Westerly Marine Ltd. Centaur 26

BoatsWesterly Marine Ltd. Centaur 26

See her sail

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Centaur 26, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draughtDraws 0.91 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27

CoastalBluewater

1.79 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.79

LightHeavy

308 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 308

EasygoingPowered-up

14.6 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.6

TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 42%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

Draws less than ~92% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1703 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Centaur 26, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Westerly Marine Ltd. Centaur 26 is a twin-keel masthead sloop designed by Laurent Giles, built from 1969 to 1980. It was Westerly's most successful model and the most popular British production sailboat in its size range. The 7.9-meter LOA vessel has a 2.6-meter beam, a 0.9-meter draft, and displaces 3039 kg. A few Centaurs were delivered with a ketch rig, and a center cockpit/aft cabin variant, the CHIEFTAIN, was introduced in 1972.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

41.8%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

14.6

Displacement / length

308.2

Comfort ratio

26.7

Capsize screening

1.79

Hull speed

6.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

642

Hull

Hull type

Twin Keel

Construction

FG/balsa cored foredeck

Production

Years built

1969–1980

Units built

2444

Designer

Laurent Giles, Jack Laurent Giles

Builder

Westerly Marine Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971

Ep# 27 Interview with Chris2:02 from Sailing Into Oblivion

Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising

Salt & Tar: Ep.235- Buddy Boating to the Islands (We have Friends!)8:18 from Salt & Tar

Puma 268.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop derived from an IOR Half Ton prototype, designed by Holman and Pye for competitive performance

💥+250 sailors together!! ⛵🎉 TESTIMONIALS - Sailors' Meetup7:43 from Allende los Mares · Vuelta Vertical

Colvic Ltd. Sailor 268.21 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA twin-keeled masthead sloop with hulls moulded by Colvic and finished by various yards, including Atlanta Marine

Asking YOU what to do? (Bulkheads and Masts) - Episode 13 - DIY Free Sailboat Refit0:15 from Sailing Puffin

Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27

103. Sailors' Meeting. Sea stories told by those who lived them.49:10 from A Son de Mar

Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations

Bahamas for $5000? The Watkins 27 foot Sailboat0:47 from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Westerly Marine Ltd. Chieftain 26A centre-cockpit cruiser featuring an aft cabin, bowsprit, and wheel steering built on the proven Centaur hull Mariner CentaurA George Stadel-designed cutter with a heavy displacement and long keel, also marketed as the Stadel 34 Westerly Marine Ltd. Pembroke 26A fin-keeled alternative to the Centaur, offering improved windward performance with a 1.3m draft Westerly Marine Ltd. Gk 29A former IOR half-tonner with a 50% ballast ratio, built for competitive racing performance Westerly Marine Ltd. Pentland 32A center-cockpit cruiser featuring a spacious aft cabin and the shoal-draft versatility of a twin-keel configuration

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