Wauquiez Centurion 45S

More than a fly-by boat test, my time aboard the latest luxury yacht from French stable Wauquiez (pronounced "vokey-ay") took me out to the deep blue sea, down the coast, up the coast, and finally careering back through the Heads on a grooved beam reach. Spray licked off the bow and a straight wake gurgled astern as we belted down the harbour past this country's most identifiable sailing icon. Yep, the Opera House.

During this sail, which stretched from the morning well into the afternoon, I experienced a range of wind and wave conditions. To begin with, there was a light morning offshore breeze of 5-8kt and flat, unruffled water. Then the zephyr fizzled. So I promptly motored a mile or thereabouts off the coast whereupon it came in, a southerly no less, of up to 18kt and, before you could say "all hands on deck", a sea of more than a metre. Yahoo.

That wind hung about for the afternoon, and under blue skies I savoured this midweek Autumn sail like one might the last glass of a top-shelf red. So, too, my crew - John Cowpe, sales manager for Wauquiez, who grew up sailing on the west coast of Scotland; and Micah Lane, Australia's youngest National Sabot and 420 Champion, who is now sailing 18-footers and, dah-dah, French yachts.

Such was the good time that we all had a turn at the helm, euphorically commenting to each other that we had no idea upon boarding the Wauquiez that we would cover so much territory. Time just flew past, as it does when you're having fun.

STYLED FOR THE DISCERNING
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Who is Wauquiez and why should you spend a premium on this foreigner when there are other, better-known French yachts chasing your francs Down Under?

To me, the answer is simple. Wauquiez distinguishes itself by being, well, shall we say distinguished. A boutique yachtbuilder, Wauquiez is named after Henri Wauquiez, who built his first yacht in 1965. Since his passing, Beneteau acquired Wauquiez - some six years ago - but it has not interfered with the culture of the marque. Rather, it's let Wauquiez retain its favouritism among an essentially discerning European sailing set.

A niche yachtmaker, Wauquiez offers just four yachts in two ranges: two flush-decked Centurions and two Pilot Saloons. Overseas, these yachts - especially the Centurions - have a strong identity and loyal following.

The boats are on-paper cruiser-racers, but they proceed with a more dignified air than your average production yacht. They are at once comfortable and quick.

Wauquiez's latest release, the Centurion 45S, is a new version of a well-loved fast cruiser-racer. Its relaunch is akin to, say, Jaguar announcing a new XJ6, which it just has. Methinks the yachting set will be as keen to jump aboard the new Wauquiez.

More than just eye candy, the pretty yacht performs - especially as it was, optioned with a taller mast, rod rigging and local Doyle Fraser D4 racing wardrobe that included a powerful, fully battened Twaron/carbon mainsail. The main alone was a joy to behold: semaphoric, perhaps, for the word powerful.

The headsail, on the other hand, alluded to the boat's gentleman's cruise comforts. It was a Twaron and taffeta D4 #2 on an electric furler, whose "in" and "out" buttons were located on the engine-ignition panel. The boat also carried a D4 #3, which would have been a joy to fly had the wind got away.

But by now, the Wauquiez Centurion will be flying an asymmetrical 0.90oz kite hanging off a custom carbon sprit. And upon hearing that news, I swung the helm and set upon a reach for the horizon.

BUILT TO LAST
The hull, a Berret/Racoupeau design, displaces 10,500kg of which 3850kg is ballast in the form of a deep 2.50m lead keel. There is a shoal-draft keel that draws 1.95m, carrying 4000kg, but the preferred deep-draft number is standard.

Subjectively, the yacht felt stiff, with a fast but settled motion through the water. It certainly didn't pound to windward when launching off the 1.5m swells. The swooping sheerline and sharp bow sluice the swells, yet during my offshore sortie both decks and crew stayed dry.

I tried to make sense of the stability curves and polar diagram supplied by Wauquiez, but they were beyond my interpretation ability. So I passed the information to independent yacht architect Andy Dovell (Sydney yachts and others).

