Once a large production builder, Wauquiez is now a small-scale enterprise (albeit part of the Bénéteau Group), turning out high-quality fast cruisers, as exemplifi ed by this sporty, sweet-looking and close-winded 40-footer drawn by Berret-Racoupeau in 2002. She has the attributes of a thoroughbred: low freeboard, tall rig, very fi ne bows, an exceptionally deep keel, narrow waterline beam and a balanced underwater shape when well-heeled. Her performance and handling under sail were described by the YM test team as ‘an unalloyed delight’. Down below, the hull shape means she’s not as spacious as some. At fi rst sight, her interior seems unremarkable, but it is very cleverly designed – comfortable in harbour and practical on passage – and the quality of fi t-out is superlative. The main cabin has an impressive chart table, a well-designed galley and a C-shaped dinette opposite a straight settee, with double cabins aft of the companionway and forward of the mast.

LOA 12.37m (40ft 6in), LWL 11.76m (38ft 6in), beam 3.87m (12ft 7in), draught 2.38m
(7ft 8in), or 1.78m (5ft 10in), displacement 7,600kg (5,950lb). Price guide: £140,000 to £200,000. YM Test Report March 2004.