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- Sailboat Guide
Contessa 32
Contessa 32 is a 31 ′ 11 ″ / 9.8 m monohull sailboat designed by David Sadler and built by Macbar Marine, J.J. Taylor and Sons Ltd., and Jeremy Rogers Ltd. starting in 1972.
Rig and Sails
Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3
- SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D : Displacement in pounds.
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Ballast / Displacement * 100
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
From BlueWaterBoats.org :
Released in 1971, the Contessa 32 is a sea kindly cruiser/racer with a proven blue water track record and good all-round sailing performance. Built by Jeremy Rogers Boatyard in the UK, the boat is the successful big sister of the popular little Contessa 26 that entered the boat scene five years prior. Designed by the same duo of David Sadler and Jeremy Rogers, the eye-catching Contessa 32 is more than just a big version of her folkboat-inspired sibling. Like the 26, she brings speed, seaworthiness and affordability to the table but her design is an interesting mix of the old and the new by combining the traditional narrow beamed, full ballasted hull of the english cutter with the fin keel and skeg of more modern racing yachts, a novel configuration at that time.
One of the best loved production cruiser/racers around, her enduring popularity is due in a large way to an active and enthusiastic class association and her continued successes on the racing scene. Her reputation was no doubt aided by a tale of her survival in the disastrous gale-whipped 1979 Fastnet Race around Britain in which she was the only entrant in the smallest class of 58 boats to escape unscathed. Over 700 boats have been built in the UK, 87 in Canada, and she is still in limited production today.
The release of the Contessa 26 in 1966 saw Jeremy Rogers Boatyard in Lymington, England make the switch from traditional wooden boats to fibreglass production. The fibreglass 26 footer was a resounding success for the yard and led to repeated customer demands for a bigger boat. Jeremy Rogers and David Sadler, one of his boatyard customers and the designer of the 26, once again got together over the Roger’s family dinner table to design a larger boat with the aim of replicating both the seaworthiness and the racing success of the 26. Changes in the racing rules from RORC to IOR rules at this time encouraged a variety of new hull shapes and designs.
Although Sadler and Rogers went for the new fin keel shape and skeg for more speed they retained the narrow beam and ballast that gave the Contessa a high degree of positive stability, unlike many boats of the time where stability was sacrificed for speed. If the Contessa is rolled or capsized she will immediately right herself and this feature is thought to have contributed hugely to her survival in the 1979 Fastnet race.
The first Contessa 32 built, Contessa Catherine , owned by David Sadler, had immediate success on the racing circuit (and is still racing competitively today). The second boat, Red Herring , was owned by Rogers himself and went on to win her class in that year’s Cowes week. The Contessa’s debut at the London boat show that year saw her awarded the “Boat of the Show” award and when continued success on the racing scene followed her fate was sealed. The orders came flooding in.
More than 700 boats were built, alongside the Contessa 26, at the new premises for the Roger’s boatyard until the yard fell victim to the recession in 1983 and went out of business. At this point the Contessa moulds were sold and Rogers had to rebuild his business from scratch. Luckily, ten years later Rogers had the opportunity to buy back the moulds and was able to restart production on a limited basis. The first of the new Contessa 32’s was launched in 1996 and producion continues today. Also, at least one other Contessa 32 is known to have been built by Macbar Marine in the UK
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, like the Contessa 26 before it, the 32 was built under license at the J. J. Taylor boatyard in Ontario, Canada. In 1973 the president of J.J. Taylor had a Rogers-built hull and deck shipped over from Britain from which they produced a set of moulds for Canadian production. In total, 87 Canadian Contessa 32s were built before the yard closed its doors in 1990. There is little difference in the Canadian boats other than a modified interior.
Configuration and Layout
The Contessa 32 is very easy on the eyes with a beautiful sheerline that looks deceptively reverse from some angles. The bow is fine with marked overhangs and she has the narrow, tucked-up stern favoured by IOR designs of that era. The hull has pronounced tumblehome and the cabin profile and overall freeboard are low. This means less wind resistance but also results in less headroom below, another feature the 32 has in common with the 26. Below the waterline the 32 has a moderate fin keel, skeg-hung rudder and a deep forefoot. Blending of the keel into the hull gives the lateral stability of a full keel and the skeg supports, strengthens and protects the rudder which is solid fibreglass. The ballast is internal lead.
