Chance 37 (Wauquiez)
Description
The Chance 37 (also known as the Wauquiez Chance 37) is a classic French-built racer/cruiser from the early 1970s, produced by Henri Wauquiez (Chantier Henri Wauquiez) in France—one of the era's premier production yards known for robust, high-quality fiberglass construction. Designed by renowned American naval architect Britton Chance (famous for America's Cup contenders and innovative foil designs), it was created as an IOR One Tonner for competitive racing while offering solid cruising credentials, blending speed, stiffness, and seaworthiness. Built between 1971 and 1977, it achieved notable success with 95 hulls produced—a respectable run for a performance-oriented model of its time. The boat features a fin keel with spade rudder, masthead sloop rig (some with shorter options), and a reputation for excellent performance in a breeze (good upwind and reaching), light-air capability due to reduced wetted surface, and predictable handling that still allows podium finishes in classic regattas today. Owners praise its marine qualities, comfortable motion for bluewater passages, and timeless appeal—it's a "sailor's boat" that's fun to race yet capable for extended cruising, though with modest tankage originally.
Construction Details
| Designer | Britton Chance |
|---|---|
| Builder | Chantiers Henri Wauquiez |
| Length | 37.580 ft |
| LOA | 37.580 ft |
| LWL | 27.750 ft |
| Beam | 11.670 ft |
| Displacement | 15000 lb |
| Ballast | 6000 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.700 ft |
| Year Built | 1971 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 48.08 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 15.02 ft |
| p | 42.96 ft |
| e | 11.42 ft |
| p2 | 25 ft |
| e2 | 9.50 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48.08 ft | 15.02 ft | 42.96 ft | 11.42 ft | 25 ft | 9.50 ft | - | - |
Sails
Chance 37 (Wauquiez) - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 42.96 ft - (13094 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.42 ft - (3481 mm) |
| Leech | * 43.95 ft - (13396 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.97 ° |
| Diagonal | * 44.06 ft - (13429 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | 245.05 ft² |
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Chance 37 (Wauquiez) - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 40.3 ft - (12283 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.82 ft - (6041 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.13 ft - (10708 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.27 ft - (5264 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 348.14 ft² |
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Chance 37 (Wauquiez) - GENOA
| Luff | * 47.85 ft - (14585 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.19 ft - (7373 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.08 ft - (13740 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.53 ft - (6867 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 539.05 ft² |
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Chance 37 (Wauquiez) - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 47.85 ft - (14585 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 27.04 ft - (8242 mm) |
| Foot | * 27.04 ft - (8242 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1099.78 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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