Contessa 32
Encyclopedia
The Contessa 32 is a 9.75 metre (32 ft) fibreglass monohull
sailboat
, designed in 1970 by David Sadler
of Great Britain in collaboration with Jeremy Rogers
, the builder. Rigged as a masthead
sloop
, with a fin
keel
and a skeg
-mounted rudder
, the Contessa 32 is classified as a cruiser-racer. Boats in this category are seaworthy enough for offshore voyages in a variety of weather conditions, but also perform well in races. The trait most often associated with the Contessa 32 is her ability to endure harsh weather and rough seas. A Contessa 32 was the only yacht in the small boat class to finish the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race
, in which 15 lives were lost.
of the Contessa 32 is a cross between older and newer designs. She has the well ballasted
keel, low centre of gravity, and narrow beam
of traditional English cutters, but has a fin keel characteristic of newer, lighter racing yachts. Because it is shorter than a full-length keel, a fin keel creates less drag. The fin-keeled hull gives the Contessa more speed, and the narrow beam and substantial ballast provide a high degree of positive stability. If rolled over sideways or capsized, the Contessa readily rights herself. The design is an unusually successful marriage of the best of both extremes. The blending of the keel into the hull forward captures the lateral stability
of a full keel, and with the cut away aft portion lends greater responsiveness to the helm. While the skeg also bestows additional lateral resistance to the hull aft, it greatly supports, strengthens and protects the rudder with its robust design.
in the bow
, followed by a small head
(toilet) opposite a wet-locker to starboard. The saloon
(main cabin area) includes a folding table, with sofas that convert into berths (one can be made into a 'snug' double). At the aft
end of the saloon next to the companionway, and to port, is a small galley
(stove, sink, and counter) and to starboard, a navigator’s desk. Beneath the cockpit
and behind the navigators table is an additional quarter berth. An inboard engine is mounted beneath the cockpit.
Though small in terms of accommodation in comparison with modern boats with wider beams and greater headroom, the compact cabin of the Contessa resulted from the low, narrow-beamed design that emphasized rough weather handling and seaworthiness at the expense of cabin space.
in 2007. New revised edition by John Kretschmer, October 2010. From 1979 to 1983, Declan Mackell sailed around the world alone in a Contessa 32 named Sean-Ois. In January 2003, Seb Clover
, a 15-year-old from Great Britain, became the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic alone, in a Contessa 32 named Reflection. Also in 2003 the Contessa 32 Hurrying Angel won the fastnet double handed division crewed by Harry Allaway and Kathy Claydon. The most often mentioned exploit involving a Contessa 32, however, is the 1979 Fastnet race
. A sudden storm of near hurricane strength brought death and destruction to the race, capsizing 25% of the 303 participating boats. Among the 58 boats in the smallest class (28 – 32 ft), only one managed to finish the race: a Contessa 32 named Assent, owned by Willy Ker and sailed by his son Alan.
Monohull
rightA monohull is a type of boat having only one hull, unlike multihulled boats which can have two or more individual hulls connected to one another.-Fundamental concept:...
sailboat
Sailboat
A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails. The term covers a variety of boats, larger than small vessels such as sailboards and smaller than sailing ships, but distinctions in the size are not strictly defined and what constitutes a sailing ship, sailboat, or a...
, designed in 1970 by David Sadler
David Sadler (yacht designer)
David Sadler is a British yacht designer who was responsible for a number of classic production yachts during the period from 1960 to 1980. His designs include the Contessa 26, the Contessa 32, the Sadler 25, the Sadler 29 and the Sadler 32.-References:...
of Great Britain in collaboration with Jeremy Rogers
Jeremy Rogers
Jeremy Charles Rogers, MBE is a British boat builder and sailor, based in Lymington, Hampshire, in the United Kingdom....
, the builder. Rigged as a masthead
Mast (sailing)
The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
, with a fin
Fin
A fin is a surface used for stability and/or to produce lift and thrust or to steer while traveling in water, air, or other fluid media, . The first use of the word was for the limbs of fish, but has been extended to include other animal limbs and man-made devices...
keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
and a skeg
Skeg
A skeg is a sternward extension of the keel of boats and ships which have a rudder mounted on the centre line. The term also applies to the lowest point on an outboard motor or the outdrive of an inboard/outboard...
