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Westerly (Boatbuilder)

Westerly Marine Construction was a British yacht manufacturing company which existed from 1963 to 2000. It is known for its inexpensive but well constructed GRP boat designs, and became Britain's biggest boatbuilder during the 1970s. It was founded by former Royal Navy officer Denys Rayner .

• 1 Early years and success
• 4 Westerly Classes
• 5 External Links
• 6 References

Early years and success [ edit ]

The early Westerly designs clearly developed from Rayner's earlier yacht designs. As the material GRP was pretty new to the boatbuilding market and nobody really had experience in working with it, Rayner opted to adapt designs which where originally inteded to be build of plywood, which proofed successful. These early designs were build of much heavier GRP than the later ones as GRP was thought to be weaker than the common boatbuilding materials.

After this initial success Westerly paired with renowned yacht designer Laurent Giles who constructed the following series of Westerly models. These models differ from the earlier ones in appearance and GRP thickness as well as in the keel design. Giles designed the most famous Westerly yachts Warwick 21", Pageant 23" and Centaur 26". All tiller steered twin keel yachts with a very pragmatic layout and affordable prices. These boats hit the market just in time to appeal to an emerging British middle class who could suddenly afford hobbies like sailing which were pretty much restricted to the rich upper class before.

By the early 70s Westerly was the biggest boatbuilder in Britain. The Centaur alone was built 2444 times. [1]

The so called 'small cruisers' were soon to be joined by the new Westerly 'flagship', the 31'' Longbow. Although similar in appearance to the small cruisers, the Longbow was a fin keel design. Later it was joined by a wheel steered aft cabin version, the Renown. As customers were used to twin keelers from Westerly, the 31" Berwick and Pentland soon followed. Until 1979 almost 1000 31" Westerlies were built.

Demise [ edit ]

In the late 70s, early 80s the market for inexpensive sturdy cruisers was saturated. Westerly's boom began to fade. They tried to move upmarket with a luxurious version of the 31 footers as well as their following models Konsort and Fulmar, which also sold pretty well.

After years of no real innovation, Westerly was sold to the Bowman Group during the mid 90s and finally folded in 2000.

Today [ edit ]

Used Westerly yachts are still very popular beginner boats and are often sold for far smaller prices than comparable boats which generates lasting popularity. Due to their sturdy and pragmatic design most Westerlies built are still afloat.

As of 2020 the Westerly Owners Association is still the biggest yacht owner association in the world. On their website they operate an online market place for used boats or spare parts and a Westerly Wiki . They also organise regular meetings and events. [2]

Westerly Classes [ edit ]

Some examples of Westerly Class models:

• Nimrod, 18", 1968
• Warwick, 21", 1970
• Pageant, 23", 1970
• Centaur, 26", 1969
• Chieftain, 26" 1972 (Wheel steered center cockpit Centaur)
• Longbow, 31" 1973
• Oceanlord, 40", 1987 [3]

External Links [ edit ]

Westerly Wiki

Westerly Owners Association

References [ edit ]

• ↑ "What WOA can do for you" . Retrieved 2021-02-15 .
• ↑ "Westerly Classes - Westerly-Wiki" . wiki.westerly-owners.co.uk . Retrieved 2021-02-15 .

This article "Westerly (Boatbuilder)" is from Wikipedia . The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Westerly (Boatbuilder) . Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Westerly Konsort review: a re-purchase 40 years on

• Rachael Sprot
• June 9, 2023

As families grow up they inevitably grow out of their boats. Rachael Sprot joins one family who’ve re-purchased the Westerly Konsort they commissioned more than 40 years ago. Has the Westerly Konsort had its day, or is it a boat for all seasons?

Product Overview

When fellow sailing instructor Liz Le Mare invited me aboard her recently acquired boat, I didn’t need much persuading. She’d recently married a fiercely competitive dinghy sailor, Richard, and their wedding had included a mini-regatta in Portland harbour. So I was a little surprised to learn that the boat in question was a Westerly Konsort. It didn’t seem like the natural choice for a couple who’d crossed the start line of their marriage in a Kestrel racing dinghy.

Having never sailed a Westerly Konsort before though, my curiosity was piqued. The British boat builder left an indelible mark on the cruising sailor’s psyche and my lack of experience was an omission I was particularly keen to remedy.

