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Twenty-five years old this yeer, one of the world's Builder lercmy Rogerc takes tte helm of tln ner boat, 25 yearc after buiHingtftef,rst one favourite cruiser-racers is in production once more. "At that time we were working under the Matthew Sheahan was the first journalist to test the RORC rule and, to improve her trim, we lev- 32 elled the bottom of the , moving the centre new Contessa from Jeremy Rogers ofgravity ofthe ballast further forward in the boat. This also had the benef,rt of allowing her F! legant, unmistakable and unques- DES¡GN to take the ground more comfortably than in LI tio-nably seaworthy. rhe Contessa J2 The Contessa 32 was first launched in197l. her Folkboat guise," said Rogers. ff upp.urs ro be one oiihose few de- "Designing a cruiser-racer to satisfy both By 1970, Rogers and Sadler were looking l sisns that never dates. She seems to camps was easier in those days," said Rogers, for a bigger boat to build and started their re- -Ll niu"been bom into her own timeless "as most people were combining racing and search into the current examples afloat. In par- zone, watching others come and go around cruising anyway so they were looking for a ticular, they looked at designs like the S&S34, her. This year is particularly special as, not boat thatfilled both bills." the She 3l and the Arpège, and finally came up only is she 25 years old, but her original In fact, the story of the 32 started well be- with the design for the Contessa 32. builder, Jeremy Rogers, has just launched the fore her launch. In 1965 ex-military tank de- "I think one ofthe factors that has helped first 32 to be built by his yard since 1982. signer David Sadler bought one of the the success of the design is the lack of tumble- Ifever there was an example ofnear-perfect glassfibre hulls based on a Folkboat design home. Atthe timewe agonised overwhetherto harmony between the needs of racing and from JeremyRogers. To this he added his own incorporate this into her shape as it was acom- cruising, the Contessa 32 has to be it. It is diffi- deck and a masthead rig and c alledher Contes- mon feature of the day. The problem was that cult to think ofanother design that has caught saofParkstone. we knew what we wanted to do with her after on in such numbers and yet spans virtually all From this design, the well known and suc- sections and including tumblehome meant aspects of the sport. Not only is she a staunch cessful followed in 1966. that we would have to change her shape . cruiser, but class racing has always "In the end we opted for a low been strong, as has handicap racingin , freeboard and no tumblehome and everything from round the cans 1 this, I am sure, has helped keep her events to offshore classics. looks through the years while her Take the Ker family's Assent. contemporaries now look dated." Willy Ker is well known and much re- The boat was an immediate suc- spected for his cruising exploits in cess and was announced as Boat of both Arctic and Antarctic waters. the Year af the 1972 London show. Yet the family have frequently raced The order book filled quickly and the boat successfully, too, winning soon there was a long waiting list. Class 5 in the 1979 . "At oui peak in 1977, we were So what makes this design so uni- building eight 32s per month and em- versally appealing? Jeremy Rogers set ploying 200 people. We were, of the scene for us as we sailed up a tran- course, still building others in our quil and crisp winter Solent aboard range at the same time, such as the hisnew32, WíldCall. Unmistakable from any angle, the Co¡¡tessa 32 is a landmark design Contessa 35 and 26." >

MAY,t996 717 GONTESSA 32 Balfast rãtlo 47.6 Perconal stowage 10.25 Per cent factor: 3fl.' per person for stowage 2 Stowagê 3 'l 50g/m effects. Factor is shown as a 10.33 orft'" of Oersonal Solld lamlnale ûercentaqe of total volume. Þounds/lnch (kélcm) lmmerslon: How much wêignt it takes to sink the boât parallelto DWL. 3 '150g/m2, Prlsmatlc coefl{cleût! The rat¡o ofvolume to 10.33 orfr' a volume of LWL and the solld lamlnal€ displacement to maximum cross sectional area below the Ø loâd waterplane. An ¡ndicat¡on offineness or fullness of the ' 4 050g/m2. 13.2a orJll' Solld lamlnat6 Polar dlagrami Shows the optimum close hauled angle to the true wind. Also shows speed attained on all courses. lmportant - 5 850grm2 " lE 1a ô/ñ' consider ¡n conjunction with the true w¡nd Solld lâmlnal. speed dur¡ng the test. Sall area: dlspfacement ratlo: Th¡s ratio gives some indication of power available, H¡gher numbers = greater performance'