The accommodation inside is fairly standard. Entering from the companionway there is a small galley to port and a navigation table to starboard, with the engine mounted inboard aft under the cockpit and a seagoing quarter-berth alongside it, aft of the navigation table. The main cabin area has provision for two settees berths, the berth to port is a smallish double with a center section which folds up into a table. Forward is small head to port opposite a wet-locker to starboard and a v-berth up front. The UK boats were finished in teak while the Canadian boats have moulded liners.
Ventilation is considered a weak point, despite having overhead hatches above the main cabin and v-berth. Maximum headroom is 6’1″ but only at the highest point forward of the companionway, headroom elsewhere is around 5′ 10″.
On deck, the 32 has a fair sized and comfortable cockpit with deep coamings which gets wet often. There are sturdy teak grabrails and double lifelines as well as a small bulwark forward which offers some added security.
Construction
The Contessa 32 is robustly constructed and though the years has proven to be durable. The hull and deck of the UK boats are built from solid GRP, while the Canadian boats use a balsa-cored deck. Both meet Lloyd’s hull specifications.
Though the solid fibreglass deck avoids rot and reduces delamination risk, there is a noticeable flex in the deck without the stiffness provided by the balsa coring. The mast is keel-stepped so there are no problems with sagging.
Contessa 32 owners mention the forgiving nature of the boat, the responsive helm and beautiful windward performance. She has a seakindly motion, and according to John Kretschmer in his review of the Contessa 32, she is a ‘wet’ boat affectionately known as “a submarine with sails”.
Her ballast of 4,500 pounds is nearly 50 percent of the overall displacement, so she has great stability and is able to carry full sail up to around 25 knots when other boats are reefing furiously.
Buyers Notes
Leaky hatches and a leaky inspection plate on the water tank in the bilge are common problems. Repowered boats are desirable, particularly those with the three cylinder Yanmar diesel engine. New boats are available from the Jeremy Rogers boatyard at around 110,000 British pounds plus VAT. For those looking for a used model there are generally a variety on the market, mostly in the UK. A current search of the boat market has prices of between 15,000 and 51,000 British pounds depending on age and condition. Prospective buyers are recommended to contact the active class association (see link below) or the Jeremy Rogers boatyard itself which is still producing and also refurbishing the Contessa 32 (see link below).
Links, References and Further Reading
» Contessa 32 Class Association , official website. » Jeremy Rogers Boatyard website, Lymington UK » Contessa 32 review by John Kretschmer, Sailing Magazine, Nov 2008 » Contessa 32 review by Paul Howard, Boats.com, May 2002 » Contessa 32 article on Wikipedia
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Yachting Monthly
- Digital edition
Contessa 32: A brand new classic
- Theo Stocker
- June 17, 2020
Theo Stocker visits the Jeremy Rogers yard to see the latest Contessa 32 take shape
The deck is fitted to the hull, then lifted for the interior fit out. Credit: Theo Stocker/Yachting Monthly
What makes a cruising yacht truly great? If years in production are anything to go by, even with a brief hiatus, then the Contessa 32 is right up there with the best of the last 50 years.
The Folkboat, the H-Boat and Rustler 36 rank alongside her as boats that are still being built after several decades.
But why keep producing such an old design?
I went along to the Jeremy Rogers boatshed in Lymington, now run by Jeremy’s son Kit and his wife Jessie, to find out.
When I arrived, the very latest Contessa 32 to pop out of the mould was part way through construction.
A fully furnished modern Contessa 32 exudes class. Credit: Jessie Rogers
‘It’s a yacht that’s for people that want to sail more than be alongside,’ explained Jessie.
People who buy this boat seek it out because of her reputation, her prettily classic lines, her well-proven seakeeping ability and more than a handful of racing line honours.
Other boats have certainly improved on these classic designs but the Contessa 32 has gained a cult-like status, complete with an ardent band of followers; 13 boats competed in Cowes Week last year and 15 took part in the nationals, so the class is in rude health.