The name Westerly evokes a strong reaction from some. The Marmite of the boat world, their distinctive lines are unapologetically practical and uniquely British. For many, the name is synonymous with some of the most successful yacht designs of the 20th century. To others, they’re an acquired taste and, like the flared jeans or cheese and pineapple sticks of the same decade, very much of their time.

The Westerly Konsort was the last of the Laurent Giles designs before the switch to Ed Dubois. With their trademark knuckle bows and bulky coachroofs, the earlier Laurent Giles models now look very dated. With the Westerly Konsort, though, these features are softened. In boat design evolutionary terms, she represents the missing link between the two subspecies.

At first glance the Westerly Konsort is a fairly conventional design, but in one dimension she was unusual: her beam. At 3.3m, it’s equal to that of a Sadler 34 and considerably out-girths her peers. Not only this, but she also carries it well aft and well forward. It was a bold move that paid off: the voluminous interior was a hit and over 700 Konsorts were made between 1979 and 1991.

All lines are led aft. Genoa car tracks have a good range. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

A family affair

The day before the test sail Liz announced that her mother, Juliet, would be coming along, and that Bifrost was actually Juliet’s boat. It turned out that Liz’s parents, Juliet and Anthony Austin, had commissioned her at the 1979 Earls Court Boatshow.

After several years cruising the English Channel during school holidays, life became busier. By 1984 they’d relocated to Kent and reluctantly, Bifrost was sold. The boat had been a wonderful part of their lives, but everything has its season.

Thirty-eight years later, Anthony had just walked Liz up the aisle before his health dramatically deteriorated. He was ill in hospital and Juliet and Liz were on their way to visit him when they received a phone call out of the blue. It was Juliet’s cousin. ‘I’ve got this boat called Bifrost and your name’s on the papers,’ she said. ‘We can’t cope with her any more, I don’t suppose you want her back?’ They agreed immediately.

Article continues below…

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That was June 2022. Liz collected the boat which had been lying in Chichester Marina partially abandoned and started restoring her. By now Juliet was caring for Anthony full time and hadn’t managed to visit the boat. Almost a year later, with her 79th birthday approaching, Liz asked Juliet what she’d like. ‘I just want to sail Bifrost again,’ she replied. The photoshoot for this article coincided perfectly, and almost 40 years since the boat was sold, they were reunited.

There’s a generous cockpit. The mainsheet traveller was on the transom as standard. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Built to last

It was an emotional moment as Juliet walked down the pontoon towards her new old boat. ‘Well darling,’ she remarked to Liz, ‘I know you said she was a bit battered, but she’s considerably less battered than me.’ The hulls were built to Lloyd’s approval and they’re generally acknowledged to have very substantial layups.

The decks are balsa-cored, although plywood pads beneath deck fittings and a hardwood kingplank on the centreline should give some protection against water ingress and flexing. We put the foredeck to the test by hoisting and gybing spinnaker that afternoon, and there didn’t appear to be any areas of softness. It helps that they’re unlikely to have been stressed by racing or major offshore passages.

The hull-to-deck join is disguised under the teak rubbing streak which gives the hull extra protection and Bifrost ’s topsides were in good condition for a 43-year-old boat.

There are plenty of clutches for lines to the coachroof winches. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The mast is deck-stepped with cap shrouds and lowers terminating on separate chain plates with chunky tie rods in the saloon. On an old boat it’s reassuring that things weren’t whittled down in pursuit of pace or profit.

The Konsort came with a choice of keel configurations: bilge keel being the most popular, some fin keels and a handful of lifting keels. Bifrost has a fin keel with a 1.6m draught. The early boats had a plywood stiffening matrix around the keel, but this proved to be inadequate and Westerly soon swapped to a top-hat style foam-cored matrix, which was much more substantial. Bifrost , like many of the boats with the original design, has been upgraded.

A transom hung rudder feels well balanced. The rig is a typical masthead and overlapping genoa configuration. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Broad shoulders

Stepping on board there’s an immediate sense of security. Her beam provides plenty of form stability, the stanchions are a decent height and the side decks are wide enough to move along with ease. The shrouds are set in board allowing safe passage along the side decks. The high coachroof means that the teak grab rail on top is within easy reach.

