Beneteau First 38 Polar Plot

Apr 17, 2019
57
Beneteau First 38 Kemah
Hello felloe Beneteau owners!

After 2 years working on my Beneteau First 38, I have finally decided to start participating in local club races. I'm still trying to learn how to optimize my boat's performance, and would like to use a Polar plot as a benchmark to compare against.

Does anybody have or know where I mat be able to get a Polar plot for a Beneteau First 38?

JM
 
Jun 10, 2019
56
Beneteau First 36.7 Marina Village, Alameda
I looked for the VPP run from the 1985 First 38 I owned some years ago. I can't find the full report, but here are the targets from the report. This is the data you need on the water.

TWS
BS
TWA
AWS
AWA
6
4.7
45
10
25
8
5.7
45
12
26
10
6.2
43
15
26
12
6.3
41
17
27
14
6.5
39
19
27
16
6.5
38
21
27
20
6.6
38
25
28
TWS
BS
TWA
AWS
AWA
6
4.3
142
4
95
8
5.3
145
5
104
10
6.1
149
6
114
12
6.3
162
6
144
14
6.7
169
7
160
16
7.1
173
9
167
20
7.8
174
12
171
 
Jun 10, 2019
56
Beneteau First 36.7 Marina Village, Alameda
If you want the polar graphs you'll need to measure your boat and run a velocity prediction program. The IMS VPP is open source and you could conceivably do it yourself, but the science is dense. When I did my run it was through US Sailing and I provided measurements from my rating certificate only. US Sailing had a hull measurements file for the First 38 on file. The most accurate run also requires an accurate freeboard measurement, which then determines your actual (not designed) displacement. I did not opt for that and this level of accuracy in not reflecting in the target boatspeed in the chart above.

You said you wanted to benchmark performance, which is what the chart will tell you. Go out and sail to weather or downwind. Find the true wind speed (TWS) for your conditions and point or run the boat to the apparent wind angle (AWS) target for that TWS. Compare your actual boat speed (BS) with the target BS.
 
Jan 4, 2010
1,037
Farr 30 San Francisco
There is an android app Sailgrib WR it has a lot of polars included I think even the eval/free version will have the First 38.
I bought it and can find a plot of the the first 38 but no table.