Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

'Lenny' the new Beneteau First 44 Performance Yacht arrives Sydney Harbour

by Flagstaff Marine 21 Oct 2023 09:26 PDT

'Lenny' the new Beneteau First 44 Performance Yacht sailed into Sydney Harbour at sunrise this morning.

The 6th Beneteau First 44 Performance launched, Lenny's maiden race was the world famous Transpac from California to Hawaii, which she finished 2nd in her division. She has now cruised from Hawaii through the South Pacific to Sydney in order to compete in the 2023 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, on the 26th of December.

The first of her kind into Australia, Lenny is the full performance version of the all new Beneteau First 44 designed by Roberto Biscontini and Lorenzo Argento. She has the performance keel, extended carbon bow sprit, taller carbon mast and Harken racing deck package with 8 winches. Add to this a Harken hydraulic backstay and vang, Victron lithium battery bank with smart inverter/charger, the industry leading B&G Hercules H5000 instrument package, Starlink and Iridium Go communication systems, plus a full suite of North racing sails. There are plenty of other features such as a Spectra watermaker, hydrogenator and all the subtle luxury cruising features you would expect on a brand new, 3 cabin, Beneteau First sailing yacht.

The new First 44 is a spectacular new addition to the famous Beneteau First line of yachts, and once again shows why Beneteau First has been the world's most popular cruiser racer since 1977. The new First 44 'Lenny' is a proven blue water racing machine, which as well as being a very comfortable cruising yacht is a joy to sail, spend time on board and to look at.

'Lenny' will reside at the Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia where she has been kindly welcomed by the club for her preparation for the race. Her owner Charles-Etienne Devanneaux is an experienced ocean racer and owner of the Californian Beneteau dealership Naos Yachts. He will be joined in the race by a talented French crew with plenty of ocean racing experience and Groupe Beneteau Chief Brands & communication officer, Yann Masselot.

Her first race on Australian water will be the Beneteau Cup next Friday the 27th of October out of the CYCA Rushcuttters Bay and we look forward to seeing her racing in more events in the lead up to the 78th Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

She is available to inspect by appointment with the team at Flagstaff Marine.

Related Articles

The latest in fleet monitoring and tracking
Join us on October 22nd for an in-depth exploration of the latest in tracking technology Fleet monitoring and tracking are essential for efficiency, safety, and compliance with real-time visibility into fleet movements critical. Posted today at 9:30 am
2025 Six Metre World Championship Day 2
Eau Vive and Jill claim first victories in Oyster Bay After the disappointment of a wind and raceless day one, the 2025 International Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club finally got under way in warm sunshine and a south-westerly of around 6-8 knots. Posted today at 3:23 am
46th Cannes Royal Regatta day 2
A dream day! If we had to give a score for the entry of the "classic " and 5.5 m on Tuesday 23 September, we would hesitate between an 18 and 19/20... knowing that you never put a 20/20! Posted on 23 Sep
Middle Sea Race set to attract exceptional fleet
Royal Malta YC has 118 entries already At midnight on Friday, 19 September the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race had amassed a fleet of 118 yachts. The entrants represent 30 countries and territories: from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Norway, and from the United States to Romania. Posted on 23 Sep
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 1
Solid Sled earn early lead in Sardinia Takashi Okura's Sled lead the 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta after the first two windward leeward races. Posted on 23 Sep
Melges 24 Worlds 2025 at Trieste, Italy Day 1
No racing possible on the first day Good things are worth waiting for, and that was the adage at the opening day of the Melges 24 Worlds, which ended without any races in the scoreline. The weather in Trieste proved too unstable, with storms in the morning followed by a lack of wind. Posted on 23 Sep
Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women Posted on 23 Sep
SailGP, TOR Europe, Women's Match Racing Worlds
Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity. Such was the case for the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank squad when they notched their first-ever SailGP event win at last weekend's Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix. Posted on 23 Sep
A Q&A about the 2025 Hobie 16 North Americans
Tom Pace, Hal Smith, and Michael McNeir discuss the 2025 Hobie 16 North American Championship Spoiler alert: The Hobie 16 is far from a new design. But that doesn't matter: When Hobie Alter's first 16-foot fiberglass catamaran hit the Southern California beach scene in 1970, the sailing world was forever changed Posted on 23 Sep
The Philadelphia Cup Regatta preview
There's still time to register Sail on or spectate along the Delaware River this Saturday, at The Philadelphia Cup Regatta presented by Sea Philly and the Independence Seaport Museum. Posted on 23 Sep
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERLloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMC-Tech 2021 SnuffAir 728x90 BOTTOM