You might not buy a Westerly Konsort with spinnaker work in mind, but the foredeck is an excellent platform for sail handling if you feel the urge. Not only is it wide, but the volume copes well with the weight forwards. Two of us set up the pole without worrying about trim. A lesser boat would have protested at such flagrant disregard for gravity.

Side decks are wide and clear and there’s space to work on deck. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The cockpit is one of my favourite features. The coamings are deep and it feels safe and enclosed with the forward end protected by the high coachroof. ‘Once the sprayhood’s up,’ remarked Richard, ‘you can hunker down behind it and stay totally dry.’

There’s plenty of room for four when sailing. In harbour, lift the tiller to the transom hung rudder and you’ll accommodate eight for sundowners (don’t forget the cheese and pineapple). Originally mounted on a moulding across the transom the previous owners had moved the traveller to the middle of the cockpit. ‘I think it’s a mistake,’ Juliet rued, ‘it was so nice to have it out of the way.’ A deep cockpit locker on the starboard side swallows up liferaft, dinghy and fenders, as well as giving access to the engine and stern gear.

There was a light south-easterly breeze as we motored out of Portsmouth Harbour. Juliet took the helm looking as though she and Bifrost had never been apart. Liz hoisted the main from the cockpit: almost all the lines run aft making her easy to sail short-handed.

With more than 700 built, the Konsort makes a good family cruising boat on a budget. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Easy sailing

We unfurled an enormous genoa and set off upwind, making 3-4 knots in 6-9 knots true wind. She wasn’t particularly close winded but we made 50° apparent despite the old sails. ‘ Bifrost has always been a quick boat,’ remarked Liz. She won her class in the Round The Island race in the 1980s, surfing at 12.5kn round the back of the island.

She also took first place in the Westerly Konsort regatta last year, despite the handicap she gave to the bilge keelers.

She coped better with the light airs than I’d imagined, aided by the generous genoa which, though awkward to tack, it would be a shame to cut down. In Bifrost ’s case the lack of self-tailing winches could make long beats hard work but the rest of the time you need the sail area.

Cruising with the kite up was plenty easy. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Smooth kitework

‘You know,’ said Juliet wistfully, ‘I’ve never helmed this boat under spinnaker.’ Whisper the word to a dinghy sailor like Richard and consider it already flying.

We set up for a broad reach and in the light airs Bifrost ambled downwind sedately. Easing the pole forwards we came up to about 110° apparent before the guy needed re-rigging around a stanchion. With the pole aft she ran down wind comfortably. Unlike the fine-ended designs of the same era, which have a tendency to roll, she felt stable on the deeper angles.

We made a couple of end-for-end gybes and I was impressed that we could rig all the right lines to all the right places – it would have been harder on many modern boats with their minimalist cockpit layouts. With the spinnaker apprenticeship complete, and the Westerly Konsort’s docile temperament confirmed, we returned to Portsmouth Harbour.

The galley is small but functional, with extra work surface on the engine box. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Originally fitted with Volvo 25 or Bukh 20 engines, many have been upgraded, often with the Bukh 24, like Bifrost . Bukh engines have a reputation for being reliable and easy to maintain. We made 4.4 knots at 2200rpm with a dirty bottom and fixed, 3-bladed prop. ‘She’s a 5-knot passage boat under sail or power’, said Juliet.

It’s the interior that’s the major selling point though. You feel as though you’re in a boat which is 3-4ft longer. The layout is typical of its era with a large quarter berth on the port side and forward facing nav station. The quarter berth is enormous, almost a true double, or useful stowage.

The L-shaped galley to starboard is small but snug. It accommodates a proper cooker, cool box in the work surface and single sink. There’s stowage in the lockers behind the stove and cubby holes for crockery built into the aft bulkhead, with additional lockers in the saloon and behind the seats.

Admirals and admirals

Some people find the size of the engine box an encumbrance, but it does give good access for major repairs. It also creates an excellent platform to transition between above and below decks.

With room for two in the generous companionway, there’d be no fighting over who’s the admiral. The saloon feels light and spacious. Head room of around 6ft is impressive on a boat under 30ft. The table was originally bulkhead-mounted, though Bifrost had been upgraded with a fixed one mounted on the centreline.

