Design and Construction
Jack Laurent Giles drew the Centaur with a clear eye on American boats of the period. By late-1960s European standards, the design broke new ground.
At 26 feet overall, with a 21-foot-4-inch waterline and a beam of 8 feet 5 inches, the Centaur was 15% wider than the Westerly 25 it replaced. That extra beam, together with higher freeboard and a longer waterline, gave it much more interior volume than its predecessor.
The hull is built from heavy chopped-strand mat. Boats from this period are often described as extremely tough and robust, although quality control wasn’t always perfect.
Giles had recently worked on extensive tank testing for a 50-foot twin-keel yacht, and that work fed directly into the Centaur’s appendage development. The Centaur was offered only with bilge keels: shallow-draught foils splayed from the vertical and toed in by 2°. When the boat heels, the leeward keel sits more upright. The geometry makes drying out on a tide flat a natural habit rather than a risk.
Rig and Handling
The Centaur is a masthead sloop with an easily handled rig. It isn’t a spirited upwind performer, however. Yachting Monthly notes that it isn’t the most close-winded of boats and develops weather helm when pushed hard in a breeze unless reefed early. Sailing it effectively to windward in a seaway takes some skill.
The boat can be fast on a reach, but the twin keels’ extra wetted surface creates drag when sailing downwind in light airs. As a result, the engine tends to see more use than it would on more recent designs, particularly when going upwind or downwind in calm conditions.
A ketch-rig option appeared in the 1974 brochure, complete with wheel steering and a short bowsprit. Few buyers accepted the additional cost and complexity, so these boats are oddities today.
Accommodation
The large, boxy coachroof carries equally large windows, which flood the interior with natural light to a degree that was exceptional for the period.
Early boats had the A layout, a 5–6 berth arrangement with two quarter berths and a saloon dinette that converted into a slim double. By 1971, the B layout had replaced the dinette with an L-shaped settee to port. By the mid-1970s, the C layout moved the galley aft, close to the companionway, giving up one quarter berth in exchange for a large cockpit locker.
The heads compartment spans the full beam between the saloon and forecabin. The boat also has a reasonable galley and well-thought-out stowage. Yachting Monthly records at least 6 feet of standing headroom throughout, a forward double with a V-shaped infill, a port-side quarter berth, and two saloon settee berths arranged around a drop-leaf table. Most examples can sleep up to five adults in reasonable comfort.
Known Issues
The limited structural-engineering tools available when the Centaur was designed underestimated the loads on its splayed keels, particularly when the tide lifts the boat out. The keel roots therefore need careful inspection by a surveyor, even though most boats ought by now to have been strengthened in this area.
Early Centaurs had a fairly rudimentary spade rudder, with much less structure than would be specified for a similar appendage today. Later boats received a more substantial, skeg-supported rudder that appears well engineered. On boats with the earlier spade rudder, sheets tend to catch around the exposed ends of the cockpit slats.
Engines, Refits, and Ownership
Very early Centaurs were offered with either a 7hp Volvo Penta MD1 or a 15hp MD2 diesel. By 1971, the builder recommended the 25hp MD2B, with the 10hp MD1B as an alternative. Many boats have since been successfully re-engined with a 14hp Beta unit.
A Westerly Centaur owners’ association supports the class.
The Verdict
The Centaur is a proper family cruiser with a fairly comfortable motion and an easily handled rig. It suits sailors moving up from dayboats or dinghies, as well as those who want to creep close inshore in search of shelter.
It is a coastal daysailer at heart rather than a heavy-weather boat, but its light, shallow hull and twin keels open up waters that other 26-footers can’t reach. Sources differ on displacement, quoting figures between 6,150 and 6,700 lb.
Pros
- Twin bilge keels allow the boat to dry out and explore estuaries.
- Natural light and headroom are exceptional for a 26-footer of its era.
- The tough chopped-strand-mat hull is backed by a large, enthusiastic owner community.
Cons
- Upwind performance is sluggish and requires skill in a seaway.
- Keel-root fatigue caused by underestimated tidal loads calls for inspection by a surveyor.
- Early spade rudders and exposed cockpit slats are dated details.
