Beneteau First 42S7

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This was a very popular mid-90s Bruce Farr/Philippe Starck collaboration, with excellent performance and a high degree of cruising comfort. Various versions could angle the balance towards either racing or cruising, with two or three cabin options, deep or shallow draught and tall or taller rigs. In all cases the boat was a delight to handle and could be arranged for a couple to manage, although a crew of three or four would be better. The two-cabin owner’s version has the main cabin and private heads forward with the second double and general heads aft. The U-shaped galley is also aft. The three-cabin version also has two heads but the galley is longitudinal and the elliptical saloon rather smaller. The décor is full of curves in typical Starck style, but the finish is lighter than some Bénéteau designs of this era. Prices seem to vary more widely than most models, perhaps depending on the amount of racing done and the extra equipment fitted.

LOA 12.95m (42ft 6in), LWL 10.90m (35ft 9in), beam 4.12m (13ft 6in), draught 1.80m or 2.30mk (5ft 11in or 7ft 7in), displacement 8,265kg (18,220lb). Price guide: £65,000 to £110,000.