Forwards of the saloon bulkhead there’s a heads compartment with sliding sink on rails and large wet locker opposite. The huge vee berth beyond is another major selling point and makes living aboard a realistic prospect.

Built to be rebuilt

Saggy headlining haunts boats of this era. Bifrost ’s wasn’t in bad condition but it’s a job that will certainly need doing every so often.

The joinery has withstood the test of time. There’s lots of solid teak which would respond to a rub back and varnish, and teak-faced plywood bulkheads were unblemished by blooms of damp. In places where the veneer had broken down, such as the galley, it would be easy enough to replace a panel. Liz commented that she hasn’t had to pump the bilges in almost a year of ownership.

Straight settee berths line the saloon, and the table has been upgraded to a fixed centreline unit. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

The Westerly Owners’ Association is a treasure trove of information. Forum topics include 3D printing obsolete hatch hinges. It tells you a lot about the people who buy these boats and also that these vessels will reward you if they are looked after properly. Because the underlying build quality is good, they can be given a new lease of life.

Back to the future

Coming back into Port Solent I noticed the full length chine of Sunsail’s modern Jeanneaus. Did that bulky bow have its genesis in the Westerly knuckle, I wondered? Perhaps Laurent Giles was more visionary than we give them credit for – flares are back in fashion after all. For everything there is a season, and the thing about seasons is that they come round again.

The Westerly Konsort will please all kinds of sailors. She’s forgiving on novice crew yet she’s also set up to be sailed properly. ‘She’s our Round Britain boat,’ Liz explained, though I couldn’t help thinking she might be Richard’s ‘Round the Cans’ boat too.

There’s a proper chart table ahead of a large quarter berth that often gets used for stowing bulky kit. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

At under £20,000, the Westerly Konsort makes cruising an achievable reality for many. Juliet, once a scholar of Norse mythology, chose the name Bifrost because it’s the bridge between the realm of humans and the realm of the gods. ‘In other words,’ she explained, ‘it’s the bridge to your dreams.’

Expert opinion

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA) www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

From a surveyor’s point of view, the Westerly Konsort 29 is a well put together yacht, with good quality plywood bulkheads that were properly bonded in. Early versions featured a fold-down saloon table and a Volvo Penta engine, with later versions being fitted with a Bukh engine.

Making good progress upwind. Photo: Richard Langdon / Ocean Images

Look out for deck movement. All Konsort 29s have a balsa core, and I’ve witnessed problems when owners have fitted extra deck fittings for boathooks and cleats, and haven’t thought to remove the core and fit a proper backing pad. When it comes to mast steps, look closely for any potential slumping of the deck moulding. It’s a common issue on many yachts when the builder uses a section of plywood and it gets wet over a long period of time. Rudders are transom hung, so look out for wear and movement of the gudgeon and pintles and tea-staining of both rudder and transom fastenings from hidden corrosion.

The craft came with three versions of keel – lift, fin and the popular twin keel arrangement. Inspection of the fastenings and the condition of the reinforcement around them is important. If you have any concerns, then the keel/s should come off. When doing a survey I like to do a tip test on the keels and see if the laminate around the keel root has any movement. While keel root failures are rare, I’ve had a few in recent years where they have taken the ground with every tide over many years. Many of the craft do suffer from damp hull laminate that can be dealt with.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Westerly Ocean 37 review: from the archive

• Matthew Sheahan
• June 2, 2021

Matthew Sheahan gets behind the wheel of the Westerly Ocean 37 to find out what she's made of and see how she stacks up against her closest rival from Jeanneau

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

Matthew Sheahan investigates a new mid-range cruiser, the Westerly Ocean 37, to find out what you get for your money

There’s one thing that needs clearing up from the start. Whether Westerly intended her parentage to be common knowledge or not, the cat’s now out of the bag.

The new Westerly Ocean 37 has the hull of the early 1990s Dubois-designed Westerly Typhoon.

I’ve a hunch that some may criticise her for this, but not me. Typhoons were popular boats, with the kind of good manners and reputation that gets them into all the best households.

And makes them difficult to find on the second-hand market.

Most are snatched up quickly for the same money as when they were new, something that certainly can’t be said for many of today’s plastic fantasties.

