Design and Construction
Garcia builds the Exploration 52 exclusively as an integral centreboard yacht; no fixed-keel version is planned. Her hull is pressed and welded from aluminium plate measuring six millimetres thick above the waterline and eight millimetres below. The floor element uses ten-millimetre plate, with welded stringers inside.
The bow and forefoot are reinforced for breaking ice. The boat can dry out on almost any surface, resting on her flattened hull bottom and long ballast keel while keeping the two rudder blades unloaded. A towing eye allows a tractor to drag her ashore.
Watertight bulkheads sit fore and aft ahead of the steering, and a sturdy watertight door separates the saloon from the cockpit. Through-hull fittings are welded aluminium, with their valves above the waterline. Eight centimetres of foam insulates the hull above the waterline, deck, and superstructure; the hull has 74 mm of thermal insulation, and the floors below are also insulated. The superstructure roof is a GRP sandwich.
Lightship displacement is 19.5 tonnes, including 6.6 tonnes of aluminium ballast, or 34 percent. The boat carries more than two tons of load and up to 6.5 tonnes above light displacement. Her wide, balanced hull and centred weights provide form stability for demanding high-latitude sailing.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The cutter-rigged 52 leads every sheet, reefing line, and trim line aft beneath the coachroof, through channels below deck. This lets the crew work from the protected cockpit without stepping out.
An aluminium mast carries a modern, efficient sail plan. The standard genoa is large, while a conventional cutter staysail is optional; according to the builder, it is used in 25 knots and above. A self-tacking jib is available by special request, although the yard considers it too small and narrow for the boat.
On the test boat, the twin rudder blades gave hardly any steering feedback. Even so, the 20-tonne hull reached just over 7 knots at a 45-degree true-wind angle in 15–18 knots and a 1.5-metre swell. She displaced waves cleanly and accelerated smoothly when sailing close-winded.
Raising the centreboard downwind reduces drag and smooths the boat’s behaviour. She sails for only limited periods with the board raised, especially in wind. The short rudder blades, deliberately designed around the boat’s ability to take the ground, extend 1.15 m deep, compared with 1.45 m on a conventional fixed-keel design, as designer Olivier Racoupeau confirmed in YACHT.
Interior and Accommodation
Isabelle Racoupeau designed the interior, which is installed as finished modules from an external supplier. Fine brushed-aluminium trim is paired with teak or oak.
The raised deck saloon gives 270° sightlines through the slanted coachroof windows, and its table lowers to form a large bed. The forward-facing navigation station doubles as an interior helm, with engine controls, autopilot, and a 270° view. The long galley runs along one side, provides large work surfaces, and retains a view of the horizon.
The standard arrangement has three double cabins and a service room, as well as a proper workshop for spares. In the forward owner’s cabin, the double berth is offset, while the wet room sits fully forward behind two additional watertight bulkheads. The aft cabins can be arranged with twin or double berths. The space beneath the dinette can become either a single cabin or a walk-in workshop. Depending on the layout, the boat sleeps five to ten people.
Systems and Ownership
Essential systems—including hull passages, fuel and water systems, electrical equipment, and other technical gear—are laid out from the start for easy access. The insulated engine room sits abaft the companionway and can be reached from both sides.
A centrally positioned 660 Ah battery bank supports the electrical system. Options for greater energy autonomy include a hydrogenerator, solar power, a generator, and a diesel genset with a second alternator.
Fresh water can be pumped from side to side for ballast. The 880 L water tanks and 1,000 L diesel capacity, extendable by 400 L, are positioned close to the weights.
Outside, an IMOCA-style watch station sits beneath a rigid cap and can be enclosed with removable canvas. Hot-water central heating with radiators and active ventilation are standard.
Known Issues
During cruising, the Volvo Penta diesel produced noise in the aft cabin at the limit of tolerability. The YACHT test measured 80 dB there and 76 dB in the saloon under way.
On the evaluated boat, the teak veneers across the built-in units were not neatly matched. This was a cosmetic distraction rather than a structural fault.
The Verdict
The Exploration 52 is a genuine offshore 4x4, combining an aluminium structure, centreboard versatility, watertight construction, and a warm deck saloon with excellent visibility. She gives up tactile steering and accepts some engine noise in return for load-carrying range and the ability to take the ground or handle thin ice in places few 54-footers would attempt.
Pros
- Integral centreboard with 1.27–3.00 m draught
- Hull designed to dry out and take thin ice
- Watertight bulkheads, welded through-hulls, and insulated aluminium construction
- All sailing controls led aft for short-handed or solo sailing
- Interior helm with a 270° view
- High load capacity and centrally positioned tank weights for passage provisioning
Cons
- The 110 hp Volvo Penta produced 80 dB in the aft cabin and 76 dB in the saloon under way
- The yard considers the self-tacking jib option too small for the boat
- Weak feedback from the rudders
- Poor teak-veneer matching on the test boat
