Used BoaI tnts[nolr Contessa 32 This oceangoing dynamo has a special place in the author's history and heart I nclulgc mc and try to undcr- 32 owners saìl thei¡ boats locally, fact, the Canadian boats have a slight- I stând-for nlc, the Contcss¿ J2 ruce in one-desigr or PHRF classr:s ly modifìed intelior along with other chline I is notjust arrother fìbcrglass pro- lrd sinrply enloy its soft nrotion in a fea¡;res tlut U.S. sailors tend to prefer. duction boat. I cut nly teeth on a seaway and ability to cany cauvas Co¡¡eeaå 32 Contcssa 12. rnd thc boat occupics when other boats are reefed to tlle First impressions Þr..lc¡ flcta a coveted spot in n-ry brain's hard nines. There is no denying that the The Contessa 32 is a very hand- Pricùl rrìil Írûm ¡ lûs ól t¡C&¡0 lâ ! !801 madsllûrlttr ilt{¡.000 drive. The Contessa 32 tolerated my tiller'-steered 32s can pro<luce biceps- some boat. It has been clescribed with t. lg¡g modð1. youthful mistakes, ftreled niy bur- building weather helnr and ship plen- the best ofadjectives over the years. Elat¿ ge oning dreans and always ty of water on deck rvhen sailing The sheerline is deceptive---it almost Gbnc¡"ål lliar&¿t returned rrc safely to port after upwind urrder full canvas. looks to be reverse until you train ô{E,0ix} passages. There isn't Coutessa 32 owners, who are not yoü'eye on the sweet lines. The many long borv s,rõ.&)0 much more you can ask of a boat. blind to their boat's quirks, are is fine with a knifelike overhang. The Like all fine boats, the Contessa 32 unusr.rally devoted. When you buy a stem is pinched irr the style of the 5{*,00(} forgiving surprisingly used Contessa you are not just buy- IOR boats ofthe early 1970s, but still is and sd¡¡,0ûo reu,arding to sail. Winsome and just ing a boat, you're buying a classic. attractive. The hull has pronounced 24 fee| on the rvaterline, the 32 is You're also joinirrg a cult. I recently turnblehome and the cabin profile easy to uuderestimate ifyou are not attended a nieetirrg of the Contessa and overall fi'eeboard are lorv. Low as r aware of its formidable reputation 32 Orvner's Association, rvhich in 28 inches of fi'eeboarcl, and as I B fbr searvorthiness. includecl a rcgatta on the south coast rerlember; rfoing the dishes offshorc T -irrgi;rnri, ! Fùw l,uats ca¡r l)ost ntorc ir;rpi'es- cl auti f wus rcrniuc-u was ¿ marer of sirnply rcaching ovur' sive cun icula vitae. The Contessa 32 what a unique breed Contessa 32 the side. Sadler mixed these ingredi- 5 lsserel was the quiet hero of the infa- sailors are. ents just right and caure up with a D mous storm-ravaged 1979 Fastnet The first two Corltessa 32 hulls boat that is universally adniired. I race. It was a Contessa 32 tl:;¿it were n-rolded in builcler Jere my can't ever recall sailing into a harùor escofted l5-year-old solo sailor Seb Rogerc'small shop on the southem without receiving compliments about that beefing up the rigging was a Clover across the Atlantic .just last coast of England in late 1970 and the boat. waste of rnoney. year. At the other end ol the spec- launclred in 1971. ConÍessa Below the rvater the 32 has a pow- The hull is solid fìberglass and on tnun, Imagine, a 1980 model, was Calherine, ou'ned by designer David erful fin keel, a skeg-hung rudder and the English boats so is the deck. sailed by 65-year-old singlehancler Sadler, is still racing conpetitively a deep forefoot. I have logged more Americans arc accustorned to cored llill Williarrson across the Atlantic today, in fàct she competed in the than 30,000 miles aboard Contessa decks and it is bit umrerviug to fèel and back a ferv years ago. Contessa recont rcgatta and clid very well. The 32s, rnost ofthem upwind, an<l I have the deck fìex, especially on a leg- 32s have been everyrvhere fiom the other boat, Red Herring, u,as owned never felt the boat pound in a seaway. endary oceangoing boat. Thele is, Arctic to Zanz.ibar. And it was a by Jererny Rogers and went on to It does ship water over the deck and however, no core to delar¡inate and Contessa 32 narned Gigl, which was win her class in that year's Corvcs is affectionately known as a "snbma- flexibility is one of the great ach'an- one of the last English-built boats, week. The rcst, as they say, is history. rine with sails." The ballast of 4,500 tages offrberglass. Canadian boats, at that caried rne