First 30: A Bold Statement of Brand and Innovation
Since 1884, Beneteau is the reference in recreational boating. As a global leader in the industry, they are known for their expertise and passion for design. From motorboats to sailboats, from exhilarating speed to exceptional comfort, Beneteau builds remarkable boats and inspires the entire sailing industry. Dedicated to pushing the boundaries of modern sailing, their mission is to make sailing accessible and enjoyable for all.
In 2018, Beneteau took a significant step in line with this mission by acquiring Seascape, a dynamic and innovative company founded by Kristian Hajnsek and Andraž Mihelin. Seascape is known for its expertise in high-performance and accessible sailing. This acquisition marked an exciting new chapter for Beneteau, as it was linked to revitalizing the iconic FIRST Range—one of the company’s most celebrated product lines.
The Seascape team embraced this challenge with enthusiasm, first by integrating their successful boat models as SE seascape edition. Second, the team took over responsibility for the complete First product portfolio kicking off with the relaunch of the legendary FIRST 30. To bring their vision to life, they not only brought together a tried-and-tested team of world-class designers and engineers but also partnered with us, the gmk brand consulting company, to support them on the adventure of positioning, designing and relaunching the First 30.
Now, as the First 30 is revealed to the sailing world at Boot Düsseldorf, we take the opportunity to reflect on this journey with Andraž Mihelin and delve into the significance, uniqueness, challenges, and impact of this groundbreaking project.
Hans: Andraž, the FIRST 30 is already a legend in the sailing world: it was the first sailing yacht of the Beneteau brand and is till today the best-selling model of the First range. That being said: it is already a special boat and has left its mark on the sailing market. So what makes this new edition – this “reprint” – so unique?
Andraž: The First 30 from 1977 was a revolution. For the first time racing and cruising needs of sailors were embodied in one boat. It really was a gold standard. This spirit of the FIRST 30 is still to be found in our new edition, however the needs of today’s sailors are not the same as back then: today they expect an overall ease of use and even more joy and fun on the water. At the same time the boat still has to be comfortable enough to serve as “home away from home”. We took these needs into account and therefore created a FIRST 30 that not only combines outstanding planing performance and the comfort of a fully equipped cruiser but also an unparalleled ease of use. All of this in 30ft and for an unbeatable price.
By creating a boat that is effortless in every aspect yet undeniably fun, we want to make sailing accessible to everyone and bring it back to the people. For us, it is therefore not just an exceptional sailboat but also the embodiment of Beneteau’s mission.
When we created the boat and recognized its remarkable uniqueness, we understood that it is spearheading the birth of an entirely new category –the 'Planing Cruiser.' If the 1977 First 30 revolutionized sailing as first accessible racer-cruiser, the 2025 First 30 is taking it a big leap forward and bringing the exhilarating experience of planing into the hands of every sailor.
Andraž Mihelin and Hans Meier-Kortwig
at the Boot Düsseldorf in front of the First 30
Thank you, Andraž, for this amazing introduction to the First 30. This boat has brought so many new things – from creating a new category and making such a price range possible to various product innovations and many more – making it a truly challenging project. From your perspective, what were the key challenges you and your team faced during this endeavor? And at what point did you recognize the need to collaborate with us?
We recognized that what really sets brands and products apart in today’s market is the integration of brand identity into both products and services. Based on our previous collaborations with gmk and your project portfolio, we knew that you approach brands holistically and that you drive to use this comprehensive approach to position products on the market. We knew that we would need gmks help, as we recognized that the big challenge of positioning the First 30 would be to align Beneteau's overall brand positioning with the – not yet – redefined and repositioned FIRST product family. This in itself was already a complex task, but we faced an additional layer of pressure from the Beneteau fan base and potential buyers. As the First 30 holds legendary status in the sailing world, we knew all eyes would be on us. Put simply, we could not afford to "fuck this up". And that wasn’t even it. Adding to this complexity, we were also introducing an entirely new category to the market: the "planing cruiser." We were concerned about how the sailing community would respond. Would they embrace this new category? Would they understand why it’s a critical step in evolving the sailing experience? And, perhaps most importantly, would they see the value and relevance of this category in the broader sailing landscape?