"One hundred and forty degrees of vanishing angle of stability is high, which in this regard represents a pretty safe offshore boat," Dovell explained.

He deemed the yacht a moderate light-displacement cruising boat. Which might explain why it felt more slippery than its overtly opulent fitout suggests.

The boatbuilder Wauquiez says that above fashion and rating rules, the Centurion gives its crew efficiency combined with safety. Sailing under the Région Ile de France/Raymarine colours and in the hands of a well-known European skippper, the Centurion 45S won podium positions at several events in the 2003 Euro season. Closer to home, the yacht has proven faster around the track than the Beneteau 47.7, says the agent.

Standing still, viewed from any angle, the hull looks pretty, if not timeless, with the weight kept out of the ends. The stem has some rake to it and, underway, the stern doesn't drag. Interior volume is generous and, in the line drawings at least, the boat's wide beam of as much as 4.16m is carried well aft.

While it doesn't appear apparent in the profile drawing, the cockpit is a good size. The lines of the coach house are best described as safe or of classic design. Decks have been sculptured to deliver support to captain and crew while sailing at sea, which is to be commended.

Construction is GRP and balsa sandwich, bagged for consistent resin density, with vinylester resin in the external layers. One-piece floors and stringers and bulkheads are all 'glassed to the hull. The ergonomically mindful composite deck is bonded and fastened to the hull. 

PERFORMANCE CRUISING
The factory-supplied racing kit includes a somewhat taller-than-standard triple-spreader 9/10th Sparcraft alloy mast, with no-stretch rod rigging and twin adjustable hydraulic backstays that let you enjoy the open-ended cockpit.

Ingeniously, the convertible transom can be rolled or folded out to create a stepped boarding paserelle, which is desirable when mooring stern-to in the Med. The lifelines retract into the hollow pushpit rails. Smart design.

Here, the patented open-transom arrangement will work when taking on guests at the marina or as springboard to a summer dip. The boat comes with a stainless-steel swim ladder, optional deck shower and a dedicated aft liferaft locker.

Cockpit storage includes two big port and starboard lockers and various other lockers leading to things such as the gas bottle and steering gear. The cockpit seats are big enough, with the supplied loose table, to seat six for lunch. Add a boom tent and you could while away the day at anchor.

The angle of the coach house is such that you can use the cockpit seats as Cleopatra-style lounges and recline. Racing, cruising or at rest, the full-length traveller at foot level - before the groovy steering pedestal - doesn't intrude on sailing or socialising space. A good setup.

The wheel, incidentally, is a big 1700mm or 67in leather-bound number that offers views from both the high and low sides to the streaming telltales up front. I also found the location of the Raymarine Performance pack, which includes Autohelm, Tridata, and jumbo repeaters at mast base (which I didn't note), plus Raychart 530GPS at the internal nav station, to be easy to view.

Wheel in hand, I particularly enjoyed sailing the yacht from the low side, with the minimum crew and full head of sail, which we carried in 18kt. Such was the vision, I sailed right up Sydney harbour, slinking beside the Opera House, abreast of criss-crossing ferries, under the Harbour Bridge, and back down again. I was having fun.

DECKED OUT
The yacht had Harken deck gear, those silky-smooth Anderson winches that are to crank for, and trendy Antal clutches. All lines lead under a coach-house cover to the bank of clutches behind the dodger. We sailed with the dodger down, but dodger up, I made sure, there was plenty of room to crank those halyard winches.

Actually, no cranking is required! One of the #46 self-tailing winches on the coach house was optioned as a push-button electric winch. A flex of the index finger was all it took to perform duties ranging from tightening the main halyard to cranking on some outhaul and finetuning the mainsheet.

If you prefer not to rely on the autopilot and to leave the helm when sailing shorthanded, you can run the mainsheet back to the secondary #46 winch positioned mid-cockpit. The primaries, incidentally, were upgraded from #52s to #58s, and there were, of course, adjustable (Harken) headsail tracks with cars.

