Anyone in the market for a Victoria 34 or a Contessa 38?

Very sound and well maintained sail training boats, but probably would require an additional £20K to covert to family cruising (no roller reefing, austere living conditions etc).
 
I was working for Contessa Yachts when the 38s were in build. I remember being tickled that they sent down various experts as the build progressed, including a propulsion guy who made a big song and dance about needing hardness certificates for the prop shafts. The rig on the other hand was given the ok with no more than a cursory glance…
 
Nothing that a deep clean all over and some varnish would sort out. At the end of the day, still an old boat, maybe add £10k tops to the current asking price.

However, with the right attitude, could be good value, if one doesn’t head down a massive upgrade road, but makes do with what is there.
 
Great boats, those Victoria 34s in my opinion. Sailed them a lot as a visiting skipper at JSSTC. Best trip was an informal delivery from Port Edgar by Edingnburgh back to Hornet. 4 of us. We encountered some significant weather on the way down the North Sea and the boat was very well mannered.
 
capnsensible said:
Great boats, those Victoria 34s in my opinion. Sailed them a lot as a visiting skipper at JSSTC. Best trip was an informal delivery from Port Edgar by Edingnburgh back to Hornet. 4 of us. We encountered some significant weather on the way down the North Sea and the boat was very well mannered.
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Yes, although buyers should also realise there might be a theme behind the names of the Vic 34s.
 
Hermit said:
Yes, although buyers should also realise there might be a theme behind the names of the Vic 34s.
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I was told, with some forcefulness, when they first started arriving that the names refer to various seashells.

Not, as my question provoked such sterness, named after famous Greek Homosexuals.
 
Caladh said:
I think most of them have also been reengined from org. 3GM’s
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The Victorias I looked at on the ad’ also had new rigging and in one case, a new mast too.

I’ve a fair few miles in those boats as a visiting skipper/instructor like the good Cap’n and I actually like the STC layout (as opposed to the standard version). Re the shell derived names, each boat has (or had) a painting of the relevant shell on perspex, fixed on the main bulkhead. I can’t remember the detail, but the paintings were, I believe, all done by the wife of someone involved with JSSC (as it was then, later becoming JSASTC) at the time the boats were commissioned.
 
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The Contessa has a fairly new engine too: IIRC she had a VP MD17D when I was skippering her back in the early 90s. Lovely seaboat, but liable to heavy weather helm if overpressed.
 
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