around Cape Hom, The Contessa 32 was the London pounds is nearly 50 percent of the least later in the production ruu, went east to west against the wind 20 Boat Show boat ofthe year n 1972 overall displacement, and although to balsa-cored decks. We lud Grgr's years ago. and more than 700 boats were built the boat cloes heel a bit, it is incredi- deck cored witl'r Airex, another waste I{owever, the Contessa 32 is not before production stopped when bly stable. The IMS stability curve of money accorcling to Rogers. .just a bluervater passagemaker. Most Rogers went out ofbusiness in 1983. puts the Contessa 32's lirnit of posi- Roger's iayup was very well Also, like the famed tive stability near 130 degrees. done, and although the hulls are Contessa 26, the 32 was built thick by today's standards, every 2 on license in Canada. J..1. Construction effort was rnade to keep the weight Taylor and Sons of Ontario The Contessa 32 is not overbuilt. urde¡ conhol wheu they wele built. produced 90 or so Contess¿r Although, it is solidly constructed These boats were designed for rac- 32s before closing its doon ancl well-engineered, it doesn't sport irrg success as well as ocean cluis- in 1990. Although plenty of the massive fixtures of a Westsail or ing. The overall u.eight of 9,600 ft. English Contessas have Valiant. Rogers was, and still is, pounds made the Contessa a moder'- sailed to our side of th,; extremely talented when it comes to ate displacement boat in its day. The Atlantic, rnany of the 32s for molding fiberglass. I renember Canadian boats were also built to sale in the North American when we wanted to upgrade the size Lloyds' specs and, if anything, ale mar*et are Canadian-built ol the stnnding rigging bef'ore our slightly heavier tltan their English boats. Don'tbe put offby this Cape Florn adventure. I'Ie tried to cousius. The ballast is intemal lead, 1i "- ' fact for there is very little il point out that the fiberglass deck had and the rudder is solid fiberglass. any quality difference. Iu only so much tensile skength and The stock is stainless steel. 42 SAILING . 2oo3 ocroBER What to look for and can house decent-sized ground Engine Despite its legendary status, the tackle, although few boats have a As noted earlier, 32s came with Cor]tcssa 32 has a fèw iteins to care- good set-up for anchoring. a variefy of engines. G¡gi was fitted Mpchlinq fully inspect. The Contessa 32 own- The mast on the new boats is from with a two-cylinder l5-horsepower SAILING Maoazine's ers'association Web site is a valuable Selclen. Oider boats will likely have Yanmar that performed brilliantly Value Güide tool for probing into the inner work- Sparcraft or Kemp spars. The chain- for more than 30,000 miles. We Contessa 32 ings ofthe 32. Also, Rogers, who has plates are U-bolts, secured througl-r rarely rnotored at rnolt thatr 5 kuots (S.sailboat rating system) been for years refurbishing old 32s the deck and by the hull. While they but the engine was stingy with fuel, (and has recently started building seem undersizecl, few ifany 32s have and we typically stretched our new 32s on a linited basis), is a font lost their rigs due to tunbuckle fail- modest 12 gallons into 30 or 40 Å Å å ; ff ',',,î.¡irì ifl liîìi,','lx, plunged recently against the English pound knowledge. I-Ie is a wonderful ure. Winches will likely be Lewmar hours of motoring. Access is frorn of mâking English boats 20 percent higher lhan rnan, rnodest, very gentlemanly ancl and rnost boats will have upgraded to behind the companionway and just lâst year. Slill, 32s on this side 0f the very accessible. selÊtailers along the lvay. Most of the through a panel in the quarter Atlantic can usually be had for less than The first thing to look for is a boat hardware on Grþ was also Lewmar, cabin. Gigi,like most 32s, was fit- $40,000, which is a good deal, that has been repowered. Although although rve dirl have one ofthe early ted with a conventional stuffing DESIGN QUATITY: the Contessa 32 has uever been a Harken headsail furling systems. A box, including a grease gland, and a ååååJ The only lhing keeping great boat under power, some engines feature I liked was the two-rvay bulk- fixed trvo-bladed prop. thìs from being a rare five-sailboat rat¡ng is are definitely better than others. A head mounted conpasses that could the lack 0f comfort below.