The 55hp Volvo diesel engine with Saildrive had a control panel and throttle located close to the wheel. Fuel capacity of 250lt will let you steam - very smoothly and quietly, I might add - at 8kt for quite some distance.

The boat was fitted with a three-blade Volvo folding prop that, with the motor shut down and shifted in reverse, still created an annoying whirring noise when sailing. It's not a big issue, but one that will be addressed.

The teak decks and toerails, stainless-steel rimmed hatches, neat stanchions with port and starboard gates and twin lifelines, big-boat designer cleats and ship-like Dorade vents all add to the boat's inimitable style.

A highlight on deck was the rope locker at the foot of the companionway and coach-house winches, which lets you pack the loose ends of the halyards away, as you might in a Wally yacht. No need to toss the lines below and wet the five-star interior.

On deck, the Wauquiez was an easy yacht to get around, with the shrouds tucked inboard and fixed below decks to integrated chainplate tie rods that distribute the load. Upon inspection, these looked like heavy-duty fittings to me.

Supplied mooring gear includes a windlass with separate rope and chain rims or gypsies, a stainless bowsprit, and mooring-line hook in the anchor locker. There is provision to strap a tender before the mast while, say, passagemaking.

And fast, comfortable passagemaking is, to my mind, the Centurion's forte.

FRENCH FLAIR
Down below, the Wauquiez is something else again. The joinery is lovely golden-hued Burmese teak - surely the most timeless and tasteful of yacht timbers.

I tried hard to define the décor style and, looking at the groovy frosted light fittings and Wauquiez typographic emblem, consider it best described as subtly, stylishly art deco or at least retro.

The Centurion 45S is available in three versions: two standard layouts with two double cabins and alternate bed configurations forward; and an optional layout with three double cabins. This latter version is what I had the pleasure of testing.

From the moment you descend the companionway steps, which had non-skid and stainless grip pads, you get the impression that the finish is a cut above. The white headliner had teak accent strips, the joinery seemed more hand finished than jigsaw or CNC cut, and all the panels butted up cleanly. Only the door into the main cabin didn't close, one supposes, due to a pre-delivery oversight.

Anyway, I have since ascertained that the comfort factor on this yacht was lifted by the factory-fitted comfort equipment package comprising roller blinds on all the hatches, ivory Alcantara (manmade suede) upholstery and a top-loading fridge/freezer, which one would expect to be standard.

In the yacht's various storage recesses and under the lounge cushions I found evidence that this yacht wasn't just showy. The boat comes with lee cloths and suitably sturdy attachments or eyes for them and the galley brace. Hey, I even found the galley brace in a cupboard.

Timber handrails presented themselves where this sailor instinctively reached for them and, where not, there was a fiddle to grab. The yacht, it should be said, is well endeared with fiddle rails, storage and living space. 

BUNKING DOWN
The twin aft cabins each have double beds, hanging lockers, big side lockers and side shelves, and yet further storage behind the motor (one has to love how clever yachts, as opposed to houses, make the most of every nook and cranny). There were retro chrome reading lights and salty teak-panelled walls too.

Headroom is a highpoint at the entrance to the aft cabins, where I also noted a hatch as well as a side hatch for okay ventilation. Side panels in the aft cabins reveal good access to the engine's fuel filter and dipstick. And, on those panels, I noted terrific sound insulation.

The companionway steps also lift for access to the motor, but I found no way of keeping them propped open.

The guest's head to port doubles as the dayhead when sailing and was fitted with a manual loo, hanging locker for wet foulies, blue Corian vanity, sink and handheld shower rose that you can hang from a wall hook. The mirror doubled as a way-out light feature at night. Lots of globes. Hotel-like.

Satin-finished teak-and-holly flooring ranged about the saloon and galley, which is an L-shaped number immediately to starboard when you step inside (handy for entertaining). Despite not being the preferred C- or U-shape, I noted a grabrail and provision for rigging the supplied brace should you need to cook in a seaway.

