Sail area / displacement
How much sail the boat carries for its weight — its power in light air.
- First 24not published: sail area
- Saffier SE 24 Litenot published: sail area
How it is worked out
sail area (ft²) ÷ (displacement as ft³ of seawater)^⅔
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Beneteau First 24vsSaffier SE 24 Lite
Saffier SE 24 Lite is 2.3 ft longer than First 24 (10%). First 24 is 0.3 ft wider than Saffier SE 24 Lite (4%). First 24 draws the least water, 0.8 ft — 2.5 ft less than Saffier SE 24 Lite.
Anyone with the link sees this comparison.
Key differences
Worked out from the published figures below — arithmetic, not opinion.
- Saffier SE 24 Lite is 2.3 ft longer than First 24 (10%).
- First 24 is 0.3 ft wider than Saffier SE 24 Lite (4%).
- First 24 draws the least water, 0.8 ft — 2.5 ft less than Saffier SE 24 Lite.
At a glance
Dark icons are the standard layout; faded ones are what the larger layout adds.
Beneteau
First 24
Sailing Monohull
- Length
- 23.9 ft
- Beam
- 8.2 ft
- Draft
- 6.6 ft
Length : beam 2.9 : 1
Cabins1Headsnot publishedBerths4Saffier Yachts
Saffier SE 24 Lite
Sailing Monohull
- Length
- 26.2 ft
- Beam
- 7.9 ft
- Draft
- 4.3 ft
Length : beam 3.3 : 1
Cabinsnot publishedHeadsnot publishedBerthsnot published
Length : beam is length divided by beam — the higher it is, the slimmer the hull. Multihulls read low by nature.
A figure marked with a quote mark was read from the builder's page. Open it for the exact line, the page and the date.
| Model |  Beneteau First 24 |  Saffier Yachts Saffier SE 24 Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Brand | Beneteau | Saffier Yachts |
| Model | First 24 | Saffier SE 24 Lite |
| Generation | Unknown | Unknown |
| Hull type | Sailing Monohull | Sailing Monohull |
| Propulsion | Sail | Sail |
| Production status | In production | In production |
| Production start year | Unknown | Unknown |
| Production end year | Unknown | Unknown |
| Designer | Sito | D. Hennevanger / Kees van de Stadt |
| Dimensions | ||
| LOA | 23.9 ft | 26.2 ft |
| Hull length | Unknown | 23.3 ft |
| Beam | 8.2 ft | 7.9 ft |
| Draft | 0.8 ft–6.6 ft | 3.3 ft–4.3 ft |
| Displacement | 2,425 lb | 2,646 lb |
| Accommodation | ||
| Cabins | 1 | Unknown |
| Heads | Unknown | Unknown |
| Berths | 4 | Unknown |
| Performance & Rig | ||
| Main sail | Unknown | 226 ft² |
| Jib | Unknown | Unknown |
| Genoa | Unknown | Unknown |
| Upwind sail area | Unknown | Unknown |
| Downwind sail area | Unknown | 592 ft² |
| Engine power | Unknown | Unknown |
| Engine count | Unknown | Unknown |
| Materials | ||
| Hull material | GRP | Vacuum infused fibreglass |
| Deck material | Unknown | Unknown |
| Mast material | Unknown | Unknown |
| Keel type | retractable/swinging keel | Unknown |
| Rudder type | Unknown | Unknown |
| Sources |
7 of 9 figures here carry the builder's own words |
9 of 9 figures here carry the builder's own words |
Size, to scale
Each boat's published length and beam seen from above, and its mast height and draft from the side, all drawn on one scale.
Outlines are schematic; the dimensions are the builder's.
Drawings side by side
Each boat's layouts, profiles and sail plans as its builder published them. Step through each column to line up the drawings you want to compare.
First 24
1 / 3First24 profile — Beneteau
No drawings collected yet for Saffier SE 24 Lite.
How they sail, in numbers
Classic yacht-design ratios worked out from each builder's published figures. They compare boats; they don't grade them.
Displacement / length
How heavy the boat is for its waterline length. Lower is lighter and quicker; higher is steadier and roomier.
- First 24not published: waterline length
- Saffier SE 24 Litenot published: waterline length
How it is worked out
displacement (long tons) ÷ (0.01 × waterline length in ft)³
Ballast ratio
The share of the weight carried in the keel — a rough guide to stiffness, though how deep that weight sits matters as much.
- First 24not published: ballast
- Saffier SE 24 Litenot published: ballast
How it is worked out
ballast ÷ displacement × 100
Comfort ratio
Ted Brewer's measure of how gently a boat moves in a seaway. Higher means a slower, easier motion.
- First 24not published: waterline length
- Saffier SE 24 Litenot published: waterline length
How it is worked out
displacement (lb) ÷ (0.65 × (0.7 × LWL + 0.3 × LOA) × beam^1.333), lengths in ft
Capsize screening
A guide from the inquiry after the 1979 Fastnet race: below 2 was taken as suited to ocean passages. It ignores hull shape and where the ballast sits.
- First 242.44· 2 and above
- Saffier SE 24 Lite2.28· 2 and above
How it is worked out
beam (ft) ÷ (displacement as ft³ of seawater)^⅓
Hull speed
Roughly the speed a displacement hull reaches before it has to climb its own bow wave.
- First 24not published: waterline length
- Saffier SE 24 Litenot published: waterline length
How it is worked out
1.34 × √(waterline length in ft), in knots
Most builders publish a light displacement. The ratios were defined on a loaded boat, so every boat here reads a little lighter than a surveyor's figure would — all alike, which keeps them comparable.
Worth adding to this comparison
The boats most like the ones above, by hull form, size and use.
Beneteau
First 27 SESailing Monohull · 26.2 ft
Saffier Yachts
Saffier SC 8m CabinSailing Monohull · 27.9 ft
Beneteau
First 18 SESailing Monohull · 18.2 ft
Beneteau
First 24 SESailing Monohull · 23.9 ft