In my book, the Westerly Ocean 37 starts on even points for looks when set against the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37 .

She may have a more mature appearance in parts, with her slightly more pronounced overhangs and the square section teak rubbing strake.

But the bottom line is that she’s one of those boats that just looks right and for some buyers that could be all that’s required to tip the balance.

Elsewhere she’s been tweaked to improve her performance, with a larger mainsail and taller mast, along with new keel and rudder foils.

When you compare her with the Jeanneau she sets more sail (33 per cent upwind) and is stiffer which makes her a more potent yacht all round.

But despite turning up the power, she doesn’t feel over­powered. In fact, quite the opposite, thanks partly to the ease with which you can handle her.

A big factor here is the conventional block and tackle mainsheet system in the cockpit which allows quick, simple and safe control by the crew or the helmsman.

Her deep narrow cockpit is good news. It feels very secure when you’re moving about or trimming, especially when heeled.

Under these conditions, and especially when you go to put in a reef, the long trough-like companionway, (a popular detail on the 33 and deliberately included aboard this boat), provides a very safe area from which to operate the reef lines.

Elsewhere her deck layout is similar to the Jeanneau’s although I’d give the Westerly Ocean 37 the edge when it comes to overall quality.

Where she might lose out, however, is in her on-deck stowage-she lacks an anchor locker in the foredeck and a few smaller rope lockers would be useful.

Accommodation and construction

You’d be hard pushed to find a bigger difference between two similar-sized production boats than there is between these two clown below.

Where the Jeanncau is open, spacious and seems more living room than saloon, the Westerly feels small, narrow and traditional.

Rich, deep-coloured teak joinery emphasises the cramped feeling and the steep companionway doesn’t help.

There is no getting away from it, this is a boat with old fashioned values – but don’t write her off just yet.

Within minutes my attention had been drawn away from her chunky looks and solid feel. Lift a few cushions, open a few lockers and you’ll find everywhere behind the scenes has been finished to a high standard.

There’s not a hint or Velcro, nor a single plastic retaining catch to wrestle with at the bottom of a door. Instead, simple pop studs hold cushions in place and brass hooks stop the doors from swinging at sea.

This is a boat that has been built to last, whatever you do with her.

The layout is pretty conventional and broadly mirrors the Jeanncau’s with two double cabins, U-shaped saloon seating with a bench type saloon seat opposite and a galley and navigation station either side of the companionway.

When it comes to the basic construction of hull and deck, she’s built with a solid laminate hull with the additional stiffening laminated into the structure in the normal way.

Even though the Westerly is undoubtedly better finished, there is little to choose between the two if you were looking to base your decision on layout and construction alone. But where they do differ is in their proportions.

The Westerly’s wider side decks make it very much easier to move about on deck but this does cramp her style down below.

In addition to this, more space is given to the dedicated navigation station, where decent provision is made for instruments, charts and general stowage.

The Westerly Ocean 37 has two heads, further reducing available space and, although she has similar saloon seating to the Jeanneau, the Westerly’s feels tighter, more up­right and awkward to access.

Add to this the smaller galley worktop space, a considerably smaller fridge and fewer deck hatches, making her interior darker, the overall feel is one of a much smaller boat.

Westerly Ocean 37 under way

The Westerly has a simple bottlescrew on the backstay and pin stop genoa cars. The Westerly strains at the leash to show you just what she can do. But don’t get me wrong; she’s not a handful – quite the opposite.

The Westerly Ocean 37 is silky smooth, easily driven and quicker on all points of sail, easily slipping along at 6 to 6.2 knots in the same breeze.

There are some boats that just feel like they want to sail all day and night for as long as you like and the Ocean 37 is one of them. Present her with a few waves or a steep wash and she’ll simply slice through them.

She may only be 37ft but the Westerly Ocean 37 is a competent go-anywhere cruiser which is as happy pottering around sheltered waters as she is driving on when the going gets messy offshore.

It is at this point that her tighter-fitting accommoda­tion comes into its own-she’s a far easier boat to move about in underway when pushed than its rival the more spacious Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 37.

But not everyone wants to pay for a boat with the kind of off-road capabilities that come as standard with the Westerly.

