Design and Construction
Garcia builds the Exploration 52 as an integral centreboard yacht exclusively — a fixed keel is not planned — with a hull pressed and welded from aluminium plate six millimetres thick above the waterline and eight below, ten-millimetre plate for the floor element, and welded stringers inside. The bow and forefoot are reinforced for ice breaking, and the boat can fall dry on almost any surface, resting on a flattened hull bottom and its long ballast keel while the two rudder blades stay unloaded. A towing eye lets a tractor drag her ashore. The structure carries watertight bulkheads fore and aft ahead of the steering, a sturdy watertight door between saloon and cockpit, and welded aluminium through-hull fittings with valves above the waterline. Eight centimetres of foam insulates the hull above the waterline, deck, and superstructure, with 74 mm hull thermal insulation and insulated floors below; the superstructure roof is a GRP sandwich. With a 19.5-tonne lightship displacement and 6.6 tonnes of aluminium ballast (34 percent), she carries over two tons of load and up to 6.5 tonnes above light displacement, her wide balanced hull and centered weights giving form stability for demanding high-latitude sailing anchor.
Rig and Handling
The cutter-rigged 52 leads every sheet, reefing, and trim line aft under the coachroof in channels below deck, so the crew works from a protected cockpit without stepping out. An aluminium mast carries a modern, efficient sail plan; the standard genoa is large, and a conventional cutter staysail is an option used in 25 knots and above per the builder, while a self-tacking jib is a special request the yard considers too small and narrow. On the test boat, the double rudder blades gave hardly any steering feedback, yet the 20-tonne hull reached just over 7 knots on a 45-degree true-wind angle in 15–18 knots with a 1.5-metre swell, displacing waves cleanly and starting smoothly close-winded. With the centreboard raised downwind, drag drops and behavior smooths; she sails only limited time with it up, especially in wind. The short, deliberately beaching-oriented rudder blades are 1.15 m deep against 1.45 m on a conventional fixed-keel design, confirmed by designer Olivier Racoupeau in YACHT anchor.
Accommodations
Inside, Isabelle Racoupeau's interior — fitted as finished modules from an external supplier — pairs fine brushed aluminium trim with teak or oak. The deck saloon rises for 270° sightlines through slanted coachroof windows, and the table drops to a large bed. A forward-facing navstation doubles as an interior helm with engine controls and autopilot, giving 270° view; the galley runs long to one side with large counters and sees the horizon. Three double cabins and a service room are standard, with a real workshop for spares, while the forward owner's cabin offsets the double berth and pushes the wet room fully forward behind two more watertight bulkheads. Aft cabins may be twin or double, and the space under the dinette converts to a single cabin or walk-in workshop. Berths run five to ten.
Known Issues
When cruising, the Volvo Penta diesel produced aft-cabin sound at the limit of tolerability, measured at 80 dB, with the saloon at 76 dB per the YACHT test anchor. On the evaluated boat, teak veneers across built-in units were not neatly matched, a cosmetic distraction rather than a structural fault anchor.
Refits and Ownership
Essential systems — hull passages, fuel and water, electrical, technical gear — are laid out for easy access from the outset, and the engine room abaft the companionway is insulated with access both sides. A 660 Ah battery bank sits centrally; energy autonomy extends to hydrogenerator, solar, generator, and diesel genset with second alternator. Freshwater can be pumped side to side for ballast, and 880 L tanks plus 1,000 L (extendable 400 L) diesel sit close to weights. A removable canvas encloses the IMOCA-style exterior watch station under its rigid cap, and hot-water central heating with radiators and active ventilation are standard.
The Verdict
The Exploration 52 is a genuine offshore 4x4: aluminium structure, centreboard versatility, and watertight discipline wrapped around a warm, watchful deck saloon. She trades tactile steering and some engine noise for load-carrying range and the ability to take ground or thin ice where few 54-footers dare.
Pros
- Integral centreboard with 1.27–3.00 m draught and dry-out, ice-capable hull
- Watertight bulkheads, welded through-hulls, and insulated aluminium build
- All lines led aft; sails short-handed or solo; 270° interior helm view
- High load capacity and centered tank weights for passage provisioning
Cons
- 110 hp Volvo Penta loud in aft cabin (80 dB) and saloon (76 dB) under way
- Self-tacking jib option too small for the boat; weak rudder feedback
- Test-boat teak veneer matching was poor
