Wauquiez Centurion 57

The Wauquiez Centurion 57 is a 58-foot offshore cruiser-racer introduced in 2014 and designed by the French studio Berret Racoupeau Yachts Design. The boat won the 2015 European Yacht of the Year award in the Luxury Cruiser category, affirming its position as a serious bluewater performer dressed in high-end finish. Three keel variants are offered — a standard fin, a shoal draft, and a deep L-keel with bulb — allowing owners to tailor performance and access to their cruising grounds.

The rig is a fractional sloop with a Sparcraft mast stepped on the keel and carrying three spreader levels. Electric Harken winches, pre-stretched Dyneema running rigging, and a retractable carbon bowsprit are standard equipment, making the boat manageable for a small crew while still capable of pushing competitive speeds offshore.

Wauquiez builds the Centurion 57 using resin-infused GRP balsa sandwich construction for both hull and deck, producing a lightweight, stiff structure. Bulkheads are glassed and chemically bonded directly to the hull rather than merely tabbed, contributing to long-term structural integrity. The yard has maintained its own in-house carpentry shop since 1965; all teak joinery is hand-sanded and finished with beeswax through multiple passes, giving the interior a crafted rather than production quality.

Interior outfitting is completed before the deck is fitted, a building sequence that allows the joinery team to work without the constraints imposed by a closed hull. The result is a thoroughness of finish in corners and overheads that is difficult to achieve once the boat is sealed.

Sea trials in Force 7 conditions demonstrated a steady 8 knots close-reaching upwind, and the boat regularly surfed past 12.5 knots under white sails on a broad reach, averaging around 9.5 knots in those conditions. The hull form — full bodied with a raked stem — prioritises downwind power and comfort over pure upwind pointing ability, a deliberate choice for shorthanded bluewater voyaging rather than inshore racing.

The dual helm station layout gives helmsmen good visibility over the sails and a clear sightline aft, while the centrally positioned mainsheet traveller keeps the cockpit free of obstruction. The auto-tacking system is available as an option, further reducing crew demands on passage.

The standard layout sleeps six in three double cabins. The forward owner's suite occupies the full beam forward of the mast and includes a dedicated desk, generous stowage, and a private en-suite heads with separate shower. Two aft guest cabins mirror each other on port and starboard, each with an independent heads compartment. An optional fourth arrangement converts the sail locker into a skipper's cabin with sink and toilet, making the boat viable for charter or professional crew.

The saloon is the social heart of the vessel, lit by large deck hatches and two panoramic windows set into the hull sides. The galley spans both sides of the companionway, providing enough continuous worksurface and stowage for extended offshore passages, and can be specified with a washing machine and supplementary refrigeration. Leather, glass, and stainless steel accent the teak joinery throughout.