Wauquiez, the venerable French boat builder, has not introduced a new model since it launched the 42 in 2018. And, when it did go public with the new design for the 55, they simply posted the renderings on their website without any fanfare.
They knew the world would discover their new Marc Lombard design in good time and would crow about it. The new 55 is a real departure from the aft cockpit, deck salon models that has been their trademark for the last two decades.
With a reversed bow and lengthy bowsprit, it immediately looks purposeful and thoroughly modern. The reverse sheer line is entirely new for the company and works well with the center cockpit configuration, adding volume to the interior and raising the cockpit.
The hull has a serious hard chine and very flat underbody so it will have a lot of initial stability and will tend to sail at 10 degrees of heel or less.
The flat bottom may pound in a head sea but is a very fast shape and one that is appearing on more and more European-designed cruising boats. Under the water, they offer either a fixed keel or an articulated folding keel that extends the depth to almost 13 feet.
The pilot house over the cockpit offers protection for the crew and fits the boat’s lines neatly. The helm has been moved forward next to the companionway, a la Amel, and the main seating area is aft but still under the hard top.
The stern offers a wide lounging platform at deck level and a sunken after area at the transom with a long bench and the fold-down swim platform. A particularly interesting feature of this after area is the direct access to the owner’s aft cabin.
The 55 has a whopping 17 feet of maximum beam so the interior is nothing short of massive. The aft cabin runs the full width of the hull so it is the size of a proper bedroom ashore. Forward, the guest cabin is huge and also has its own head. A third pullman cabin is tucked under the deck beside the companionway.
The saloon is so wide it is almost the size found on a cruising catamaran. With the giant hull windows, again, you almost feel like you are in a cat.
The galley is in the passageway leading to the aft cabin and will be safe and comfortable to work while at sea. The twin sinks are almost on the centerline so they will drain on both tacks.
The dinette looks like it will seat six and in the published drawings, and a centerline box forms the aft end of the seating area. I suspect this is for the swing keel engineering and probably does not appear in the fixed keel versions.
Wauquiez builds very high-quality yachts that are renown as fast and safe pasagemakers. Up until now, they also have built quite conservative designs. The new 55 signals that they also can build the cruisers of the future.
Check out the new Wauquiez 55 here.