Designed by: David Sadler sA(fr') . .. .=, (D¡splacement (lb¡ + 6a)"- Built by: JeremY Rogers by: Carl Phillips Yachting Ltd, Marketerl Ballast ratlo: A comparlson between Firefly House, Hamble Point Marina, displacement and the weight ofthe ballast' School Lane, Hamble, Hants SO3l 4NR' Dlsplacement:watetllne lengËh: ind¡cator. Low numbers = Tel: (01 703) 457577. Fax: (0 1703)454966. Performance higher performance. (Displacement (lb) + 2240) + (0.01x LWL(ft))3

Stowåge volum9s f.0 t0 I T Stowage%=10.25 Approximate data, - o soTs lQ,tot",=r.os 6 t no rev counter f¡tted È l-t I-r ¡5 o H, ld i E ffi o Ëoz5 lll'itll- -l*i å5 a o Ø l r ' "o'r l-_.; '. ., o 0 o '--. ,, L] t.' - x 2 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 tt 13 rpm ,""r.6'!ôooneøtd,ì'"i\..":þt'"t oÁt 0 tt tt Ssil area/dlsPlao€ment ratlo o 2 I knols 30 o o ! r:4 knots 25 o 20 _ tói Cont'lsa 32 o .9 Ers lo ldr rñ Wind speed - 7-9 knots o -tlo ld l I z t0 6 Sea state - câlm i-rirì11 Full main, full genoa 5 illllrI I l, '-l I 0 L ) À?- ú ^aù^ cj **r.eotln*"Oas'!ta"..ooð øoó'' 5.{'ii3i4'þu'- 10 Õ"Ñ"tu" a$'

JEANNEAU SUN FAST 32 DEHLER 33 CRUISING COMPARABLE BOATS CONTESSA 32 SIGMA 33 32ft 6in 9.50m 31ft 2in 9.99m 32ft 9in LOA 9.75m 32ft oin 9.91m 26ft 3in 8.05m 26ft 5in 9.00m 29ft 6in LWL 7.32m 24ft.Oin 8.00m 10ft 6in 3.35m 11ft Oin 2.99m 9ft loin Beam (mil) 2.98m 9ft 9in 3.20m 5ft 9in 1.96m 6ft 5in 1.65m Sft Sin Draught 1.65m 5ft Sin 1.75m 9,2001b 3,601kg 7'9381b 4,Oookg 8,8181b Dlsp (r¡eñÈ¡lp) 4,300k9 9,4801b 4,L73kg 3,4L7lb 2,3811b 1,390kg 3,0641b Ballast 2,O45Rg 4,5081b 1,550k9 1,080kg 46Aft' 43.66m" 47AfÚ 50.30m'? 541.Ít' Sail area (rooY" lorottlangls) 39.06m', 4201t2 43.ILm2 35 4-7 +6 5 Berths 2GM20 Yanmar 2GM20 Yanmar 2GM Yanmar 2GM20 Yanmar En$ne 18hp 13kW 18hP 15kW 20hp 15kW 20hp 13kW Power 35gal golt 2ogal 82lt 18gal 914 20gal 1591t Water 10gal 13gal 45lt 10gal 68lt 15gal 45lt 60lt Fuel 20.3 15.O 16.9 r"8.9 Sall area:disp 153 306 227 L92 Dlsp:LWL t53,389 tsl-,204 Prlce (ex VAT) t59,750 t67,750

YACHTING \øORLD 118 Old and new - the very first Contessa 32, Confessa Calherine llelll, alongside tfte new Jeremy Rogers boat, lfiird Gall. Main ¡hture, Wild Callsp;ilswilh Biued¡¿nh a 1977 version

