few oddballs such as the 1977 Mega 30 with a retractable fin keel; the Mega 30 and a handful of others simply bombed.

Most boats were built at one of several Ontario, Canada, facilities, but short periods of construction also took place in Middletown, R.I., and Kiel, Germany. In 1998, Fairport Marine, which owned Tartan Marine, purchased the C&C name and some molds and moved the remnants to Ohio. Other than the name and the emphasis on performance, however, there is no tangible connection between that more modern C&C and the giant of 25 years ago that so dominated the North American yachting scene.

The C&C 27 followed quickly on the heels of the successful C&C 35. The design dates to 1970, with the first boats coming off the line in 1971. C&C tweaked the design through four versions of the original 27-the Mark I, II, III and IV-but the hulls were very similar. The C&C 27s production ended in 1982 after nearly 1,000 had been built. From 1984 to 1987, C&C offered the Mark V, which was an MORC-influenced 27-footer with an outboard rudder; its design strayed far from the Mark I, II, III, and IV, and it should not be confused with the previous editions.

The 27 is a good example of what made C&C successful-contemporary good looks with sharp, crisp lines that still hold appeal today. The sheerline is handsome. Below the waterline, the swept-back appendages are dated, but thats of little significance to most owners. In the Mark I version, the partially balanced spade rudder is angled aft, with a good portion of it protruding behind the transom. In one of his reviews for Sailing magazine, designer Robert Perry described the C&C 27s rudder as a scimitar shape that was long in the chord and shallow. In 1974, when the Mark IV was born, the rudder was redesigned with a constant chord length and much greater depth and less sweep angle.

The keel, too, was redesigned in 1974, though most were swept aft like an inverted sharks fin. The Mark IIIs keel was given 2 inches more depth and the maximum thickness was moved forward to delay stalling. Hydrodynamic considerations aside, the worst that can be said of the 27s keel is that it takes extra care in blocking when the boat is hauled and set down on jack stands. Without a flat run on the bottom of the keel, the boat wants to rock forward.

Through its evolution, the C&C 27 not only gained draft, but it gained length overall as well: Both marks I and II were 27 feet, 4 inches long (21 feet at waterline), while marks III and IV were 27 feet, 10.5 inches from stem to stern (22 feet, 11 inches at waterline). The bow overhang is attractive, but more than what is found on most boats nowadays. Remember that waterline length directly affects speed.

All editions have a 9-foot, 2-inch beam, but displacement changed over the years-from 5,180 pounds to 5,500 pounds and then 5,800 pounds. And with the Mark III, the design shed about 400 pounds of ballast.

The later models rigs were masthead sloops with a mainsail luff length (P) of 28 feet, 6 inches and a foot length (E) of 10 feet, 6 inches; this gives an aspect ratio of .36. Rig height on the Mark I was 33 feet, and the Mark II had a 35-foot-tall rig.

Depending on which waterline dimension you use, the displacement/length ratio (D/L) ranges from 211 to 237. The sail/area displacement ratio (SA/D) is between 17.3 and 19.4. With moderate displacement and a generous sail plan, the C&C 27 is swift. PHRF ratings for the Mark I average around 200 seconds per mile, dropping to about 195 for the Mark II and 180 for the Mark III.

According to the C&C 27 owners association, C&C Yachts used only the Mark I and Mark II designations-the first for the original hull-form and the latter for a stretched and subtly reshaped development from the original. However, C&C 27 sailors added the other designations to distinguish between the different models, particularly for racing ratings.

About half of the C&C 27 owners use the boat strictly for cruising, while the other half also enjoy some club racing aboard the boat. Racing fleets are larger in Canada than the U.S., but they can be found in significant numbers on the West Coast and in the Great Lakes as well. There is a rather active owners association, and the groups website (see Resources) offers technical information, manuals, links to vendors for C&C 27 parts, as well as a forum for owners Q&A.

For more on the differences between the various models, see the accompanying The Evolution of the C&C 27 Cruiser-racer .

Construction

C&C Yachts was a pioneer in balsa sandwich construction, but the early C&C 27s had solid-glass hulls. Decks were balsa-cored. An old brochure says the marine-ply bulkheads are taped and bonded to hull and deck, though photos show a headliner, which seems to make deck tabbing not possible. The same brochure says fiberglass is hand-laid-up, using alternate layers of mat and cloth; no mention is made of woven roving, which is commonly used to add thickness quickly.

During this period, C&C used a molded fiberglass pan that incorporated the cabin sole and berth foundations, but did not extend higher. The berth/settee backs, and galley and head cabinetry are plywood, and access to parts of the hull is generally good.

Ballast is an external lead casting through-bolted to reinforced hull sections.

