1972 Westerly Renown

Westerly Renown Sloop: A Timeless Blue-Water Family Cruiser

1. General Information

The Westerly Renown Sloop is a classic centre-cockpit cruising yacht that has earned its reputation as one of the most trusted family sailboats to emerge from the British boatbuilding tradition of the 1970s. Built between 1972 and 1980 by Westerly Marine Construction Ltd in Hamble, England, with 273 hulls completed, the Renown was designed by the renowned naval architecture firm Laurent Giles & Partners as a progression from the popular Westerly Centaur range. Measuring 9.5 metres overall with a waterline length of 7.62 metres and a beam of 2.9 metres, this monohull sailboat strikes an appealing balance between comfortable living space and manageable proportions for shorthanded sailing.

The ideal owner of a Westerly Renown Sloop is a cruising family or couple who values seaworthiness, comfort and dryness above outright speed. This is a boat built for coastal passages, weekend cruising and genuine offshore voyaging alike, and many original Renowns have gone on to cross oceans and complete circumnavigations, testament to their sound design and sturdy construction. With accommodation for four to six across two cabins and a single head compartment, the Renown suits a small family or a couple wanting generous separate sleeping spaces for guests. The centre cockpit, a hallmark of this design, offers sociable wheel-steered seating for six adults while separating the aft cabin for added privacy, an unusual and valued feature at this size and era.

Under sail the Renown carries a masthead sloop rig with a deck-stepped aluminium mast and a modest, easily handled sail plan totalling around 50.2 square metres upwind, making it a forgiving boat for couples or families without a large crew. Auxiliary power comes from a 25 horsepower inboard diesel engine, historically often a Volvo Penta MD2B, providing reliable motoring in light airs or tight harbours. Typical cruising range on this class of boat comfortably extends to multi-day and coastal passages, with many examples proven capable of true blue-water sailing.

2. Construction and Design

The Westerly Renown Sloop was built with a glass-reinforced polyester (GRP) hull and deck, a construction method that was still relatively novel in British yacht building at the time but which Westerly had already mastered through its earlier models. This solid fibreglass construction gives the Renown a reputation for durability and low maintenance that has helped so many examples survive in sailing condition decades after production ended.

Below the waterline, the Renown was offered with either a fin keel or a shallower bilge keel configuration, with a cast iron ballast of 1,900 kilograms delivering a ballast ratio of around 39 percent, contributing to the boat's celebrated stability and stiffness in a breeze. The fin keel version reviewed here draws 1.38 metres, keeping it accessible to a wide range of harbours and anchorages while retaining good upwind performance.

Interior design on the Renown emphasises comfort and practicality over flash. Later production boats in particular featured all-wood joinery throughout the saloon and cabins, with the galley positioned aft near the companionway for easy access to the cockpit, and a chart table arranged to port for the navigator. The centre-cockpit layout, distinctive within this size range, allows for a genuinely separate aft cabin, giving guests or children a private retreat away from the main saloon. Overall headroom of 1.9 metres ensures comfortable standing throughout the accommodation for most adults, while the single head compartment services both cabins efficiently.

3. Key Features

Centre-cockpit layout with separate aft cabin. A rare arrangement for a 31-foot yacht of this vintage, giving genuine privacy and sociable cockpit seating for six, ideal for cruising couples wanting guest accommodation without compromise.

Proven blue-water pedigree. Many Renowns have completed Atlantic crossings and circumnavigations, a track record that speaks directly to the soundness of the Laurent Giles design and the strength of the GRP construction.

Forgiving masthead sloop rig. A modest, well-balanced sail plan of 50.2 square metres upwind makes the Renown easy to handle shorthanded, without sacrificing the performance needed for satisfying passage-making.

Cast iron ballast and 39 percent ballast ratio. Delivers the stability and stiffness that underpin the boat's reputation as a safe, dry and comfortable sea boat in a variety of conditions.

Flexible keel and rig options. Originally available with fin or bilge keel and in sloop or ketch rig, giving buyers today a choice of configurations depending on intended sailing grounds and preference.

4. Summary

The Westerly Renown Sloop suits sailors who prize seaworthiness, comfort and proven pedigree over modern speed or minimalist styling. It is particularly well matched to cruising couples and small families seeking a dry, stable and forgiving yacht for coastal cruising with the genuine capability to venture further offshore should the ambition arise. Its centre-cockpit layout and separate aft cabin make it an excellent choice for owners who regularly host guests or want distinct sleeping quarters aboard, while its solid GRP construction and straightforward masthead rig appeal to those who value low-maintenance reliability over decades of use. For buyers drawn to classic British yacht design with a demonstrated history of successful ocean passages, the Westerly Renown Sloop remains a compelling and thoroughly seaworthy choice on the used-boat market today.