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ON DECK AND UNDER WAY Stand in the Contessa's with the tiller between your legs, the genoa sheet in one hand and the mainsheet in the other and there is little Ábove, tl¡e¡u i¡ more to be said about her ease of handling. For a32ftboat, her cockpit is small, but füesaloon, now then every aspect ofher design will seem small tpically 1.8m 16ft1. compared with modern designs. The advan- Fa¡ IeG h¡ndy tage, though, is that smallmeans manageable. locker/Crelf in lhe Deep coamings surround the teaklaid galley. Lefi, bcttcr cockpit and at first her long swan-neck tiller englnc accrss seems to dominate this area of the boat. How- ever, once you get under way, the helmsman is well forward in the cockpit leaving plenty of space towards the after end, a safe place for betweenmain andjibcanmakelile exciting, es- timeless elegance with the back-up of a suc- children especially. pecially when she gets to hull speed. Unfortu- cessful class association that keeps the spirit of The mainsheet traveller runs across the nately, the Contessa 32was born in an age the class alive. cockpit just abaft the companion'ilay, an when narrow transoms were the norm and a Perhaps a clue to the success ofa class can arrangement that is often criticised aboard typical downwind motion would emulate a be found in the value of the second-hand boats. other cruisers. To my mind this is certainly a metronome. A 1980 example in moderate condition could small price to pay for ease of handling when Despite this, though, the Contessa 32 is an fetch around Ê30,000. Ifthe waiting list for sailing short-handed. Not only is everything eminently seaworthy boat with a good range those wanting to buy one is anything to go by, easily within reach, but her well mannered and of positive stability, docile handling and a then the Contessa 32 class must surely be one predictable handling makes her a boddle to manageable and safe deck layout. of the most successful - a situation that looks manoeuvfe. set to continue for some time yet. Letting go of the tiller when motoring at, coNcLUsroNs At the end of our trials I was prepared to bet say, five knots is a reminder of how directional- Owning a Contessa is not about space, speed that this was just the first of many anniver- ly unstable some modem boats are. The Con- or being seen with the latest model. Instead, saries for this class. I only hope I look as good tessa 32 just continues in a straight line. Even if this marque says: seaworthy, practical and in25years'time. tr you let go of the helm in a turn, she will centre up andcontinue with very little deviation. round the world, and there are members in Under sail she's the same - well balanced, Holland, USA, France, Spain, Germany, Saudi easy to feel and pretty manoeuvrable, especial- Arabia, Canada, the Cariþbean and Australia. One ofthe unique features ofthe ly considering the long keel. association is its 'introduction service'. The Another aspect in her favour is the sail area class secretary, Judy Evans Ruffell, matches distribution. Normally, a masthead-rigged buyers and sellers. Both parties register, for a have a large genoa the associated boat will with fee ofl35, and pay t150 on completion of a effort ofsheeting in after a tack. They are sale. lt cuts out brokerage fees and, says Mrs sometimes more tricky to balance as well, be- Evans, "keeps boats in the fold". About a cause ofthe large amount ofarea in the - dozen are sold in th¡s way every year. sail and relatively smallmain. êuccess, asthey say, breeds success. Over Mrs Evans Ruffell likensthe atmosphere in TheContessa 32, onthe otherhand, issmall 9600 Contessas have been sold since the the association, which binds cruising and enough to ensure that the furling headsail is f¡rst boat was launched 25 years ago, mak¡ng it racing elements together, as 'rather like an MG one of the most prolific cru¡ser-racers of all owners'club." The analogy isgood, forthe never too much of a sweat to sheet home. The time. To mãtch that, the loyal ranks ofowners Contessa 32 has developed something of a mainsail is also small by today's standards, have one ofthe largest and most active class cult following. 'lt's a very particular class," making it easy to handle and simple to stow associations of âny fleet. agrees Judy Evans Ruffell. whenshort-handed. Around 370 owners belong to the Contact Judy Evans Ruffell, Rosedale Cottage, Like many older designs, her Achilles heel association, which costs just g2O to join. Most l6westfield Road, Lymington, Hants SO413PY. is downwind sailing in heavier airs. The - are from the UK, but Contessas are spread Tel: (01590) 672L75. Fax: (01590) 674797. head spinnaker, or the imbalance in sail area

