Contessa 32, are they really that good?

[Adios]

you love them despite their shortcomings.

Its the rowing away factor people keep mentioning isnt it, the lines! The beauty we can fall in love with. And if she handles the sea impressively and makes us grin and laugh a bit madly as she heels over and splits the waves like its her primary purpose in life.

Or we can have the dumpy boat, spacious, but lines like the lady who spent too long sitting behind a Tesco checkout. That jars and makes us clench our jaw with every slam, puts a scowl on our face and makes us wish we were back in port.

We need to keep reminding ourselves that we're sailing purely for pleasure and support the Contessa 32 side of the industry ?

 

[Dan Tribe]

I crewed on a Contessa 32 on a race Burnham to Ostend 20 years ago. I got to helm on a fresh breeze beat in the pre-dawn for several hours. Absolute magic, I had to be prised off the tiller.
the trip home was against a force 6 north wester. After a few hours a watch mate asked when we were due to surface. It was a wet ride. That trip made me a lifetime fan.

 

[capnsensible]

My memories are from the Joint Services Sailing Centre where I learnt to sail on a tough yacht in all weathers with tough crews. Whether we wanted to or not!

 

[doug748]

Here's one that badly needs a new home. She is lying in Vannes and has been there for some years. A very sad sight.

I think her name is "Anne Bonny"


View attachment 105327

I moored right next to that boat a couple of years ago, and asked about it in the office. The girl said:

"Oui, Non. Ezze a little bit cormpleecated"

I'll bet it is, but interesting to know it's still there.

.

 

[Poignard]

I moored right next to that boat a couple of years ago, and asked about it in the office. The girl said:

"Oui, Non. Ezze a little bit cormpleecated"

I'll bet it is, but interesting to know it's still there.

.

In September this year there was an official-looking notice fixed to her pulpit. My French is not good enough for me to be able to understand it without a dictionary and I was going to photograph it and translate it later but then I realised I was getting too interested in her, and the last thing I need at my age is a 'project' boat, so I didn't bother!

 

[NE7]

I've always had a really soft spot for the Contessa 32, having worked at Contessa when I was a student in the early 80s, when I raced on a 32 a fair bit. Such pretty boats, pleasant (if wet) to sail, and back in the day a fantastic class association.

Do I want to own one ? Probably not, but if that's the sort of thing you're after, they are tremendous. I've always thought that Contessa 32 ownership is somewhat akin to owning a Morgan sports car; cramped, wet, not particularly fast - you love them despite their shortcomings.

I think this is about right, I swapped a Caterham 7 for a Contessa 32 which I’ve owned for five years, I wouldn’t want to live on it, but for a bit of fun on a weekend it’s great. It isn’t roomy but there’s more than enough room for a week away with my wife and it’s great for going out in a bit of a blow with my son. Nothing better than getting some water over the top ?

 

[Gixer]

Wow, I’m glad I started this thread. A really interesting read, thanks.

interested in the comments with regards to the Albin Ballard. I did crew on one club racing for a while, I remember it being a very wet boat (I was foredeck) but felt like it pointed directly into the wind.

I wouldn’t mind crewing on a contessa just to see what it’s like, think I’ll introducing myself to guy who owns her.

 

[Concerto]

Strangely enough the fractional rig is the main reason I would not go for a Fulmar, my preference would be the masthead rigged Sadler 32.

I find it exactly the opposite and I sail singlehanded most of the time. The mainsail is very controllable with the luff fully supported and the clew held in position with a boom that has a sheet, traveller and kicking strap. The genoa is much smaller than a similar size masthead rigged yacht, making tacking less effort. If you like setting a spinnaker like me, it is more controllable as it is smaller in area and easier to drop behind the large mainsail.

Earlier I forgot to mention the last time I sailed near a Co32, I could not believe how slow it sailed compared to my Fulmar.

 

[doug748]

I think you have to be careful reading too much into the RTIR results for the ISC fleet.
The Contessa rates slower than many boats nominally 3 or 4 feet shorter. And that's 30 or 40 year old designs, not 21st century flyers.
There are a small number of fairly handy sailors who've each done dozens of RTIR's in Contessas.
There are loads of people in AWB's just enjoying taking part.
Not that speed or 'performance' is critical for a cruising boat, but people make gross claims about the Co32 sometimes.

Perhaps so, but ratings are a bagatelle when we have actual times on the water.

I am sure some boats go Round the Island on a jolly but the top of the Contessa class went past, the 50 boat Bavaria fleet, 17 Beneteau Oceanis 37s, and 4 Sigma 38s, amongst many, many others. Some of them must be trying.