‘There are enough 32s around to make them instantly recognisable,’ says Jessie. ‘Our owners get quite emotional – there’s a real connection to these boats.’
Only a couple of Contessas are now built each year, alongside other refurbishment and build projects.
I was warmly greeted and a cup of tea pressed into my hand as we stepped through onto the gantry overlooking the shed.
Below us was hull number 25 of the boats built since the 32 came back into production in 1996.
Hull number 25 in the latest run pops out of the mould. Well over 800 have been built in total, according to the class association. Credit: Jessie Rogers
Her bowels lie open to the light, her deck hovering several feet up.
Having come out of the mould a couple of months earlier, the deck has been offered up and fitted to the hull, before being lifted up again to allow the interior fit out to be completed.
Bulkheads have been laminated to the hull sides, giving the boat rigidity, while lockers, bunks, chart table and galley have all been built in.
Bronze Blakes seacocks have been set through the hull, an immaculately red Beta 25hp engine sits on its mounts beneath a protective sheet and a rugged Force 10 stove rests in its gimbals.
This boat is being finished in teak for a classic look, but she will also have a few modern touches – including a bespoke whisky cabinet and carbon fibre detailing.
The saloon takes shape as lockers and bunks are fitted. Credit: Theo Stocker/Yachting Monthly
It is this process that draws people to a small yard and a classic design.
Her sailing ability is well proven – Willy Ker took Assent , now owned by the Rogers, to Greenland and Antarctica – so you get a real sailor’s boat, but the small production numbers mean that every aspect of the boat can be tweaked as you wish.
‘Our owners like to come down regularly during the build to see how things are developing and to make decisions,’ explains Kit.
‘Often the whole family is involved. The build is fitted in around other work in the yard; it can take a year to complete, so the boat grows around the owner, and they end up with an intimate knowledge of the boat and how it is built.’
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CONTESSA 32. United Kingdom. £25,000 GBP. 1972 | 9.75m | Diesel | Sail. View details. All boats from Baltic Yacht Brokers. Contact Seller. Find your perfect Contessa 32 today. We have Contessa 32 brokers and sellers from around the world at great prices.
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The Contessa 32, "Katisha," located in Plymouth, United Kingdom, is a well-maintained vessel built by Jeremy Rodgers Ltd in 1979. With an overall length of 9.75 meters and a beam of 2.74 meters, this boat has proven its capabilities in numerous races, including two Fastnets and the Azores and Back Race. It is designed for short-handed sailing ...
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Contessa 32 is a 31′ 11″ / 9.8 m monohull sailboat designed by David Sadler and built by Macbar Marine, J.J. Taylor and Sons Ltd., and Jeremy Rogers Ltd. starting in 1972. ... A current search of the boat market has prices of between 15,000 and 51,000 British pounds depending on age and condition. Prospective buyers are recommended to ...
1978 Contessa 32 'Bellerophon' is a lovely example of these classic yachts, bought by the current owners in 2020. One of the most popular cruiser/racer yachts ever built, these yachts have brilliant sailing qualities and have proven themselves many times as safe long-distance cruisers as well as competitive racing yachts.
Other boats have certainly improved on these classic designs but the Contessa 32 has gained a cult-like status, complete with an ardent band of followers; 13 boats competed in Cowes Week last year and 15 took part in the nationals, so the class is in rude health. 'There are enough 32s around to make them instantly recognisable,' says Jessie.
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The Contessa 32 was designed by David Sadler in 1971, and rapidly became very popular, both as a fast cruiser, and as a one design racing class. Series production by Jeremy Rogers Ltd. continued until 1982, by which time the cost of production building in the UK to the Contessa level of quality was becoming uneconomic. ... About 80 yachts were ...
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1982 Contessa 32 £44,500. The Contessa 32 is modern classic, which has become the benchmark for seaworthy offshore cruising yachts. Despite modest accommodation by modern standards, these elegant yachts are fast, comfortable, sea kindly and ever-popular. 'Azolum' is presented in a superb condition and is a turn-key boat.
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