


Having the resources of Groupe Beneteau should enhance the company’s reputation and offset whatever negative press it had to endure as a result of previous financial shortcomings.Īs with most of Beneteau’s subsidiaries, Wauquiez designates product lines by their intended use: the Centurion combines performance and comfort with traditionally shaped sloops. Even during hard times, Wauquiez produced sailboats that have an excellent reputation as being durable blue-water sailors, the cost of which may have contributed to its downfall. ]As with other acquisitions made by this new owner, the foundering builder now has access to Beneteau’s deep pockets, mass purchasing power, and state-of-the-art production techniques. Then, in 1997, Prouvost sold it to Beneteau. With financial difficulties continuing, Wauquiez brought in a financial partner, Olivier Prouvost, who eventually took over the firm. It re-emerged in 1983 and produced 200 boats in the ensuing five years. Like many one-man operations, the company endured financial ups and downs typical of the boatbuilding industry of the 1980s, and was placed in receivership in 1982. Once established, Wauquiez introduced designs ranging in size from 28 to 47 feet, including the Chance 37 and Wauquiez Hood designed by Ted Hood, which was later produced in the US as the Ted Hood Little Harbor 38. That decision put the company on the map in the French sailing community, and established its reputation for producing fast, solid cruising boats. The Wauquiez enterprise was founded in the 1960s when Henri Wauquiez decided to form a boatbuilding company that would produce copies of his own yacht, a Pye-designed Elizabethan 29. That changed when Beneteau acquired the company in 1997. were purchased on the used market from owners who bought them in Europe. As a consequence, many of the company’s boats sailing in the U.S. I would like to send a special thank you to the entire team at Centurion Boats for continuing to share our vision and giving us the opportunity to impact moments on the water in so many ways.Wauquiez, the French boatbuilding firm, has existed on the fringes of the American sailing community for two decades, but throughout the majority of that time the company hasn’t enjoyed the benefit of top-drawer representation with a nationwide dealer network. “The opportunity we have to work with our amazing OEM partners in bringing products to market that change how we experience life on the water is a dream realized and a feeling I can’t put into words. “On behalf of the entire Roswell family, we are honored to be a part of this great industry, and receiving the WSIA Innovative Product Award for the second year in a row is truly special to all of us,” said Roswell Founder and CEO Robert Oswell. The addition of integrated courtesy lighting, surf-side tow points, and rope hangers pulls together a package that discovers new possibilities in tower design. Featuring a water drop extruded construction, the DropZone is 40% stronger than towers with a standard tubular design and pinch points have been removed near the latch for safer operation. The actuator placement and mechanical configuration of the tower has made way for a sleek design that steps forward in style, strength, and safety. The DropZone’s innovation doesn’t stop at function alone.
Centurion boat owners manual manual#
Leaving no stone unturned, Roswell’s patented Weight Assist allows users to configure the tower for manual operation in the event of power loss. This innovative approach escapes traditional actuator placement, integrating our patent-pending Floating Linear Actuator Design into the top of the tower with one fixed mounting point for smooth operation and less wear on each component. Each year, the WSIA brings members from every segment of the towed water sports industry together to collectively address the challenges we face in the marketplace, promote education and safety, and honor excellence in the products and people that continue to push our industry forward.Ĭreated exclusively for Centurion Boats, the DropZone introduces an all-new design that has revolutionized powered folding towers. Rockledge, FL (March 4, 2019) – The Centurion DropZone Auto Tower by Roswell Marine received the 2019 Water Sports Industry Association ( WSIA) Leadership Award for Innovative Product of the Year at the annual WSIA Summit in Steamboat Springs, Colorado this past week.
