Wauquiez Centurion 40S Buyer's Guide
The Wauquiez Centurion 40S occupies a compelling niche on the used market: a French-built cruiser-racer that punches above its class in both sailing performance and interior quality, yet trades at a meaningful discount compared to better-known marques. Designed by the Jean Berret and Olivier Racoupeau studio — responsible for a string of successful offshore designs — and built under Beneteau's ownership using resin infusion techniques more commonly associated with race shops, the 40S delivers a hull that is genuinely light and stiff for its displacement. Buyers shopping this model typically come from one of two camps: the performance cruiser who has graduated from a pure racer and wants comfortable overnighting without giving up boat speed, and the accomplished bluewater sailor who recognizes that the 40S's moderate displacement and fine entry make for efficient passagemaking on modest fuel and sail budgets. Either way, the boat rewards a thorough pre-purchase survey, because Wauquiez's limited North American dealer presence during much of the model's production life means many examples changed hands privately or through European brokers, and maintenance histories can be uneven.
Layouts on the Used Market
The interior arrangement follows a consistent layout across the fleet. The main saloon sits amidships with a C-shaped starboard settee and a shorter port settee flanking a folding dining table whose base intrudes slightly into the centerline walkway — a known ergonomic compromise that owners either accept or address with aftermarket table modifications. The nav station and galley face each other aft of the saloon on port and starboard respectively, a pairing that works well for offshore use. The forward cabin carries a V-berth with a vanity area, and the aft starboard cabin offers a double berth with reasonable standing headroom. A single head with a separate shower stall is located to port of the companionway. This one-cabin, one-head configuration is essentially uniform across the model, so buyers should not expect layout variation; the 40S was built as a racer-cruiser optimized for a couple or small family rather than a charter-ready twin-cabin arrangement.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Boats found on the used market are often well-equipped by previous owners who intended to cruise. Radar, AIS, autopilot, and a chartplotter are widely fitted across the fleet, reflecting the offshore intentions of most 40S buyers. An inverter and dedicated freezer — the latter using the keel-cooler heat-exchange system standard from the factory — are commonly retained and in working order on well-maintained examples. A dodger and bimini combination is nearly universal, as is a swim platform with boarding ladder, which folds from the transom on all production boats. Life rafts are frequently present in cockpit-seat stowage, often mounted in the purpose-designed cavity beneath the helm seat.
Cockpit showers and air conditioning show up frequently, particularly on boats that have spent time in warmer climates such as the Mediterranean or Australia. The anchor windlass housed in the foredeck locker is standard and generally in good shape on boats that have not seen heavy anchoring use without regular servicing.
Owner upgrades worth noting include asymmetric spinnaker gear, which a meaningful share of boats carry — often rigged on a retractable bowsprit added after delivery — reflecting the enthusiasm for off-wind performance that the hull's light displacement invites. Teak decks appear on a portion of the fleet, typically installed by European owners, and should be inspected carefully for delamination and fastener condition. Sail inventories vary considerably: early owners sometimes stepped up to full-batten mains with lazy-jack systems, which the reviewers at the time strongly recommended, and buyers should favor examples that already have this gear in place. Winch upgrades from the factory Andersen 46s to larger self-tailers are a frequent owner modification that meaningfully reduces cockpit workload on short-handed passages.
What to Inspect
The 40S's resin-infused hull is generally sound, but the balsa core in both the hull above the waterline and the deck warrants careful moisture surveying. Tap-testing and moisture meter readings across the entire deck are non-negotiable, particularly around any hardware penetrations; balsa-cored decks anywhere fasteners have been re-bedded or replaced over the years are susceptible to core saturation. Pay particular attention to areas around chainplate bases and the keel-stepped mast collar, where compression loads and water intrusion can interact.
The keel attachment uses stainless steel fasteners bedded in fiberglass, and while this is a workmanlike approach, it requires a surveyor to inspect for any staining, weeping, or soft gelcoat at the keel-to-hull joint that might indicate fastener corrosion or bond fatigue — an issue on any lead-keel production boat of this era. The lead ballast itself is durable, but the interface deserves attention on any boat with hard offshore miles.
Engine access is genuinely good from the front, with side access panels, but the companionway step assembly must be removed entirely to service the engine from above — a design limitation that means deferred maintenance on that powerplant is common in the fleet. Confirm oil and coolant service history, inspect for raw-water impeller records, and check the saildrive bellows if the boat carries a saildrive installation, as bellows replacement is a time-sensitive item that is easy to neglect.
The interior fingerholds below the portlights in the main saloon were noted as insufficiently robust in contemporary reviews; inspect these for cracking or loosened backing blocks, and factor handrail improvements into ownership plans if they haven't already been addressed.
Battery capacity is frequently the first thing a new owner needs to address. The standard 240 amp-hour bank was identified as marginal for the power demands of a cruising outfitted boat, and many examples have been upgraded to larger banks or have added solar or wind charging; verify what is actually aboard and in what condition. Electrical panels are neatly wired to European standards, which can require patience when sourcing replacement components in North American marinas.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Centurion 40S circulates most actively in the United States, France, Greece, and Australia — a distribution that reflects both the brand's European heritage and the blue-water appetite of its typical buyer. North American buyers will find the most liquidity along the East Coast, where the original US importer was based, though Pacific Coast examples do surface. European buyers, particularly those working the Mediterranean brokerage circuit, will find the 40S a familiar and respected platform.
The model's relative rarity compared to mass-market production boats means prices tend to hold reasonably well for well-maintained, fully-equipped examples, but the thin secondary market also means buyers should not expect to find multiple competing listings to benchmark against at any given moment.
Before making an offer, confirm or budget for:
- Full professional survey with moisture meter readings across all cored surfaces, deck hardware penetrations, and keel joint
- Saildrive bellows inspection and replacement if interval is unknown
- Engine service history and top-end service records
- Battery bank capacity, age, and charging system audit
- Full-batten main with lazy-jack system, or budget to add one
- Companionway handrail integrity below portlights
- Teak deck condition if fitted (probe for soft spots and fastener sealant)
- Asymmetric spinnaker gear and associated running rigging service
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Wauquiez Centurion 40S. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 1 | $ 154,827 | — |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $ 139,000 | -10.2% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $ 154,827 | +11.4% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $ 136,292 | -12.0% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $ 137,624 | +1.0% |
| Apr 26 | 5 | $ 154,900 | +12.6% |
| May 26 | 3 | $ 154,900 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Wauquiez Centurion 40S listings appear across 4 countries. United States has the most listings with 7 (50.0%), followed by Greece and Australia.
Country view
14 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 154,900 | 7 | 3 | 50.0% |
| Greece | $ 137,624 | 5 | 1 | 35.7% |
| Australia | $ 136,292 | 1 | 0 | 7.1% |
| Italy | $ 160,561 | 1 | 0 | 7.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance 40 | 40.42' | $ 116,980 | 36 | 15 |
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| Elan 40 | 39.04' | $ 86,534 | 28 | 3 |
| J/BOATS J/40 | 40' | $ 68,750 | 16 | 7 |
| Wauquiez Centurion 40SYou are here | — | $ 154,900 | 15 | 5 |
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| Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 40 S (Farr) | 40.52' | $ 98,843 | 5 | 0 |
| Solaris 40 | 40.55' | $ 516,090 | 5 | 3 |