Design Brief & Intent
The primary mission of the As de Pique was to serve as a fast coastal cruiser and club racer capable of handling the demanding tidal waters and choppy sea states of the French Atlantic coast. At the time, Chantier Mallard under Roger Mallard was gaining a stellar reputation for precision joinery, utilizing marine plywood and molded wood construction before eventually adopting fiberglass.
The interior design of the As de Pique reflects this transition, prioritizing weight savings and functional simplicity over heavy, dark cabinetry. Headroom is a modest but livable 5.75 feet. The saloon utilizes the structural bulkheads and longitudinal stringers of the plywood hull to optimize strength, resulting in an open layout with a small galley, a navigation station, and settee berths. Compared to heavier contemporary cruisers from competing British and American yards, the interior of the As de Pique is sparse and focused on weight distribution, highlighting the boat's racing pedigree without entirely abandoning the basic comforts required for weekend cruising.
Sailing Performance & Handling
The sailing performance of the As de Pique is defined by its light, easily driven hull form. With a displacement-to-length ratio of 136.94, it sits firmly in the light-displacement category for its era, enabling it to accelerate rapidly in light air and surf easily downwind. The 7/8 fractional sloop rig provides a highly adjustable sail plan, carrying a total sail area of 318.4 square feet.
With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.27, the boat is powerfully rigged. It requires active, responsive trim and early reefing as the breeze builds to keep the boat flat and fast. Under sail, the boat feels lively and responsive, rewarding a delicate hand on the tiller. The ballast-to-displacement ratio of 41.03 percent indicates a relatively stiff platform despite its low overall weight, with a fin keel carrying 1,764 pounds of ballast.
However, its motion comfort ratio of 15.96 and capsize screening ratio of 2.02 underscore that this is a lively, performance-oriented coastal cruiser rather than a heavy-displacement, passive bluewater voyager. In a seaway, she will feel quick and occasionally flighty compared to heavier cruising designs, but her deep fin keel and skeg-hung rudder ensure positive tracking and immediate steering authority when executing tactical maneuvers or running before a swell.
Variations & Configurations
While later designs from Chantier Mallard shifted toward solid fiberglass construction, the early-production As de Pique hulls were primarily built using high-grade marine plywood panels over an oak or mahogany frame, sometimes finished with a protective exterior layer of polyester resin or fiberglass cloth.
In terms of appendages, the yacht features a deep fin keel drawing 4.76 feet, which provides exceptional lift and windward performance compared to the shallow-draft centerboarders common in French coastal design at the time. The rudder is skeg-hung, providing essential structural support and protection from debris—a critical design choice for a boat intended to be campaigned in rocky, tidal coastal waters.
Most configurations utilized a simple, open cockpit with a long tiller, maximizing deck space for racing crews and keeping the helmsman closely connected to the sail trim. Auxiliary power, when fitted, was typically a small, low-horsepower inboard diesel or a transom-mounted outboard motor.
Market Snapshot & Economics
Today, the As de Pique is a rare find on the brokerage market, particularly outside of France and Western Europe. Because of its age and wooden construction, surviving models exist in widely varying states of preservation. Well-maintained or fully restored examples command a modest premium among classic yacht enthusiasts who value the naval architecture of Jean-Jacques Herbulot and the historical legacy of Chantier Mallard.
Buyers should expect the market value of these boats to be heavily dictated by the structural integrity of the wood rather than the onboard systems. The economics of owning an As de Pique are highly tied to DIY labor; commissioning a professional boatyard to perform major structural restorations on a marine plywood hull of this size will quickly exceed the boat’s market value. However, for a dedicated classic boat enthusiast, the vessel represents an affordable entry point into classic yacht racing and historic restoration.
Known Issues & Triage
The primary vulnerability of the As de Pique lies in its construction materials. As a plywood vessel from the 1960s, freshwater intrusion is the ultimate enemy. Prospective buyers and current owners must prioritize a rigorous inspection of the deck joints, cabin house corners, and the chainplate attachments where water can pool and seep into the plywood core.
- Plywood Delamination and Rot: The hull panels, particularly around the chine and the bottom of the transom, must be sounded with a phenolic hammer to locate dead spots or soft timber. Any areas of rot require immediate surgical removal of the damaged plywood and replacement with marine-grade panels scarf-joined and bonded with epoxy.
- Keel Joint and Frame Inspection: The high ballast ratio places significant stress on the wood floors and keel timber. The keel bolts and the transverse framing around the keel step should be closely inspected for movement, rust staining, and timber degradation.
- Chainplate Anchors: Because the fractional rig places high tension on the shrouds, the wooden bulkheads and structural members securing the chainplates must be dry and free of rot to prevent catastrophic rig failure under load.
Modernization & Upgrades
Many veteran owners of classic Herbulot designs have focused modernization efforts on structural preservation and simplified sailing systems. The most common and critical upgrade is the complete strip-down of the exterior hull followed by a modern epoxy-barrier coating, which seals the marine plywood against moisture far more effectively than the original polyester finishes of the 1960s.
Additionally, replacing the aging, high-maintenance inboard engines with clean, lightweight electric pod drives is a popular and highly viable upgrade. Removing a legacy diesel engine and fuel tank sheds significant weight, which aligns perfectly with the boat’s original light-displacement design brief. Rigging upgrades often include replacing traditional wire halyards with modern low-stretch Dyneema lines and adding modern self-tailing winches to make the fractional rig easier to manage short-handed.
The Verdict
The Chantier Mallard As de Pique is a connoisseur's classic, offering a level of sailing performance, responsiveness, and historical pedigree that modern production boats rarely replicate. It is an ideal platform for a sailor who appreciates the art of wood preservation and seeks a lively, rewarding helm experience on coastal waters.
Pros
- Excellent light-air performance and high responsiveness on the tiller.
- High-quality historical construction by a legendary French boatyard.
- Stiff and stable to windward thanks to a high ballast-to-displacement ratio.
- Elegant, classic aesthetic that stands out in any modern marina.
Cons
- Plywood hulls require demanding, continuous maintenance to prevent rot and delamination.
- Limited interior headroom and spartan cruising accommodations.
- Motion in a seaway can be lively and fatiguing on long passages.
- Extremely scarce parts availability, requiring custom or DIY fabrication.
