Yachting France Jouet Calife 23

About this yacht

The Jouet Calife is a classic sloop designed in the 1970s by renowned French naval architect Philippe Harlé and built by the Jouet shipyard under the Yachting France brand. Conceived with a true cruising philosophy, she features a shallow draft of 1.10 m, generous beam of 2.50 m, and a high ballast/displacement ratio of approximately 40%, offering excellent sailing performance and solid stability.

Constructed in fiberglass and made unsinkable with expanded polyurethane, the Calife includes a full-width deckhouse and a practical interior layout accommodating up to four people. The galley is positioned to port at the cabin entrance, a berth to starboard, and the marine toilet is located in the bow “V” area, discreetly concealed beneath a removable cushion.

The hull (1969) is in excellent condition and the deck is in good condition. The boat has been well maintained and is ready for cruising.

About Yachting France & Jouet. Yachting France was the parent of the Jouet sailboat range — French-built classic sailing yachts from the 1960s-1970s. The Calife 23 (6.84 m / 23 foot) is a vintage day sailer / weekender, characteristic of the era's wooden / fiberglass hybrid construction. Jouet hulls were strong, simple, and built for honest sailing — the Calife range produced hundreds of units between 1966 and the mid-1970s.

Cruising profile. A 7-metre classic day sailer / weekender — single cabin (sleeps two), sloop rig, suited to coastal day sailing and overnight weekending. Italian Tyrrhenian cruising, Mediterranean coastal cruising, classic regatta circuits. Trailerable on roads with the right rig.

Collector context. Vintage classic sailboats of this era are increasingly collectible — restoration projects or well-maintained examples have a small but informed buyer market. The Calife is recognisable on Italian regatta start lines and at classic yacht events. Fiumicino (Rome) lying makes this a viable refit project for Italian Tyrrhenian buyers.

Buyer notes. A 55-year-old wooden hybrid hull needs honest assessment — check planking integrity, frame condition, rig age, sail wardrobe, and engine (if fitted; many Calife 23s are auxiliary-engined). At this price-point a buyer is realistically buying a restoration project, not a turnkey boat. Strong character potential for the right owner.