Although the model name suggests a 45-footer, the modern hull measures 48 feet 4 inches.
Design and Construction
The 45.9 combines a welded aluminum hull and transom with a fiberglass deck and coachroof built with a foam core. Allures has long used this hybrid construction to keep weight down while retaining the toughness of a metal hull.
Forward, a watertight aluminum bulkhead and a capacious sail locker with its own crash bulkhead provide substantial subdivision. With the centerboard raised, the boat rests on its bow and wide stub keel rather than its twin rudders. That protects the blades when the hull is eased onto a beach. SAIL Magazine noted that if the boat strikes anything weaker than granite, the object will likely fare worse than the vessel.
The standard underbody uses a skeg-and-centerboard arrangement, though buyers can choose a ballasted swing keel instead. The Sport version carries a bulbous lifting keel that lowers the center of gravity, and the boat comes in nearly two tons lighter than the centerboarder.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The 45.9 is rigged as a versatile double-headed sloop. Its double-spreader, deck-stepped mast carries a Solent rig with two furling headsails. An extended bowsprit handles off-wind sails and houses the ground tackle.
A solid vang and Walder boom brake help control the boom during a jibe. The traveler is mounted just forward of the generous dodger, while color-coded control lines lead to winches and clutches on both sides of the coachroof.
During a test in a light sunset breeze off Annapolis, test sailors found that the boat showed good directional stability and a pleasant helm. The boat had a tacking angle slightly under 90 degrees and made close to 5 knots good through 7-knot puffs. Cruising World’s reviewer also reported ghosting along at better than 3 knots in 5-knot Chesapeake air.
Lowering the centerboard gives the boat a useful bite to windward. Raising it opens shallow anchorages that other boats of this size can’t enter.
Under power, a 60 hp Volvo Penta D2-60 turned 7 knots at 2,000 rpm and 8 knots wide open. A 75 hp diesel is optional. Noise levels were pleasantly low both below and on deck.
Interior and Accommodation
Franck Darnet styled the soft, contemporary interior. Allures offers three layouts, with two or three cabins and one or two heads, and every version includes a luxurious forward stateroom.
In the “Owner” arrangement, a straight-line galley runs along the port side. The cook can brace against the back of the centerline settee—which is actually the centerboard trunk—but there is a small step down from the saloon into the galley.
To starboard, a raised navigation station has seats facing both forward and aft. Alongside it, a large L-shaped settee has a drop-down table that converts the seating area into a giant double berth.
Instead of fitting a third aft cabin, Allures uses that space for a proper technical area. It can be reached from both the cockpit and a hatch in the port locker. The generator is installed there, with room left for a washing machine. Bunk beds are available as an alternative.
A two-piece acrylic companionway slat stows out of sight in the deck. A walk-through transom provides access to the built-in swimming platform.
Variants and Equipment
The 45.9/S Sport weighs nearly two tons less than the standard centerboarder. It also uses a carbon mast and Rod rig to reduce weight further.
The builder now fits North Sails and has shifted newer hulls from Volvo to Nanni engines. An arch aft carries antennas, a wind generator, and solar panels, while also serving as dinghy davits. Buyers can also specify an optional self-launching Rocna anchor.
Quoted daily passage averages exceed 160 miles, reflecting the design’s voyaging intent.
The Verdict
The Allures 45.9 is a thoughtfully developed aluminum voyager that retains the marque’s shallow-draft, beachable character. It also offers a quiet, well-insulated interior and genuinely seaworthy subdivision through its bulkhead arrangement.
Its Solent rig and centerboard provide unusual flexibility for both windward sailing and gunkholing. The dedicated technical room is also a rare and practical concession to the realities of cruising ownership. The small step down into the galley and the niche resale market for a French aluminum centerboarder are its only soft spots.
Pros
- Welded aluminum hull, watertight bow bulkhead, and crash-bulkheaded sail locker
- Integral centerboard provides windward bite and access to shallow anchorages
- Twin rudders remain unloaded when the boat is resting on its hull
- Solent double-headsail rig, bowsprit, and Walder boom brake
- Dedicated technical room with generator space and access from both the interior and cockpit
- Low engine noise and strong quoted passage-making averages for a 45-footer
Cons
- The small step down from the saloon to the port galley is an ergonomic caveat
- An aluminum centerboard cruiser occupies a specialist resale segment
