Second Wind
In a true testiment to Lake Michigan Sailor's love of Sailing, we have seen a bit of a resurgence in the popularity of the First 10R in the past few months. We have had the opportunity to sell our stock First 10R and one other ordered boat from the factory*. The design has found a renewed level of support among individuals who like to short-hand sail or race open section. A recent revision to the PHRF rating for the boat to 78 has also contributed to her appeal.
While many would ask, what people are thinking about, buying a boat in this economy, it is a testament to the fortitude of the sailing community. Many of the buyers for these boats and the other boats we have sold this year (so far) have been surprised at the great pricing they have gotten on their purchases. A savvy sailboat buyers would be, these owners understand that is very important to buy not only for price, but some of the other intrinsic values in sailboats (a topic for another article).
The First 10R is a unique boat that first captured attention when it was launched in December 2005 at the Paris Boat show. The boat made it's United States debut at the U.S. Boat Show in Annapolis- October of 2006 (as a 2007 model). The boat was originally designed with the possibility of one-design however it's appeal seemed to be with short-handed sailors and open section racers. Here in Lake Michigan, the boat saw success by winning it's mixed section in the 2005 Verve Cup. She competed in a mixed fleet with boats that ranged from the older design Beneteau First 42 to the C&C115. This happened in spite of the fact that the First 10R originally had a provisional PHRF rating of 72 seconds per mile. Tough for a boat with a waterline length of 28'8". She competed in a mixed section with boats ranging from 1.25 to 1.5 her LWL. Proving that she is no slacker, the design continues to win. In Winter 2007, she won the United States PHRF championship at Key West Race week . "Tallgrass" (hull #24) had some early success in port-to-port racing with a second place section finish in the 2007 Race to Mackinac (corrected down from 1st).
Our fellow Great Lakes First Dealer, RCR Yachts has also reported a resurgence in F10R sales as of late. KYS had some early success with the First 10R in Lake Michigan with one local sale and another in Southeast Wisconsin. The two most recent sales make four total. We are currently speaking with two other possible buyers, so the second wind continues.
Notes:*The Beneteau USA Marion, SC facility currently has three other 'ready to go' boats on hand. Minor modifications can be made in options packages in time for the '09 season.
Resources:
Beneteau USA First 10R- Beneteau USA Online Catalogue
KYS First Series Boats- Karma Yacht Sales Website
Beneteau First 10R: A One Design That's Not Afraid to Rate- Sailing World Magazine
First 10R Boat Test- Sailing Magazine