The sand-coloured food-prep benches were generous, with a neat lift-out servery tray over the stove for carrying lunch back up top. There were fiddles, neat overhead lighting, three drawers, spots for vino (a given on a French yacht), pot lockers, cupboards with pegboards for holding crockery, cups and glasses, and an under-sink garbage bin.

The boat had good liveaboard and entertaining amenities including twin sinks with fitted, optional, fresh- and saltwater foot pump, optional microwave oven, and optional gas solenoid fitted to a two-burner gimballed gas stove/oven. Under the counter was a teak-topped bar fridge with one of those handy pub-fridge type lockers.

Unfortunately, when one is impressed by the design, one also questions the lid for the top-loading freezer. It could only be opened to about 60° before it hit the above cupboard return. And there was no provision to keep it open while, say, retrieving the 4lt bucket of Neapolitan ice-cream

SACRE COEUR
The giant saloon is the heart of this internationally styled yacht. Elevated windows direct natural light onto the honey-coloured timber and, at night, there is a switch to set the mood lighting.

The solid dinette to port is mounted before a saloon lounge that, with the supplied folding teak chair, could seat six for dinner or cards. The lounge also had a lee cloth so you could use it as a sea berth and boost accommodation to six plus one.

With the folding table leaf reversed, you could create a drinks table with fiddle so the champagne doesn't go flying. But with the dinette assembled there are no fiddle rails, although - heaven forbid - it's a comfortable setting with your arms on the table.

Behind the lounge are various storage lockers, the CD stacker, and a provision to create a salty library. Beneath the lounge cushions are storage lockers and the water heater with colour-coded plumbing. Batteries were down low, amidships, on the centerline, where they should be.

There was room to mount a flatscreen 12V LCD television on the timber bulkhead to port, beside the big lounge. Across the way was a storage cupboard with grog locker that can be ordered, as I would, as an optional occasional seat.

The nav station to starboard was excellent. It had a wide seat with raised edges to keep you contained, red nightlight, big chart-storage area, GPS chartplotter, radios - and room for more electronics - and the boat's switch panel with quick access to its coded wiring.

Owners are treated to a suite in the bow, with a separate bathroom and an island double berth behind a door that needed pre-delivery adjusting. There was a big hanging locker, lots of surround cupboards and drawers under the Queen-sized bed.

Teak-planked walls, space to assemble a private library, and big overhead hatches added to the salty feel. I also noted an occasional seat and room to pull on the Sunday best before heading up on deck. Oh, and room for an LCD television on the bulkhead.

The en suite had a manual loo and another funky light feature, but it also had a unique frosted bi-fold shower door that, hooked to a folding panel, created a quasi shower stall. This way, one can hopefully keep their fluffy Egyptian cotton towel dry as they "tub."

MIDWEEK MUSING
Anyway, where were you at midday on May 5? Chained to the mahogany desk, immersed in a boardroom meeting, stuck behind a ream of receipts and pile of paperwork? I know where you should have been - at the helm of this slippery yacht enjoying a therapeutic midweek offshore sail.

We sailed Wauquiez's Centurion 45S east, south, north and west, inshore and out, for about six hours straight, less 30 minutes motoring. It felt great to windward, with a touch of weather helm that soon becomes a lot of weatherhelm if you are overpowered. That the boat could fly its #2 and full main in 18kt, traveller somewhat down, shows it's not a tippy yacht.

The stately Wauquiez sailed at 7-8kt upwind in up to 18kt - a good passagemaking speed - but it felt especially powerful reaching to speeds of 9kt. And down sea we maintained 6-7kt. But it was on the beam reach down the harbour that, after a hiatus from the helm, I got my act together and smoked a perfect 8-8.3kt line straight to those big, white sails on the Opera House.

Given more time, I would gladly take the Wauquiez north to the tropics. In fact, that is exactly where this new Centurion 45S is headed. It will be the VIP boat for the Beneteau contingency contesting Hamilton Island Race Week. With all the goodies she sells for a premium.

But so too does premium French fizz. And this was the yachting equivalent - fizzing midweek, offshore, with the wind blowing. Yet more time, please.

HIGHS

LOWS