In our survey of C&C 27 owners, one owner said that the cabin sole needs supporting timbers underneath. One trick that C&C used in lieu of floors was to lay in thick bands of fiberglass athwartship (about 6 inches wide). These started on one side of the hull, crossed the bilge, and went up the other side.

A C&C trademark was the L-shaped aluminum toerail with slots for attaching snatch blocks. Of equal benefit was the ability to use carriage bolts for the hull-deck joint, which could be installed by one person rather than two. Other builders quickly copied this feature.

For weekending and coastal cruising, there is a lot to like in the light, rigid C&C 27, but many C&Cs have weak spots that would need to be addressed for offshore work: bulkheads not tabbed to the deck (which may result in the deck lifting as the boat and rig work); thin laminates in the outboard edges of the sidedecks where stanchion bases are bolted; absence of backing plates on pulpits; and thin portlight lenses that should be replaced or fitted with storm shutters.

And, as with any older boat, prospective buyers should check for bulkhead rot where the chainplates attach (water runs down the plate and through the deck, which is difficult to seal) and for delamination of the decks, especially around hardware, whose bedding may have disappeared years ago. Rebedding deck fittings is a boring job, but a very important one because the balsa core is at risk. It is made easier-and less boring-if you have a helper (one of you on deck, the other below). You don’t have to do everything the first year; start with the worst fittings and do them in groups, at least a few each year.

Twenty-seven feet is in many respects a magic number for a sailboat. At this length, it is possible to have standing headroom without distorting the boats proportions beyond all good taste, and to have an inboard engine, with its obvious advantages and status. Headroom around the 27 is between 5 feet, 10 inches and 6 feet, 2 inches.

The accommodation plan is plain vanilla, tried and true: 6-foot-plus V-berth forward, head and hanging locker, dinette with opposing settee, and aft galley. Without a quarterberth, the 27s cockpit seat lockers provide valuable and generous stowage for lines, fenders, barbecue and cleaning supplies, and all the other stuff that goes with sailing.

Testers liked that there is a bridgedeck, which we think is a sensible choice as it a) helps keep water out of the cabin in the event the boat is pooped; b) provides additional seating in the cockpit; and c) offers additional space in the galley.

A lot of C&Cs were not particularly well ventilated, and the 27 is no exception. The big windows in the main saloon are fixed. Most air will enter from the forward hatch, which on a small boat in northern latitudes may be adequate, but hardly ideal for southern sailing. A dorade vent over the head was an option.

Performance

The C&C 27 was one of the companys most popular designs, and much of this was due to its smart handling and good turn of speed. Not surprisingly, owners generally rate its upwind and off-the-wind performance as above average.

Several owners we surveyed said that light air is the Mark Is Achilles heel and that a large genoa of more than 150 percent is necessary to stay competitive. In 1974, the rig was lengthened 3 feet and sail area increased from 348 to 372 square feet.

The boat handles easily. Turns 360 degrees within its own length, said one owner of a 1973 model.

Extremely well balanced, wrote another owner.

The only negative comment made by owners concerned increasing weather helm as the wind builds; they advised reefing early. The owner of a 1971 model explained, The Mark III has a high-aspect rudder; the original rudder gives the boat extremely bad weather helm.

Points very high, wrote the owner of hull No. 146. Shes easily controlled off the wind. If sail is reduced intelligently, shes a dream to drive. Rock solid at about 18 degrees.

Early models featured mainsheet sheeting at the end of the boom, but in 1974, the standard setup was changed to mid-boom sheeting with the traveler on the bridgedeck.

The 27s auxiliary power ranged from an Atomic 4 gasoline engine to a two-cylinder Yanmar diesel. Most owners have reported that their boats back up beautifully. Best backing boat Ive seen, said the owner of a 1977 model. Comments on engine accessibility also ran the gamut, ranging from easy to ridiculous-which may say more about the size of the respondents than anything else.

With prices ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 (some with a trailer), the C&C 27 represents a fair value-standing headroom for most, berths for four (owners say the dinette is a bit narrow for a double when converted), and an inboard engine. The Yanmars of the late models are preferred over the old Atomic 4, but many of the boats on the market today have been re-powered.

Potential buyers should pay particular attention to the pulpit and stanchion bases and the surrounding fiberglass for signs of cracks; and check the deck core and the interior support structure that handles mast compression for signs of rot.

Boats built after 1974 (Mark III) seem to sail better thanks to the incorporated refinements-new rudder, deeper keel, taller rig, added shrouds, etc.

Of the many owner comments weve heard about the boat, one in particular rings particularly true: Simple systems, easy to maintain. That means owners wont spend an arm and a leg trying to keep the C&C 27 afloat, and that has a great deal of appeal for us.

• The Evolution of the C&C 27 Cruiser-Racer

• C&C 27 Owners
• C&C Photo Album

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