Review of First 35
Basic specs.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image
Looking for a new boat? Find a First 35 or similar boat for sale
Both the hull and the deck is made of hand laid fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of hand laid fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The hull is a double hull which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.
The deck is a double deck which improves the indoor climate.
The boat is equipped with 9 berths.
The First 35 is equipped with a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.
The First 35 has been built with different keel alternatives.
Unknown keel type
The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.00 - 2.10 meter (6.56 - 6.86 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Deep keel
One option is a deep keel. A deep keel provide a better healing moment than a shallow keel.
The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.
First 35 can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.90 - 2.00 meter (6.23 - 6.53 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Shallow keel
Another option is a shallow keel. A shallow keel allow to sail both coastal and inland waters.
This keel is also made of iron.
The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.35 - 1.45 meter (4.43 - 4.73 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
The First 35 has been equipped with different engine alternatives.
Alternative 1:
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta diesel engine
Alternative 2:
First 35 may be equipped with an engine at 15 hp (11 kW). The speed is 7.0 knots..
The fuel tank, which is made of stainless steel, has a capacity of 80.0 liters (21 US gallons, 17 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for First 35 is 2.15, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.2 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for First 35 is about 218 kg/cm, alternatively 1221 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 218 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1221 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for First 35 is 20.5.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for First 35 is 2.93.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for First 35 is 212 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for First 35 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 17.1, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 20.2.
What is Relative Speed Performance?
The Relative Speed Performance for First 35 is 58
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 38m2 (409 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 31.6 m | (103.5 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 31.6 m | (103.5 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 31.6 m | (103.5 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.8 m | (35.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.8 m | (35.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 27.1 m | (88.8 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 23.8 m | (78.2 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 3.9 m | (12.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 7.8 m | (25.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 7.8 m | (25.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for First 35 it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.