Most of these boats have a waterline length longer than the 32's length over all.


My case is a modest one: It would be unfair to call them slow.


.

 

[Koeketiene]

Went down the yard yesterday to find a Contessa 32 has been plonked next to me. I've seen these boats many times before but never gave them much thought.
This one has made me stop and look, the underwater profile is really pretty and looking at these boats in more detail they are very well regarded.

Are they as good as people say and do they stand up in the 21st century?

Not that I'm planning to sell my boat but never say never....

Sailed aboard a friends Co32 many years ago. A very easy boat to love (when you're young). Went well to windward, but was a rather 'wet' boat.

I came pretty close to buying one earlier this year.
Lovely lines, and I was quite smitten with her.
Survey was not exactly a clean bill of health and seller wouldn't move on price, so...
One thing I did find (not much of an issue as I find myself sailing singlehanded most of the time these days) is that accomodation is quite cramped for a boat that size.

I had also viewed a Nicholson 31 and that boat had a lot more room down below.

 

[Frogmogman]

Gigi was on brokerage in the last couple of years, the asking price was bananas, £80k IIRC.

To be fair, Gigi was completely restored to as-new (or may even better than new) condition by Jeremy Rogers.

http://www.co32.org/sites/default/files/Gigi 260917.pdf

 

[Sgeir]

Our previous boat which we sailed for many years was a Roberts 34 which, in many respects, had similar lines to a Co32.

They sailed similarly, not great (to say the least) in very light winds but absolutely superb in a F4s, 5s or 6s, safe and well balanced when well reefed in blows of up to 9. The big difference was the headroom and internal space where the Roberts was the better boat IMHO.

TBH, with the way the weather has changed in the last few years, sturdy boats that can take a blow like the CO32 are quite desirable even without all the mod cons.

 

[MagicalArmchair]

...Unfortunately 70s 30 footers aren't as sort after as they once were but a decent Ballad would be worth 10k all day long, A decent well specced one 12-15k. @MagicalArmchair sold his very nice one recently which would give a good ceiling price.

I had two buyers in the end fighting over Triola. As with anything, a well loved and looked after friend, who has protected you and who you have looked after back, will always be worth more than something unloved and unsailed that has sat in a marina.

I own a Bavaria 40 now, an equally lovely boat and I know I am still getting used to that new boat, but so far, the Bavaria is a wonderful platform for seeing the world, and she is fun to sail, but she is a cruiser, designed for comfort (keeps the family sailing!) and getting places fast. The Ballad is an awesome sailing machine, based on a racing boat of it's age, but with all the trappings of a cruising boat - secretly I enjoyed sailing her far more...

The Bav does go backwards mind you when maneuvering in a marina mind you....

 

[Adios]

keeps the family sailing!

My method is never let the family sail on a bavaria 40 so they don't know the comforts they're missing! No charter trips for them

 

[Stemar]

The Bav does go backwards mind you when maneuvering in a marina mind you....

If I ever buy another boat, the ability to go astern the way I want to, not the way the boat decides it wants to will be high on the list, especially if I keep her on a marina.

 

[Poignard]

If I ever buy another boat, the ability to go astern the way I want to, not the way the boat decides it wants to will be high on the list, especially if I keep her on a marina.

Best steer clear of a Twister then!

 

[Adios]

If I ever buy another boat, the ability to go astern the way I want to, not the way the boat decides it wants to will be high on the list, especially if I keep her on a marina.

as all the yacht makers are going with saildrives now its only a matter of time before they come up with a 360 degree rotating drive to add untold expense and trauma to our maintenance costs. But that would revolutionise marina manoeuvring

 

[Koeketiene]

TBH, with the way the weather has changed in the last few years, sturdy boats that can take a blow like the CO32 are quite desirable even without all the mod cons.

+1

 

[Davy_S]

If I ever buy another boat, the ability to go astern the way I want to, not the way the boat decides it wants to will be high on the list, especially if I keep her on a marina.

After owning a Vega for several years, it came as a complete shock when we chartered a Jag 27 in the sun, it would reverse superbly, spent a lot of the holiday reversing into places, simply because it would
the Vega was better for sailing forwards though.

 

[Frogmogman]

as all the yacht makers are going with saildrives now its only a matter of time before they come up with a 360 degree rotating drive to add untold expense and trauma to our maintenance costs. But that would revolutionise marina manoeuvring

It exists already. Beneteau’s Dock and Go system....

Dock & Go | BENETEAU