Indeed, many production builders have seen the opportunity to produce a cruiser that reflects the popular kind of cruising where overnight passages are an exception rather than the rule.

First published in the June 2000 issue of YW.

• 1 Introduction
• 2 Centaur Statistics
• 3 Centaur Brochures
• 4 Buying Guide
• 5 The Centaur Definitive Guide
• 6 More Photos
• 7 Maintenance, Repair and Upgrades
• 8 Contributed Graphics and Plans
• 9.1 Official Westerly Documents
• 9.2 Magazine Publications
• 9.3 Web sites and blogs
• 9.4 YouTube Channels and Videos

Introduction

First shown at the 1969 London Boat Show the Centaur production run reached 2,440 before the design was replaced by the Griffon in 1980. A variety of engines were origianally fitted with the 25hp Volvo MD2B and 23hp MDIIC being the most popular.

Centaur Statistics

Centaur brochures.

Westerly Centaur Brochure here: Westerly Brochures

Buying Guide

Thinking of buying a Centaur ? Find all you need to know here: File:CENTAUR PURCHASE ADVICE.pdf Paul Shave's Article Buying a Centaur

The Centaur Definitive Guide

(First published in WOA magazine No. 51, Winter 1993)

Dennis Rayner’s designs had launched Westerly as a successful company, but by 1967 it was felt that fresh ideas were needed for a new range for the 1970’s. Jack Giles of Laurent Giles had recently launched "Bluebird of Thorne", a 50 foot twin keeler, for which he had done extensive tank testings. The tank testings decided it; he was the man to approach for state of the art twin keel designs.

The first effort was a bit of a disaster, since Laurent Giles had come up with what amounted to a development of the existing Westerly 25, which David Sanders thought was "all curves and no substance." David Sanders was very disappointed and said so to Jack Giles who immediately perked up and said "so you want a proper yacht?"

At this stage I can do no better than to produce the words of Jack Giles from his press release of March 1969:

Westerly Centaur L.0.A.: 26ft. L.W.L.: 21ft. 4ins. Beam: 8ft. 5ins. Draft: 3ft. Working sail area: 341sq ft. T.M.: 6 tons Designers: Laurent Giles & Partners Ltd. Builders: Westerly Marine Constructions Ltd.

To be commissioned to design for Westerly Marine was indeed a challenge. With the resources of their own Research Department allied to a highly developed production line and a keen Buying Office there seemed to be a danger of too many outside pressures working on the Designers.

In practice we found that this was not so, providing trouble was taken to appreciate and allot priorities to the requirements of the various departments concerned and provided we were prepared to work within a reasonable, but tight, time table.

The first result of this co-operation, the "Centaur", has a very low waterline over beam coefficient, a clean canoe body and twin bilge keels of aero-foil section.

The power installation has its propeller working in clear water and the balanced skegiess spade rudder provides ample control under sail or power.

Under sail the boat performs remarkably well to windward at a very modest angle of heel and under power did all that was expected of her and, in addition, showed unusually good handling characteristics when going astern.

The layout below decks is spacious for a boat of only 26 ft, overall having four comfortable 6ft. 6in. berths, a separate toilet compartment and a dinette arrangement which can be converted into an additional double bunk. Despite the space below decks, there is still a 6ft. 6in. self-draining cockpit, a feature of the boat which has appealed to the American market to which an appreciable number of "Centaurs" have already been exported. 20.3.69

The Centaur was officially launched at the London Boat Show 1969, and was an immediate hit worldwide, as can be seen from the press release. She was, and is, the perfect family yacht for all the reasons that Jack Giles outlined, but also because she was reasonably priced, and thoroughly well made. On the subject of maintenance and value, it is particularly important to have a steady replacement programme for any yacht so that her equipment, such as sprayhood, sails and instrumentation, is not dreadfully out of date or simply "clapped out." On the other hand, it is important to guard against the thought that spending £2,500 on vertical roller reefing will add significantly to the boat’s value.

