BOAT TEST By Dieter Loibner with photography by Bob Grieser Sydney 32 Speed comes first in this sporty racer-cruiser with an Aussie racing pedigree

f there is a color associated Alameda, California, where the out corrections,” Corlett said. But if with speed, it would have to Pacific Reserve Fleet slumbers and it all goes according to plan and I be red. On a Ferrari 575 the retired USS Hornet aircraft carri- sales reach critical mass, ratings Maranello, red turns an endless er has found a home as a museum. could become a moot point. In number of heads but it also Obviously the Sydney 32’s size Australia, more than a dozen boats reduces the dollar count in your puts it right into the competitive mar- are already out and a one-design kitty by a quarter of a million. ket segment that has been the domain rule is being drawn up molded after And you still don’t float. If float- of the J/105. “The biggest difference its big sister the Sydney 38. ing with style and speed is your between the two boats is that a grown “Speed is timeless, while ratings game, an alternative might be adult can comfortably stand up in the are subject to change,” co-designer found in the Sydney 32, a spirited Sydney’s saloon,” said Corlett, who and Sydney Yachts principal Ian 32-footer sporting a gargantuan used to sail and sell J/105s. Sure, Murray outlines his philosophy. His Ferrari red steering wheel. there are other differences too, like design firm of Murray, Burns & Chris Corlett and Allison Lehman the 32’s one-foot-shorter waterline, Dowell served up a moderate dis- of Nelson Yachts, the U.S. distributor 900 fewer pounds of displacement, placement boat that aims for racing of the 32, rounded up some motivat- 17-square-foot smaller sail area and and cruising clients with a manage- ed kids, fed a quarter into the wind its conventional chute. But by and able sail plan, simple double-spread- machine and went off to take the large, the two boats sail in the same er aluminum rig, functional deck lay- pulse of this latest offering from zip code, which produces good war out, ample room down below and— Sydney Yachts on a snotty summer stories, especially during races with dare we say—a surprising level of Sydney 32 day on San Francisco Bay. After an staggered starts. comfort. These attributes perpetuate LOA 31’9”; LWL 28’4”; Beam 10’6”; informal introduction, I jumped “At first, the 32 had a surreal the spirit of the late company founder Draft 6’8”; Displacement 6,834 lbs.; aboard for a SAILING boat test and handicap, but this was changed to a Ian Bashford, whose love for per- Sail Area 560 sq. ft. we putted out of the Naval Base in one-design PHRF rating of 81 with- formance lives on in Sydney Yachts. Base boat price $210,000 Earlier designs such as Raptor,a Nelson Yachts Sydney 41, and Bull,a Sydney 40T, 1500 Ferry Point jumped straight out of the box to the Alameda, CA 94501 (510) 337-2870 top of the leader board in the 50th www.yachtworld.com/nelsonyachts edition of the Sydney-Hobart and the www.sydneyyachts.com 2001 Transpac, respectively.

The details 32 for a Sunday afternoon sail, the Like all other Sydneys, the 32’s boat is at its best with a bunch of hull and deck are made from a cored grunts in the large cockpit trim- laminate of vinylester and polyester ming, grinding and squeezing resin that is vacuum-bagged and their fannies on the rail. When in cured in a climate-controlled envi- racing mode, the cushions and ronment for strength and lightness. cockpit seats can be removed in a Sydney claims the 32 conforms to or jiffy by opening a few wingnuts. exceeds ABS standards. A one-piece On the test boat the seats were laminated structural grid incorporates attached with screws so a multi- high-load areas such as keel floors, tool would have been required. A maststep, engine mount and rudder nice touch is the pop-up bow cleat bearing. The carbon fiber chainplates that disappears when under way, extend all the way to the keel for bet- so lines and sheets won’t get ter distribution of rig loads. snagged while sailing. Bulkheads and subframes are lami- The six two-speed self-tailing nated into place. Nonskid surface on Lewmar 30 and 40 winches on the deck, coachroof and cockpit floor, cabintop and along the cockpit molded-in toerails and foot chocks in coamings are well sized and prop- the cockpit provide adequate hold for erly positioned to be within reach the crew and helmsperson. of the trimmers and the pit person. The halyards and control lines run On deck through fixed blocks at the mast The Sydney 32 undergoes a test sail on San Francisco Bay, sailing upwind at 7 knots in No matter how much the in- base and are led back on the cabin- the puffy conditions and slack tide. laws may enjoy taking the Sydney top through organizers to eight

