The Westerly Centaur - plug or English Classic?

dylanwinter

dylanwinter

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When I raced these

Ireland%202005%20a.jpg


I thought that Westerly Centaurs were sluggish floating caravans for old blokes more interested in drinking tea than sailing

Now that I am an old bloke and own one.....

I think they look quite nice

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am I deluded?
 
No, not deluded. The e-boat was a dinghy with a top and never a serious contender for something to sleep aboard, never mind cruise while the Centaur is still an imminently practical family bilge keeled cruiser.
 
The Centaur was a pretty boat in its time, and hugely practical. I bought a new one - our first saily boat! Fond memories. But times change....
 
The Centaur is a classic, no pretences or airs and graces, just very, very good at what she does and no real attempt to do anything else - a thoroughly honest boat. I've always liked the look of them and the way they sail too. Jack Laurent Giles designed a cracker there and the knuckles on the bow are a touch of genius - breaks up the slab of fibreglass at the bow and helps deflect the spray, as well as making her and her kin instantly recognisable.
 
pvb said:
The Centaur was a pretty boat in its time, and hugely practical. I bought a new one - our first saily boat! Fond memories. But times change....
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IMHO it would have looked nicer with a couple of inches added to the topsides and a couple of inches taken off the superstructure.

Then add a couple of inches to the beam amidships to reduced the slab sided look


But then you would nearly have had a Griffon 10 years earlier!
 
grumpy_o_g said:
The Centaur is a classic, no pretences or airs and graces, just very, very good at what she does and no real attempt to do anything else - a thoroughly honest boat. I've always liked the look of them and the way they sail too. Jack Laurent Giles designed a cracker there and the knuckles on the bow are a touch of genius - breaks up the slab of fibreglass at the bow and helps deflect the spray, as well as making her and her kin instantly recognisable.
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+1 well said, a well sailed Centaur can put the frighteners up the stripey brigade !
 
In my copy of the Yachting World annual for 1970 it says the centaur is a welcome addition to the twin keel fleet and will bring to it an air of distinction...Personally I like more the traditional settee berths but I guess its attractive to women to have almost a proper kitchen.
 
dylanwinter said:
When I raced these

Ireland%202005%20a.jpg


I thought that Westerly Centaurs were sluggish floating caravans for old blokes more interested in drinking tea than sailing

Now that I am an old bloke and own one.....

I think they look quite nice

scal2crop.jpg


am I deluded?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. But they are everywhere, and they look in great shape. Owners put so much effort and time in to their boats. I bet many will be around for a very long time. with the attention being given to them, they may end up setting a new trend in actually increasing in value over time.

Steveeasy
 
dylanwinter said:
When I raced these

Ireland%202005%20a.jpg


I thought that Westerly Centaurs were sluggish floating caravans for old blokes more interested in drinking tea than sailing

Now that I am an old bloke and own one.....

I think they look quite nice

scal2crop.jpg


am I deluded?
Click to expand...

Why put a label on it at all? Their owners know what they like.
 
Sailed properly and given a half-decent genoa Centaurs sail remarkably well. I found the helm lacked feel, maybe some of the different rudder designs improved on that. There is currently not much better value in a boat that can cruise safely and in tolerable comfort.
 
My only real critiscms of the Centaur are the lack of feel on the helm and the way the tiller sweeps the cockpit; when my Dad got his late model he tried all sorts of handling tweaks from aircraft flight testing, inc trim tabs, vortex generators, fences etc; in the end he gave up, and it matters a lot less with an autohelm.
 
Topcat47 said:
No, not deluded. The e-boat was a dinghy with a top and never a serious contender for something to sleep aboard, never mind cruise while the Centaur is still an imminently practical family bilge keeled cruiser.
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I was once rafted to by an E boat with a family of 4 and the biggest dog I've ever seen on a boat. I was assuming they were just overnighting but in conversation they were out for 3 weeks. The exception that proves the rule perhaps!

The thing with the centaur I've never understood is the fact that its successor, the Griffon, is a better boat, sails better, very similar interior with a few tweaks, definitely better looking.... And these days available for very similar money.

Yet the love just isn't there in the same way... Why?
 
dylanwinter said:
because we are blokes

give two kids two sticks and they will decide if one is better than the other

D
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But "classic" is not about necessarily being better. The dictionary definition is

"Of the first class, of acknowledged excellence, remarkably typical, outstandingly important" (Concise Oxford Dictionary)

So the Centaur could comply with that definition.

The problem with the word "classic" particularly in the yottie world is that has been appropriated by some (Clubs and regatta organisers for example) to use as a differentiator so that they can include/exclude boats of which they approve/disapprove. Given that approval often means greater social acceptance or higher monetary value, there is a tendency for others to use the term to describe their boats using the same adjective.

Nothing wrong with this as the word is not owned by anybody and its meaning depends entirely on its accepted usage.
 
The Centaur is reasonably described as a classic of its kind, and the long waterline length gives it a useful cruising capability but I could never think of it as stylish. Many continental boats of the period appeal to me more, such as the Marieholm 26.
 
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