Many challenges that’s true, but we have managed to overcome them together!
Let’s start with the first: positioning the First 30. To tackle this, we applied the Concept Writing Approach—a straightforward framework that identifies key product benefits based on the user needs. Throughout this process, Beneteau’s overarching brand positioning and the identity of the FIRST family served as guiding principles. Andraž, from your perspective and experience, how did the Concept Writing approach specifically help in developing the product positioning and therefore core idea for the First 30?
I am a big believer in this approach. It was instrumental in identifying the core needs of today’s sailing generation and focusing on the key benefits of the First 30 and its associated services. Most importantly, it allowed us to align user insights with the brand's core values, ensuring a cohesive and impactful positioning. Prioritizing these benefits wasn’t easy but we succeeded in narrowing them down to three essential benefits. From these, we developed the core idea of the First 30: “Effortless joy of planing for everyone.”
We really wanted to highlight the boats’ ability to deliver an exhilarating experience of fun and speed while being controllable, its affordability and its innovative interior coziness that makes everyone feel comfortable.
You just introduced the core idea of the First 30, “Effortless joy of planing for everyone”. What are the reasons to believe this idea? How is this sentence reflected in the product and services itself?
The core idea is deeply embedded in several product features: low loads, a simple rig, and an uncluttered cockpit ensure safe and manageable sailing in all conditions, without requiring extensive crew or advanced training. Below deck, a distinctive, puristic, yet cosy interior offers spacious accommodations for four, with two cabins, comfortable standing height, and all the essentials for week-long cruising. Most notably, the boat’s lightweight construction makes achieving planing both quick and effortless.
That said, we must acknowledge that of course some features and design parameters of the boat were already set by the time we applied the Concept Writing approach. This limited our ability to fully integrate the core idea into the product design process from scratch.
Furthermore, based on our core idea, we created ideas together for services and holistic user experience from purchase to maintenance. These include a dedicated content hub to educate users about the planing cruiser category, flexible financing packages to make the boat accessible, the launch of a First Planing School to teach the art of planing, and other things we will work on in the next weeks and months.
At the Dealers Conference in Cannes, you presented the concept behind the First 30 for the first time, including its design, benefits, and core idea. What was the feedback like, particularly regarding the introduction of the new category? Did you feel the dealers embraced the concept and vision of the First 30?
The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it was incredibly rewarding to see the enthusiasm from the audience. Many dealers expressed genuine excitement about the concept, highlighting how innovative and fresh the approach to the First 30 felt. This reaction was particularly encouraging for us, as it reinforced the belief that the sailing world is not only ready for a transformation but is also eager to embrace new ideas and categories like the "Planing Cruiser." The feedback gave us confidence that our vision resonates deeply with both the dealers and, by extension, the market, confirming that the time is right to push boundaries and redefine what’s possible in sailing.
Now that the First 30 has been unveiled and showcased in its full form, we would love to hear your insights: What key learnings have you taken from this project that could inform and enhance future product development and brand deployment initiatives?
The Concept Writing Approach proved to be a highly effective, profitable, and strategic tool. However, as I previously mentioned, we have to adopt it even earlier in the development process for upcoming projects and make it an organizational routine. By doing so, we could ensure a true bottom-up process, seamlessly embedding Beneteau’s brand identity and user insights into the product from the outset.
That said, integrating Beneteau’s brand elements and the core product idea is not a one-time effort. It is an ongoing process. As we continue to develop new experiences and services, we must consistently revisit the core idea and ask ourselves: Does it align with the brand? Does it reflect the identified benefits? Does it authentically represent the essence of Beneteau? This iterative alignment is essential to maintaining the integrity and strength of the brand and our products.