L’hirondelle, Beneteau First 24 at her mooring
1984 · BENETEAU FIRST 24

L’hirondelle

A small French yacht.
A long story.

Discover her story ↘
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01
THE BOAT

The yacht I never quite forgot.

My love for the Beneteau First 24 began nearly forty years ago, when I first learned to sail on a sister ship of the same design.

Those early days on the water left a mark that never quite faded. Years later, I was lucky enough to acquire one of my own. This site is the story of that passion: the sailing, the restoration, and the ongoing pleasure of keeping a wonderful little classic in shipshape.

Along the way I’ll share the work, the lessons, the mistakes worth laughing about later, and the quiet satisfaction that comes from caring for an older boat.

MODELFirst 24
BUILDERBeneteau
YEAR1983
DESIGNGroupe Finot
FIRST 24 · DESIGN & NUMBERS

Small boat. Serious pedigree.

The First 24 was a compact French cruiser-racer designed by Groupe Finot: light, simple, trailerable and built with enough ballast to give a little 24-footer proper sailing manners.

OVERALL LENGTH8.0 m26′ 2″
BEAM2.5 m8′ 2″
DRAFT1.22 m4′
DISPLACEMENT1,500 kg3,307 lb
BALLAST500 kg1,102 lb · cast iron
BUILT677hulls · 1982–1985
FIRST 24 LAYOUT ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT · SECTION & PLAN
Beneteau First 24 layout drawing showing side section, stern section, and cabin plan.
Overall length 8.0 m Beam 2.5 m Draft 1.22 m
MAIN DIMENSIONS
Overall length26′ 2″8.0 m
Hull length24′ 7″7.5 m
Waterline length20′ 8″6.3 m
Beam8′ 2″2.5 m
Draft4′1.22 m
Light displacement3,307 lb1,500 kg
Ballast1,102 lb500 kg
Ballast typeCast iron—
THIS BOAT · BUILDER PLATE

L’hirondelle

The numbers below belong to this particular First 24, separating L’hirondelle’s own identity from the model specifications above.

REGISTRATION SA4826
YEAR 1983 Builder plate
SERIAL NUMBER 186 First 24 hull
MAX. PASSENGERS 6 Persons aboard
MAX. MOTOR 7.35 kW Plate rating
TypeFirst 24
Approval certificate2119
Navigation category3 EME
NameL’hirondelle
TECHNICAL DETAILSDesign, construction & production
ModelFirst 24
Hull typeMonohull
CategoryCoastal cruiser-racer sailboat
BuilderBénéteau
DesignerGroupe Finot
RangeFirst
CountryFrance
ConstructionGRP · single-skin fiberglass polyester
Number of hulls built677
Production1982–1985
AppendagesFin keel without bulb
HelmSingle tiller
RudderSingle transom-hung rudder
TrailerableYes
UnsinkableNo
Former French navigation category3
NEXT VAAL RACE DAY

24 Oct 2026

--Days
--Hours
--Min

Countdown to the start of race day · event start time not supplied by Windsail.

NEXT EVENT Full calendar ↗
PROJECTS

Keeping a classic moving.

Maintenance, restoration and the occasional “this will only take an hour” job that somehow consumes the weekend.

01
There is always a little hiccup
Refit

There is always a little hiccup

So, whats wrong with this picture? when we took the old Volvo inboard out and mounted the outboard bracket we didnt anticipate the height above water-level, this short shaft Yamaha isn't going to to be long enough and I have been luck enough to find someone willing to swap me for their long shaft. this should do the the trick....I hope :-)

View project · 1 photo ↗
04
Galley Worktop
Refit

Galley Worktop

Finding the correct stove had been a mission so I thought that I would get a portable gas stove and then install the gimballed workshop, it works like a dream and gives me soo much space to just put stuff..

View project · 1 photo ↗
06
Reworking the 12V system
electrics

Reworking the 12V system

L’hirondelle’s electrical system is getting some attention. The aim is a simple, dependable 12V setup with the battery, shore charger and solar controller wired cleanly and safely. As with most jobs on a small yacht, the wiring diagram is the easy bit. Getting everything neat, accessible and marine-friendly is where the real work begins.

View project · 1 photo ↗
07
Cabin lighting refresh
electrics

Cabin lighting refresh

One of the pleasures of caring for an older boat is improving things without erasing the character that made you love her in the first place. The cabin lighting is being refreshed with compact 12V LED fittings, keeping the look clean and the power draw low.

View project · 1 photo ↗
VOYAGES

Follow her wake.

Every sailing day can be pinned to the map. One point marks a destination; several points draw the route and calculate the distance automatically.

LATEST · 06 Oct 2026Refit Delivery back to Bayshore
Open the sailing map ↗
LOGBOOK

Latest from L’hirondelle.

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“The best boats don’t just take you somewhere.
They keep giving you reasons to go back.”

— L’HIRONDELLE