-mounted rudder
Rudder
A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
, the Contessa 32 is classified as a cruiser-racer. Boats in this category are seaworthy enough for offshore voyages in a variety of weather conditions, but also perform well in races. The trait most often associated with the Contessa 32 is her ability to endure harsh weather and rough seas. A Contessa 32 was the only yacht in the small boat class to finish the disastrous 1979 Fastnet race
1979 Fastnet race
The 1979 Fastnet race was the twenty-eighth Fastnet race, a yachting race competition held since 1925, generally every two years. In 1979, it was the climax of the five-race Admiral's Cup competition, as it had been since 1957....
, in which 15 lives were lost.
Hull design
According to John Vigor, the hullHull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
of the Contessa 32 is a cross between older and newer designs. She has the well ballasted
Sailing ballast
Ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. Insufficiently ballasted boats will tend to tip, or heel, excessively in high winds. Too much heel may result in the boat capsizing. If a sailing vessel should need to voyage without cargo then ballast of...
keel, low centre of gravity, and narrow beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of traditional English cutters, but has a fin keel characteristic of newer, lighter racing yachts. Because it is shorter than a full-length keel, a fin keel creates less drag. The fin-keeled hull gives the Contessa more speed, and the narrow beam and substantial ballast provide a high degree of positive stability. If rolled over sideways or capsized, the Contessa readily rights herself. The design is an unusually successful marriage of the best of both extremes. The blending of the keel into the hull forward captures the lateral stability
of a full keel, and with the cut away aft portion lends greater responsiveness to the helm. While the skeg also bestows additional lateral resistance to the hull aft, it greatly supports, strengthens and protects the rudder with its robust design.
Cabin
The furnishings of the Contessa 32 cabin are typical of boats of her size and vintage. There is a V-shaped berthBerth (sleeping)
The word berth was originally used to describe beds and sleeping accommodation on boats and ships and has now been extended to refer to similar facilities on trains, aircraft and buses.-Beds in boats or ships:...
in the bow
Bow (ship)
The bow is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow...
, followed by a small head
Head (watercraft)
The head is a ship's toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship.-Design:In sailing ships the toilet was placed in the bow for two reasons...
(toilet) opposite a wet-locker to starboard. The saloon
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
(main cabin area) includes a folding table, with sofas that convert into berths (one can be made into a 'snug' double). At the aft
Aft
Aft, in naval terminology, is an adjective or adverb meaning, towards the stern of the ship, when the frame of reference is within the ship. Example: "Able Seaman Smith; lay aft!". Or; "What's happening aft?"...
end of the saloon next to the companionway, and to port, is a small galley
Galley (kitchen)
The galley is the compartment of a ship, train or aircraft where food is cooked and prepared. It can also refer to a land based kitchen on a naval base or a particular formed household kitchen.-Ship's kitchen:...
(stove, sink, and counter) and to starboard, a navigator’s desk. Beneath the cockpit
Cockpit (sailing)
In the Royal Navy, the term cockpit originally referred to the area where the coxswain was stationed. This led to the word being used to refer to the area towards the stern of a small decked vessel that houses the rudder controls...
and behind the navigators table is an additional quarter berth. An inboard engine is mounted beneath the cockpit.
Though small in terms of accommodation in comparison with modern boats with wider beams and greater headroom, the compact cabin of the Contessa resulted from the low, narrow-beamed design that emphasized rough weather handling and seaworthiness at the expense of cabin space.
Noteworthy voyages in the Contessa 32
In 1984, in a Contessa 32 named Gigi, John Kretschmer and owner, Ty Techera, sailed from New York down to Cape Horn, rounding the Horn against the prevailing winds and currents, and sailed up to San Francisco. After lying abandoned for many years in an American boatyard, Gigi was purchased and completely refurbished by builder Jeremy RogersJeremy Rogers
Jeremy Charles Rogers, MBE is a British boat builder and sailor, based in Lymington, Hampshire, in the United Kingdom....
in 2007. New revised edition by John Kretschmer, October 2010. From 1979 to 1983, Declan Mackell sailed around the world alone in a Contessa 32 named Sean-Ois. In January 2003, Seb Clover
Seb Clover
Sebastian Clover, more commonly known as Seb Clover from East Cowes on the Isle of Wight, England, was the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic Ocean single-handed before Michael Perham took the record from him in 2007...
