Wauquiez Chance 37 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Wauquiez Chance 37 means chasing a comparatively scarce French racer-cruiser: 95 were built between 1973 and 1977, and the survivors are spread thin. Britton Chance's One Ton design pairs a fin keel with a spade rudder and a masthead sloop rig, and the boat's liveaboard interior makes it more than a pure racer. A buyer should weigh the known points below against the equipment and regional spread before committing.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Chance 37 carries seven berths across a true forward cabin, a convertible U-shaped saloon dinette, and a quarter berth behind the chart table. Headroom of 1.85 meters runs even into the bow cabin. The galley aft to starboard holds a three-burner stove, oven, and refrigerator, while a large bathroom with shower sits behind the forward cabin. A forward-facing nav station and a large cockpit for eight round out a layout that has changed little.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market these boats commonly carry an autopilot, cabin heating, a short-handed setup, an inverter, AIS, and a chartplotter. Often seen are a self-tacking jib, spinnaker, and teak decks. Less common owner upgrades include electric winches, hot water, a cockpit shower, an EPIRB, and a life raft. For a buyer, the short-handed setup and autopilot matter most for single- or double-handed passage work, while heating and inverter speak to year-round comfort; a spinnaker and self-tacking jib change the light-air handling profile and should be inspected for age.
What to Inspect
Grounding is possible and commonly practiced with this design, so any viewing should include a close look at the fin keel joint and the spade rudder bearing for impact cracks or play anchor. The shower drains by a pump and the gas bottles live in a locker behind the cockpit that drains itself and is kept separate from the interior; verify both pumps and locker drains move water and show no corrosion after decades of service anchor. With the 25-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2B and 57-liter tank, confirm the engine starts cold and the alternator charges, since a 70-hour range leaves little margin if the system is weak.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically appear in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and France. Before you buy, run through this short list:
- Inspect keel-to-hull joint and rudder bearing for grounding damage.
- Test the shower pump and cockpit gas-locker drain for flow.
- Cold-start the Volvo Penta MD2B and check alternator output.
- Confirm the self-tacking jib or spinnaker condition if fitted.
- Verify heating and inverter function if cruising year-round.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Wauquiez Chance 37. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 1 | $80,832 | — |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $40,688 | -49.7% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $39,694 | -2.4% |
| Jul 26 | 2 | $37,971 | -4.3% |
Where they're listed
Wauquiez Chance 37 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 7.
Country view
7 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $39,694 | 7 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.