Design and Construction
Allures Yachting, part of the Grand Large Yachting group alongside Outremer and Garcia, built the 45 as a hybrid structure. The aluminum shell is meticulously crafted by Garcia in Cherbourg, and the builder claims the finished hulls are incredibly fair. Each boat is drawn in CAD for the owner, allowing customization and a detailed schematic. After the interior is completed, a composite coach roof and cockpit are attached to the aluminum hull, with reinforcements for chainplates and other high-stress areas welded or bolted in place. A stout double bow roller is seamlessly integrated into the hull, and a full-depth bow locker deep enough to stand in serves ground tackle and sail storage.
Rig and Handling
The 45 carries a 62-foot double-spreader fractional rig with a full-batten mainsail, a slightly overlapping genoa, and a cutter staysail that sheets to its own fairlead car on the genoa track. Control lines, sheets, and halyards all lead aft through deck channels to the cockpit, and the centerboard line runs to an electric winch to port of the companionway that also hoists the main. A well-conceived lazy jack system manages the mainsail, while a bowsprit supports a gennaker and the boat can fly a symmetrical spinnaker. Writing in Cruising Compass, the tester found her surprisingly close winded at 40 degrees off the true wind and effortless at 5.5 knots in about 10 knots of breeze. Twin rudders bit firmly when spun in close quarters, and under the standard Volvo Penta D2-55 she made just under five knots at 1,400 rpm, over six at 2,000, and eight at 3,000 max rpm; a 75 hp diesel is also offered.
Accommodations
Darnet's modern Euro-style interior comes in three layouts, all with a head and shower aft of the portside linear galley (double sink, three-burner stove, two large pullout stainless refrigerators). One version places a centerline queen forward, a double aft to starboard, and a workroom to port with full engine and generator access; that workroom can become a fourth cabin while the v-berth takes two passage bunks plus a double, and an en-suite head can be added forward. Light floods the saloon through cat-eye windows and overhead hatches, a raised nav station seats two facing each other, and a sturdy cockpit table serves the outdoor lifestyle. Transom lockers off the scoop stern hold a life raft, outboard, and dive gear, while a voluminous starboard lazarette swallows fenders and lines.
Equipment and Outfitting
A robust stern arch carries dinghy davits, antennas, and a solar panel, and can take a wind generator; further solar can be integrated into the deck between cockpit and mast. The 45 is offered with genset, extra refrigeration, and watermaker among options, and a bow thruster is fitted. The 145-gallon diesel and 145-gallon water capacities, with a SA/Disp ratio of 19.69 and displacement-to-length of 174.82, frame a lightly loaded cruiser built for extended range.
The Verdict
The Allures 45 is a thoughtfully engineered aluminum centerboard cruiser that balances shallow-water access with offshore capability, wrapping a customizable CAD-designed hull around a bright, flexible Darnet interior. Her led-aft control scheme and electric winch make short-handed sailing realistic, and the Garcia-built shell inspires confidence in high-latitude cruising.
Pros
- Shallow 3'6" board-up draft with 9'10" down for versatility
- Garcia-crafted fair aluminum hull with welded structural tankage and collision bulkhead
- Led-aft rigging and electric winch enable easy shorthanded handling
- Three adaptable layouts with stand-in bow locker and generous stowage
Cons
- Centerboard machinery adds complexity versus fixed-keel contemporaries
- Composite deck joint on aluminum requires disciplined maintenance vigilance
