In the far north of France not far from the English channel and right on the border with Belgium lies the provincial town of Neuville en Ferrain. The town is far from the yachting centers of La Rochelle or Cannes and closer to the coal mines and steel works of Walloonia and the site of the famous Battle of Waterloo. One would hardly expect an international yacht builder to emerge from this region and or this town.

wauquiez

But boat-building companies start with a passion more than the logic of geography. In 1965 Frenchman Henri Wauquiez set out to fulfill his dreams of building sailboats by launching his own company in his hometown. He knew his craft well and in the ensuing years created wonderful boats bearing the brands Elizabethan, Centurion, Pretorien, and Amphitrite. He also built or finished hulls for other builders such as Ted Hood.

Wauquiez was as much an artist at his craft as an engineer so he developed a reputation for building boats that sailed extremely well, were very well built and had a special flair. Several of his boats became classics, particularly the Hood 38, the Centurion 32 and the Pretorien 35. Decades after they were built these boats continue to command high prices and the admiration of experienced sailors worldwide.

When the time came for Henri Wauquiez to lay down his tools, he sold the company to Groupe Beneteau, the world’s largest sailboat builder. Under the guidance of Beneteau management and executive Joel Jarrijon, Wauquiez has been transformed from a small specialty company into a leading builder of
premium cruising boats that embody the best in modern European styling, design and engineering.

The company now builds the Centurion and Pilot Saloon series of boats, all over 40 feet. The Centurion 40s is a sleek, racer cruiser in the classic tradition. The boat was designed to be a fast family cruiser but it has proven to be very quick in rallies and races. The little sister to the Centurion 45s, which was very successful and only went out of production last year, the Centurion 40s carries on a tradition at Wauquiez that goes back to its beginnings. In 1997 Wauquiez began building pilot saloon designs with the introduction of the Pilot Saloon 48. A departure from the performance oriented sloops of the Centurion series, the raised deck designs were intended to be pure cruising boats with sumptuous and elegant accommodations. The 48 was a hit and the Pilot Saloon 43 followed, then the Pilot Saloon 40, which was so popular that the company built 120 during the five-year production run.

The Pilot Saloon concept is based on several basic objectives: the boat must be stylish and very comfortable for living aboard, it must sail well but be very easy to sail, it must be technically advanced in all areas and the Pilot Saloon has to afford those sitting in the raised dinette a marvelous view of the harbor around them.

This new generation of cruising boats has raised the Wauquiez profile worldwide as the company sets everhigher standards among production boat builders. The new boats are truly premier cruising boats that will hold their value for years to come while providing superb cruising platforms for their owners.

More, courtesy of Bluewater Sailing