24 SAILING ● 2004 JULY The 32 zips across the bay showing off its Aussie racing heritage. jammers. Adjustable jib leads and few between. Like on the 36, the twingers are in the expected places inward flange of the hull-and-deck with enough purchase to be joint of the 32 is bonded with epoxy trimmed under load. The symmetri- and screwed with countersunk stain- cal chute emerges from and disap- less Phillips screws. And like on her pears into the cavernous forward bigger sister, I suggest patching up cabin through a semicircular hatch the holes with gelcoat to make the on the foredeck. heads invisible. The 32’s rigid Rodkidker vang The instrumentation on the test makes a topping lift expendable as boat was a H1000 system by B&G long as the mainsheet is trimmed to with three displays on a mast brace, prevent the boom from thrashing which is not standard, and two around at the helmsman’s face-level. screens that required some browsing The split mainsheet is led up from the through various screens mounted at center-cockpit traveler, forward along the rear cabin bulkhead. the boom, down to the side deck and The runnerless, two-spreader aft to the winches, Admiral’s Cup 9/10 fractional aluminum rig by style. In the 20- to 25-knot breeze the Whalespar left a user-friendly system produced sufficient power for impression. With help of the quick and efficient sheet work, so the hydraulic backstay trim it was easi- traveler could be left alone. ly de-powered for the blustery con- The steering wheel—monstrous, ditions, where sometimes holes red and sexy—is the demarcation were followed with wildly oscillat- line between the back of the boat and ing sledgehammer puffs. The suit of the rest of the world. The deep recess Australian Hood Pentex sails had that hides the bottom third of the seen its share of use but still looked molded wheel sucks up everything decent. The nonoverlapping head- in its vicinity, like a black hole. An sail, a class racing jib, ran in a dou- itinerant sandwich will get mangled ble-groove foil and made tacking a in there, but a wayward winch han- snap. For somewhat less spirited dle could wreak havoc if it got sailing, some customers may want caught in the spokes. On the test boat to look into an optional roller-furl- Under spinnaker the Sydney 32 hits 10 knots in the puffs, above.The cockpit seats and pockets for the handles were far and ing setup, which no doubt would cushions are easily removable, below, opening up the cockpit for racing. reduce efficiency but would be companionway’s ladder is a descent Under sail practical for shorthanded sailing. into a generously sized, bright and We motored through a strong The class encourages owners to airy cabin with 6 feet, 2 inches of breeze into the lee of Alcatraz to hoist choose a sailmaker of their liking, headroom throughout, not common- the sails and rendezvous with the thus giving them a chance to con- place on a 32-footer with that kind of photo boat. With a light helm, which tinue existing relationships. pedigree. The two quarterberths are required dinghy-style steering, the 32 separated by the engine and offer ate up the yards at GPS-attested 7- Down below plenty of room for one adult or a plus knots in slack tide, despite the Climbing down the steps of the cozy fit for two. Add to that the V- rather casual call-outs of puffs berth in the bow, which also doubles hurtling down the bay. The boat as a sail locker during races, and the obeyed corrections unhesitatingly bunking options are sufficient for an and sailed with just the right amount extended weekend trip. The of weather helm. The four crew on ambiance benefits from the decor, the rail did not suffer claustrophobia which features teak slats in the quar- forward of the traveler. In the back of terberths and the recessed stainless the boat however, where the width of steel handles on the lockers. the coaming diminished, I wedged A manual Jabsco head and the myself up to the lifelines, sharing the holding tank are installed to port, spot with the main trimmer. I also felt forward of the main bulkhead that the angled foot chocks in the along with a small vanity sink and cockpit floor were a tad too close for mirror. Opposite of the head is the my six-foot frame. Sliding forward a forward locker and a spot to hang few inches and straddling the rim of the wet foulies. the wheel with my knees produced a On starboard, opposite the more comfortable position. L-shaped settee and the intricately The visibility looking forward fashioned teak table in the cabin, is was good with the crew hiking out- where the cook swings the ladle. side the lifelines. The jib telltales Sydney Yachts opted for a linear gal- were never obscured, but a window ley configuration, complete with in the main would have been nice to round stainless steel sink and foot- see traffic to leeward. Like its bigger pump, Maxie two-flame gimbaled sister, the 36, it never lost grip when alcohol stove and an icebox that is suddenly heeled in a gust, because of accessible through a hatch in the its high-lift keel and bulb that counter. Pots’n’pans and miscella- extends the draft to 6 feet, 9 inches neous galley stuff disappears behind and its efficient rudder. The water the sliding doors of the overhead was flat during the sail so spray on storage and under the sink. deck was a non-issue. Operating this galley in a seaway or Flat off the breeze along the under heel on starboard tack would southern shore of Angel Island be a challenge because there is noth- under spinnaker and into a building ing to brace against. ebb tide, the boat pushed 10 knots The nav table right behind the gal- over ground, always well balanced ley faces forward and opens for stor- on the helm. The spaghetti factory age. All the key instruments, a in the cockpit looked more dramat- Furuno Navigator-31 GPS, an Icom ic than it actually was, considering IC-M45 fixed-mount VHF radio, the that the seats would have been Clarion M-5675 AM/FM/CD stereo removed in real racing mode. After and the 12V DC switch panel by an effortless jibe the chute was BEP are within easy reach. Just to doused and stuffed into the V-berth pick a nit: The GPS would be a lot forward. Since the jib was already easier to read if the screen would up, it was time for soda, sandwich- swing out 90 degrees to face the nav- es and a broad reach home. igator and the companionway. At around $210,000 sail-away The auxiliary, a 20-horsepower price that includes sails, electron- Yanmar two-cylinder diesel, is bared ics, commissioning, bottom paint, within a few seconds, after removing faired appendages and tuned rig, the companionway steps and the Sydney 32 is a steal compared unlatching the cover. Its sound insu- to a Ferrari’s sticker price. Swift lation is adequate, even as the motor and entertaining, she suits a variety is revved up. About 3,000 rpm are of sailing tastes and therefore good for 6 knots, which isn’t bad, should find a following in the considering that below the water a United States too. As numbers saildrive and a two-blade folding develop, so will a one-design class. prop are doing the work. Less is less: And if you still are waffling about a little less efficiency is awarded with getting a fast car or a fast boat, here The wide open cabin has a light and airy feel thanks to the 6-foot, 2-inch headroom and a lot less drag, and that counts. The white finish work, top.The galley is to starboard, middle, while the port side L-shaped set- is something to ponder: Hard on the tee has a lovely teak table with an intricate inlay.The Ferrari red steering wheel draws atten- engine also has a 55-amp alternator, wind or blasting down the course, tion, above left.There is plenty of room for instrumentation in the forward-facing nav sta- supplying juice to the two sealed the 32 looks decidedly better than tion, above right. 100-amp-hour marine batteries. anything on four wheels.

2004 JULY ● SAILING 27