More Photos

Maintenance, Repair and Upgrades

Fitting a Quick Genius 12v windlass to a Centaur

Centaur Sink

Fitting Barton Single line reefing from Sailing Today Dec 2011

Centaur Main Cabin Wall Cupboards

DIY cockpit seating teak substitute

Centaur Cutless Bearing Removal and Replacement

Removing the Propeller Shaft

Centaur Rudder bearings

Removing a Centaur Water Tank

Presentation by Winston Waller to East Coast Group Winter Workshop 2013 about how he treated his Centaur hull [ Epoxy Treatment of Centaur Hull ]

Removing a MD2B from a Centaur Pictures of Removal

Raising a Centaur Mast using a Gin Pole

Contributed Graphics and Plans

• Centaur B Layout (PNG)
• Centaur B Layout (PDF)

Official Westerly Documents

Centaur Manual

Magazine Publications

• PBO Centaur 50th Rally Article PBO No 638 May 2019
• Yachting Monthly June 2016
• PBO Centaur Ketch Article PBO No 403 July 2000 (Available as a reprint)
• PBO Centaur Article PBO No 354 June 1996 (Available as a reprint)

Web sites and blogs

• Laurent Giles Archive - Plans/Notes for the Centaur
• Roger Ball's blog about K391 - A Gentleman's Yacht
• Ian Norton's Centaur blog

YouTube Channels and Videos

• The Sailing Dutchman
• Second Chance Sailing
• Steve Jenkinson
• Easy Sailor - Sailing to Ostend on a Westerly Centaur
• Oli Banks - Centaur POV Tour

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Westerly Yachts

Westerly yachts are a very common yacht in most British marinas and boat yards. Over the decades, Westerly in its various incarnations dominated the UK leisure yachting industry employing some of the best designers of the day.

Westerly Yacht History

The company made many sailing yachts during the mid-1960s, 1970s and 1980s before it ceased trading in the late 1990s. Although the company went through turbulent times, Westerly yachts are renowned for their well-built and rugged construction and were one of Europe’s leading production builder of fibreglass composite sailboats.

In 1963 Commander Denys Rayner, a popular yacht designer designed ‘The Westerly’ – a 22ft yacht at the request of Hilary Scott who wished to set up a new company. Commander Rayner became the managing director of the new company and Scott became one of its non-executive directors.

The company was founded in March 1963 and started production in a clean modern factory unit on a new estate in Waterlooville, 7 miles inland from Portsmouth.

Over the next fifteen years they won several acclaimed Queens Awards for Export in 1969, 1970 and 1977. By the 1990, Edwin Paul took over as MD of Westerly Yachts Limited and the parent company changed its name from Centreway Industries plc to Westerly plc. At the end of 1990, due to the recession, the parent company ran into financial trouble.

The company became Westerly Group Limited in the year 1993 and the yachts were presented as three ranges of Westerly, “the Oceans, the Regattas, and the Victorias”.

In 1995, Westerly Group was acquired by Tony Davies Bowman Group, the parent company of rival Bowman and Starlight Yachts. But in 1998, Bowman hit financial problems and as a result, the Westerly Group Limited was sold to Marigot Group. In the year 2000, the plant and machinery were sold to US Hunter, who had just started up in the UK as Legend.

Westerly yachts are easily identifiable as they are a timeless classic and are amazing cruisers with high standards of craftsmanship, performance and style.

Westerly Sailboat Range & Popular Models

The Westerly Yachts Range consists of three main models:

• Westerly Ocean
• Westerly Regatta
• Westerly Victoria

Popular Westerly models include

• Oceanquest 33
• Oceanlord 41
• Regatta 370
• Regatta 260
• Regatta 330
• Griffon 26 yacht
• Merlin 29 Yacht
• Storm Cruiser 33
• Victoria 34

Drag reducing Propellers for Westerly Sailboats

Darglow have supplied drag reducing props for many of the models in the Westerly range. We keep an expanding database of technical information on many of our installations along with feedback from our customers.

Check our full list of Westerly boats we have supplied propellers to here.

Rope Cutters for Westerly Yachts

We have supplied rope cutters for various boats in the Westerly yacht range. We keep an expanding database of technical information on many of our installations along with feedback from our customers.

Check our full list of Westerly boats we have supplied rope cutters for here.

Westerly Owners website

Given the popularity of Westerly yachts over the years there is a strong network of owners and loyal followers. The Westerly Owners Association is the largest yacht owner’s association in the UK with over 2700 members.

https://westerly-owners.co.uk/

Posted on Monday, November 16th, 2020