The Beneteau 1 Ton, also called the Beneteau First 40 Evolution, is a French sailboat that was designed by Groupe Finot, Jean Berret and Jacques Fauroux as an International Offshore Rule One Ton class racer and first built in 1983.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

The design was developed into the Beneteau First Class 12 racer in 1985.^[1][2][3]

Production

The design was built by Beneteau in France at their custom boat yard, from 1983 until 1985, with 12 boats completed, but it is now out of production.^{[1][2][3][10][11]}

Design

The 1 Ton is a racing keelboat, that was built with the most advanced materials that were available at the time: a carbon fibre-Kevlar foam sandwich. It has a fractional sloop rig, with a keel-stepped mast with three sets of unswept spreaders. The hull has a raked stem, an open reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed fin keel. It displaces 12,125 lb (5,500 kg) and carries 6,878 lb (3,120 kg) of ballast.^[1][2][3]

The boat has a draft of 7.22 ft (2.20 m) with the standard keel and is fitted with a Swedish Volvo MD 17 diesel engine for docking and manoeuvring. The fuel tank holds 4 U.S. gallons (15 L; 3.3 imp gal).^[1][2][3]

As a racer the design has minimal accommodation, with berths for eight people.^[1][2][3]

The design has a hull speed of 7.34 kn (13.59 km/h) and a PHRF handicap of 60 to 72.^{[1][2][3][12]}

Operational history

The boat was at one time supported by a class club that organized racing events, the One Ton Class.^[13][14]

A 1 Ton named Phoenix won first place in the 1985 Admiral's Cup over 17 other boats, including three other Beneteau 1 Tons, on individual points, skippered by Harold Cudmore. Cudmore had substituted the boat into the race at the last minute, when his own boat had sunk during a lead-in race.^[15]

Two 1 Tons, Fiere Lady and Glory came in second and fourth overall, in the 1985 Southern Ocean Racing Conference.^[15]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

References