1,20 YACHTING SøORID 0n test

found aboard the Contessa 32. At least, not as standard. Instead, the Contessa offers her o\rr'ners a solid base on which to add the features that they feel are important to them and not to be saddled with the extra cost of a comprehensive list of standard equipment. There is no denying she's solidly built throughout. Nowhere did we fìnd any hint of a flimsy fitting, or lightly built panel. You could e fall against any ofit and damage yourselfì s only However, tve were surprised by the rough so s and ready quality of her joiner work in some l! è areas. Elongated saw cuts, untidy finishing to pö several areas ofthejoiner work and poor co var- o- nish work in some places did mar the overall impression, although it has to be said that Outwardly little has changed since lfte early examples. these shortcomings were always cosmetic and lldditional stilÍening in lhe hull is one improvement. never structural. iight, a teak-laid cockpit is a more obvious addition Her positive aspects will no doubt outweigh these niggles for true seagoing folk. Ifyou're But in 1982 financial problems hit the yard the kind ofperson who views boat show boats which was forced to close. Since then the with your head on one side, (to help you imag- moulds have been sold several times and the ine what she's like at sea), you'll be impressed production of32s reduced to a trickle from with this boat. Her narrow form makes her se- variousyards. cure below decks, there is always something to In the meantime, Rogers has remained in grabholdofandthereseemslittlechanceofbeing touchwith owners who regularly asked him to th¡ownacross thecabin, evenintheworstseas. quote for refurbishing older examples . Her layout is easy to work, too, as the galley "It was perhaps this, more than anything and navigation station are either side of the else, that convincedme to go ahead with build- companionway. It doesn't take much to imag- ing the 32 as a new boat again. I realised that I ine passing out either a mug of coffee, or the could produce a brand new boat for a similar next heading, to the helmsman without ever cost to what some people were prepared to leaving your position below decks. spend on a refurbishment," he said. She's notblessedwithaprofusion ofberths. The result is that you can now buy a new There are three permanent berths and a further basic boat for f 59,750 ex VAT. two available ifyou use the saloon seating. But again, the point is that she is practical, especial- CONSTRUCTION ly for short-handed sailing. Awidepilot/quar- Cont e s sa Catheríne w as fhe very f,rrst Contessa Of the changes that have taken place ter berth on the starboard side is close to the 32 to be built and we tracked her down so we though, most are behind the scenes. The companionway and also adjacent to the navi- could place Wild Call alongside her. Consider- stringers have been extended through the head gation table and instrumentpanel-perfect for ing the difference in age, and the fact that she and forward into the sections, as well as the single-handed sailor. was the very first, little has changed. Her cock- further aft. An additional stringer now runs One of the most noticeable improvements pit layout is still the compact and deep, yet along the port side and connects the galley in the saloon is the increased headroom which comfortable layout that was first drawn, the bulkhead to the head bulkhead, providing ad- isnowtypically 1830mm(6ft). > oniy real difference - apart from the outward ditional supportfor the bunk front on the star- signs of age - being the teak-laid cockpit board side. Riqtt, the second ofthe aboard Wild Callwhich replaces the plywood ner 32s in build at strips in Contessa Catherine. BELOW DECKS Rogerct yard. Bclow. a Contessa 32s use a solid laminate for both The Contessa 32 has never been known for in- classic fine entry hull and deck using acombination ofchopped terior space and in today's volume-uazy mar- strand mat and woven rovings in an orthoph- ket she looks no better, especially thalic polyester resin . consideringher overall length. But The hull is builtin a split mould with an en- for many, volume is not every- capsulated lead keel. After both sides of the thing and what comes across im- hu1l have been laminated together, 2,045kg mediately is that she ió highly (4,5001b) of moulded lead ballast is lowered practical, secure to move about in into the long keel moulding. andsimple. A combination of resin and chopped strand Hot pressurised running water, mat is poured into the moulding to bond the heating, a shower in the head and lead into place. After this, more resin and mat an after cabin are all frequently is poured over the top of the lead before the found on the specification ofmod- floors are built into the bottom ofthe boat. ern 32-footers. These will not be

MAy,1996 1t9