Wauquiez Centurion 48 S Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Wauquiez built the Centurion 48 S as a foam sandwich hull of glassfibre and vinylester/polyester resin enclosing PVC closed-cell foam, vacuum formed to enclose integrated ribs and stringers, with the yard adopting the vacuum bag technique to avert problems of sandwich delamination. The Airex core is bonded to unidirectional, biaxial fabric skins, and the first layer of laminate is impact-resistant aramid, with two layers of aramid cloth running from bow to keel for impact-proofing and the bow area doubled with four layers of Twaron. Multiple internal coating treatments guard against osmosis. Structurally, the reinforcing framework consists of resin-bonded hull stringers and spars with no structural counter-molds; at the spars a solid laminate omega runs broadside to broadside, and structural bulkheads are resined to both hull and deck through a system of drilled holes and fiberglass gussets. The deck is likewise sandwich construction bonded to the hull by a moulded overlap with mechanical fastenings, and aluminium floors sit bonded to the internal framework under the sole. Despite these techniques that allow significant weight savings, displacement remains in the medium-heavy range at about 16,000 kg, with 5,000 kg of lead ballast embedded keel bolts and a lead bulb. The hull carries IMS-molded waterlines with round, full midsections flattening and widening aft, fine and slightly starred bow entries, a raked stem, shallow forefoot, exaggerated rocker, and sawn-off counter. A standard 2.50 m draft can drop to 1.80 m with the finned torpedo bulb.

Rig and Handling

The Centurion 48 S is a masthead sloop with a keel-stepped Sparcraft mast of 20.04 m carrying triple swept-back spreaders — three tiers of wide spreaders angled 22° aft in the source description — and Navtec rod rigging with a split backstay, cap shrouds, intermediates, and babystay. A standard two-way hydraulic power unit controls the split backstay, vang, and forestay for the foresail. The German mainsheet system uses Lewmar 48ST winches either side of the helm, with Lewmar 66ST winches forward for the genoa; all halyards, including the mainsail halyard, remain at the mast. The squared-off deck leaves a cockpit divided by a Vtr column carrying the traveller and instrumentation, and the Whitlock steering gear uses rod transmission and universal joints to a smooth helm. Underbody, the spade rudder has no skeg and runs on a solid steel or stainless-steel stock with self-aligning bearings. Test sailors found the wheel light under heel thanks to balanced hull volumes, quick and precise rudder response in reverse, and a preferred upwind gait in medium winds; at cruising speed she comfortably reaches 8 knots against a critical speed of 8.5 knots and exceeds 9 at maximum rpm, though she tends to sit in the stern without a spinnaker, for which a 192 m² symmetrical sail is available.

Accommodations

There is only one interior version: three double cabins and two toilets. The master stateroom occupies the bow with a very large V-bed and a separate shower compartment, while the two guest or aft cabins present one with bunk berths and the other a usual double — Yachting Monthly notes twin aft double cabins, both en suite, with the starboard one adding an overhead pilot berth. Headroom exceeds two meters and stays above 190 cm throughout unless the user is over 6 ft 5 in. The galley is placed at the mast and developed lengthwise on both sides of the corridor toward the bow, a layout one review criticizes as too far forward; it includes a gimbal-mounted four-burner cooker with oven, grill, and extractor fan. The dinette pairs a very elongated L-shaped sofa with two swivel armchairs, and the charting solution uses two opposing benches convertible to an extra table. Interior woods are teak as standard though the test specimen showed light maple, with excellent finish. Storage includes narrow deep lockers under the humpback, a large bow sail locker able to take a 2.4 m inflatable, awkward aft locker access, and a transom-accessible compartment for the self-inflating raft.

Known Issues

Two bow-weight penalties recur in the record. A tank in the bow penalizes pitching, and the location of the fuel tank in the bow is described as somewhat questionable — the same forward bias that places the galley too far forward for comfortable sea-keeping. The V Drive transmission transmits some vibration at high rpm into the aft cabins, and the engine compartment is somewhat compressed around a 75 hp engine with shaft transmission. Aforementioned awkward aft locker access and the narrow deep humpback lockers round out the practical gripes.

Refits and Ownership

Ownership of the 24-boat series is straightforward given the single interior layout and standard systems: 270 Ah of 24-volt service batteries and 200 Ah of 12-volt engine batteries, each with its own alternator and charger, plus abundant 600-litre water and 360-litre diesel capacity. The planked teak deck, electric windlass over a double bow roller with 60 lb plough and 60 m chain, and the vacuum-bag sandwich structure mean routine owner attention tracks the usual foam-core and teak-care paths rather than structural reinvention.

The Verdict

The Centurion 48 S is a Dubois-designed racer-cruiser whose vacuum-formed foam sandwich and aramid impact layers deliver a light, stiff, medium-heavy hull with genuine upwind pace and 8-plus-knot cruising, wrapped around a single well-finished three-cabin interior. The bow-tank pitching penalty, forward galley, and V-Drive vibration are the documented trade-offs against an otherwise considered deck and accommodation plan.

Pros

High construction quality with delamination-averting vacuum bag sandwich and aramid impact proofing
Very high sail performance with balanced helm and precise reverse response
Single versatile three-cabin, two-head layout with standing headroom above 190 cm
Abundant water and diesel capacity with dual isolated battery circuits

Cons