, a 15-year-old from Great Britain, became the youngest person to sail across the Atlantic alone, in a Contessa 32 named Reflection. Also in 2003 the Contessa 32 Hurrying Angel won the fastnet double handed division crewed by Harry Allaway and Kathy Claydon. The most often mentioned exploit involving a Contessa 32, however, is the 1979 Fastnet race
1979 Fastnet race
The 1979 Fastnet race was the twenty-eighth Fastnet race, a yachting race competition held since 1925, generally every two years. In 1979, it was the climax of the five-race Admiral's Cup competition, as it had been since 1957....
. A sudden storm of near hurricane strength brought death and destruction to the race, capsizing 25% of the 303 participating boats. Among the 58 boats in the smallest class (28 – 32 ft), only one managed to finish the race: a Contessa 32 named Assent, owned by Willy Ker and sailed by his son Alan.
Contessa 32 Racing
Despite being a design that is over 30 years old, the Contessa 32 is a superb "racing" yacht. These days, it will not compete well in 'handicap' racing against modern boats from other classes with ligthweight hulls, asymmetric spinnakers, etc. but there is still a full season of 'CO32 one design' racing with an INSHORE SERIES, NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, COWES WEEK, OFFSHORE and ROUND THE ISLAND where the Contessas race each other. The boat demands all the skills to race, sail trim, boat handling, manoeuvres, tactics, pin-point navigation, etc.. The top Contessa 32 Racing boats are not easy to beat and a real challenge to the most experienced racing sailors.Production history
The Contessa 32 was first manufactured by Jeremy Rogers in Lymington, England. The Rogers boat yard built more than 500 Contessa 32s from 1971 until production stopped in 1985. Between 1973 and 1990, an additional 87 were built under licence by J.J. Taylor of Canada. At least two other Contessa 32s were built by MacBar Marine in Poole in 1986 and about 15 more were built between 1988 and 1995 by Mike Slack. In 1996, Jeremy Rogers resumed production of the Contessa 32 on a bespoke hand-crafted basis, and by 2010 another 20 had been built, of which Jeremy's own Calypso was exhibited at the Southampton Boat Show that year.Specifications
- LOA: 9.75 m (32 ft)
- LWLWaterline lengthThe Waterline length is a measurement of ships and boats. The term denotes the length of the vessel at the point where it sits in the water. It excludes the total length of the boat, such as features that are out of the water...
: 7.31 m (24 f)t - BeamBeam (nautical)The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
: 2.98 m (9 ft 6 in) - DraftDraft (hull)The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
: 1.65 m (5 ft 6 in) - WindwardWindward and leewardWindward is the direction upwind from the point of reference. Leeward is the direction downwind from the point of reference. The side of a ship that is towards the leeward is its lee side. If the vessel is heeling under the pressure of the wind, this will be the "lower side"...
sail area: 52.2 sq m (562 sq ft) - DisplacementDisplacement (fluid)In fluid mechanics, displacement occurs when an object is immersed in a fluid, pushing it out of the way and taking its place. The volume of the fluid displaced can then be measured, as in the illustration, and from this the volume of the immersed object can be deduced .An object that sinks...
: 4300 kg (9500 lb) - Lead ballast: 2045 kg (4500 lb)
External links
- www.bluewaterboats.org/contessa-32/
- Howard, Paul. “The Contessa Turns Thirty.” Boats.com. Trader Publishing Company. 31 Aug. 2006. article
- Kretschmer, John. “Used Boat Notebook: Contessa 32.” SAILING Magazine. October, 2003: pp 42-43. http://www.sailingonline.com/UBN_1003.html
- Rogers, Fiona. The Origins of the Contessa 32 (Contessa 32 Class Association)
- Description of Contessa 32 (Jeremy Rogers Limited)
- Contessa 32 class association. Contessa 32 class association
Other works of interest
- Coles, K. Adlard, Adlard Coles' Heavy Weather Sailing, Camden, Maine: International Marine Publishing (McGraw-Hill), 30th Anniversary ed., (1999). ISBN 0071353232