Allures 51.9

The Allures 51.9 is a 52-foot bluewater cruising yacht built by French yard Allures Yachting, representing the culmination of more than 15 years of development that began with the Allures 51 and continued through the Allures 52. Designed by Berret-Racoupeau, the first example was launched in May 2021. It was awarded Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 45 Feet for 2025 by Cruising World following extensive offshore testing.

The boat is aimed at shorthanded couples or families seeking a capable long-range passagemaker. With its retractable centerboard, the 51.9 can dry out or negotiate anchorages in just over a metre of water, yet passages averaging more than 180 miles per day are well within reach when the board is lowered and sails are set.

Allures Yachting — which shares a yard with Garcia — follows a signature hybrid construction philosophy: the hull is welded aluminium for strength and impact resistance, while the deck, coachroof, and doghouse are built from foam-cored fibreglass composite to reduce topside weight and improve thermal insulation. Twin rudders give redundancy and responsive steering, and a centerboard in the keel trunk allows draft to vary from 1.34 m with the board retracted to 2.92 m fully deployed. The 51.9 was designed with a longer waterline than its predecessors, a broader stern, and a full-beam aft master cabin that marks the most obvious departure from the earlier Allures 52.

Standard equipment includes a 24-volt lithium-ion battery bank, solar panels, and a Fischer Panda generator. A Volvo Penta diesel of 110 hp is standard, with a 150 hp option available. Bow and stern thrusters ease marina manoeuvring for a short-handed crew.

The 51.9 carries a triple-headsail cutter rig — staysail, genoa, and code zero — all on Furlex furlers, with an in-mast furling mainsail. This arrangement lets a small crew manage sail area without going forward in heavy weather. The rig's upwind sail area of 112 m² (1,206 sq ft) is generous for a boat of this displacement, and reviewers noted firm, tight steering and a gentle motion even in short, choppy seas.

The centerboard significantly improves upwind performance when deployed, reducing leeway in a way that a fixed-keel boat of comparable shoal draft cannot match. Reviewers found the boat easy to handle solo or as a couple, with well-organized deck hardware and twin helm stations offering good visibility over the coachroof.

The interior layout centres on a full-beam aft master cabin — the 51.9's defining upgrade over earlier Allures designs — which provides a true double berth with en-suite head and shower. Forward accommodation is available in two configurations: either two equal en-suite double cabins, or a larger guest cabin with a peninsula bed plus a smaller Pullman cabin with offset single berths.

The saloon features a large U-shaped galley that Allures positioned for comfortable use at sea, with sea rails and storage designed for offshore passages. The cockpit stretches to seven metres and is divided into distinct social, sailing, and aft-deck zones. Three cabins and two heads is the standard count, with sleeping berths for up to six.

The 51.9 has earned a strong reputation in the bluewater community for combining the ruggedness of an aluminium hull with modern cruising comfort. Its shoal-draft centerboard configuration opens up anchorages inaccessible to deep-keel cruisers of similar size, while the aluminium topsides offer genuine impact tolerance in ice-adjacent or rock-strewn waters. The long cockpit, twin helms, and triple-headsail cutter rig make the boat practical for extended voyaging with minimal crew.