Time for another Bav. thread; already

Strange comparisson. Contessa 32 was a cruiser racer. Bav isn't. Better comparison would be the j97, Elan 310, X34 etc. All of which will pi$$ all over the contessa upwind and down.

Yacht design has moved on since the contessa 32 was designed. There would be serious questions to ask if it hadn't.
 
pasta_simon said:
You could build a Ford Cortina now and it would be better built than a 1970's Cortina but it would still not be a patch on a Mondeo. I mean for goodness sake on a Co32 the heads is in the flippin forecabin?
Click to expand...
I too am a little puzzled about the Co32 love affair and not just within the YM editorial department.

I think they fullfill the same ownership requirements as does a Morgan 4+4 ashore i.e. their owners like the concept of going for the occasional summer afternoon sail and the admiring looks they get but they don't have to time or inclination to stay aboard for more than 12 hours.

The happiest Co32 owner I ever chatted to was ashore in Hythe marina mid summer engaged on some DIY improvement project.
 
Did they actually sail the boats back to back and/or measure polar speed diagrams.

I'll bet that in most conditions the Bav will sail past the Contessa upwind or down, due to longer waterline length, more efficient hull shape etc. Happy to be proven wrong with some proper objective basis.
And if you don't like the light oak, I must say the traditional coloured wood interior is as good as any of the mass market AWBs.

No direct connection with either boat, and neither my preference (at 32ft a new Fulmar would do me fine)
 
The Problem with the Bavaria is that it clearly is not the bargain boat it used to be....

I quite like the idea of it.... but I would think that you would need to upgrade the winchs... (And add two further aft) upgrade the backstay adjuster... bring the geona halyard aft, much better sails.... Thats gotta be 10k.... before she starts to preform reasonably... then of course add the regular 10k in bits n bobs... then another couple of k for the cruising chute and sprit.... suddently your talking the best part of £100k for a 32 foot production boat!!!!

EEK!
 
Quandary said:
The interior looks odd in the photos, finished in light oak with a rather glossy and very even appearance there are no edge mouldings or lippings so it looks very flat, almost Starck, but very roomy for 32'. It almost looks like the melamine foil veneer that is used on Homebase kitchens but I assume it is real oak.
Click to expand...

I saw a claim recently in one of the mags that some manufacturers are now using plastic veneered chipboard for internal "joinery".
 
I don't know if Bav have gone down that route yet - but certainly Jen & Ben do ... and IMHO it looks **** - MFI furniture ... My concern with chipboard interior is that having had el-cheapo chipboard furniture I know that after a period of time the stress areas around the fixings fail and the whole thing falls apart ...

My 2000 Bav has plywood veneer and looks good - our 1994 Jen had solid wood doors & bulkheads and plywood veneer other bits and also looked good.
 
fireball said:
our 1994 Jen had solid wood doors & bulkheads and plywood veneer other bits
Click to expand...
Solid wood bulkheads, are you sure about that?

My late 2004 Bavaria also has ply bulkheads and other minor panels, all dark teak faced. I was impressed by the thickness of the ply used on a minor fore-aft panel mounting the main electrical switchboard alongside the navigators seat. I keep a cutout in the galley cutlery draw to offer as evidence to Bavaria skeptics, it must be 15mm thick.

The city apartment MDF look kicked in around 2006, Jeanneau were the first.
 
silver-fox said:
Can't comment on the qualities of the boat or the review. The interior shots evoked thoughts of IKEA though. :confused:
Click to expand...

... and maybe the reasons why quite a lot of people buy/like Ikea are not very dissimilar to the reasons why a lot of people buy/like a Bav - affordable, good value for money, etc.
 
Perfect Heads

Kilter said:
Not if the keel falls off cos then it will be upside down and the contents of the pan will be all over! :D
Click to expand...
If the heads get 10/10 then surely they must be absolute perfection and will, of course, be fully gimballed, thus allowing the owners to 'ess aitch eye tea' themselves in comfort whatever the relative attitude of the boat!
 
Last edited:
Quandary said:
Feb. YM tests the Bav32 against the Contessa 32,
Their conclusion - the Contessa is better, mainly because it can sail.
However the inability to go to windward is probably because of stretchy running rigging, copout?

Stand back, they are on their way!
Click to expand...

Well the Bav 32 has a better PY handicap that the Contessa 32 which suggests that the stretchy rigging isnt a cop out at all. With good rigging the Bav will sail better.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Well the Bav 32 has a better PY handicap that the Contessa 32 which suggests that the stretchy rigging isnt a cop out at all. With good rigging the Bav will sail better.
Click to expand...

The CO32 handicap has been honed by years of results - I certainly find it bloody difficult to sail to 994. The Bav 32 is unlikely to ever have the same quantity or quality of results input to its handicap so it could be a bit of a bandit for silverware hunters. Needs a bit of work for IRC though.
 
Bosun Higgs said:
Well the Bav 32 has a better PY handicap that the Contessa 32 which suggests that the stretchy rigging isnt a cop out at all. With good rigging the Bav will sail better.
Click to expand...

Indeed, the Bav "32" as shown in the PY list is almost 34 foot long. I don't know if the new one is the same?
The CO32 handicap has been nailed down flat (as awol has said), by years of returns from racing centres where crack fleets have raced level for years, with the best crews, sails and gear. So if you want a Contessa for PY club racing off 994 be prepared to struggle. Of course the cruising (esp shorthanded) and one design racing are second to none.
 
Far be it from me to knock Bavarii (ahem) but is that PY for the current 32? Thought it had only been on the market a month or two, and surely hasn't amassed enough results (does anyone race them?) to have a meaningful PY number.

As to the need for a hostie to wipe your bottom, Moonfire, can't help feeling that anyone buying one must need help finding their own **** .:rolleyes:
 
Having now had a chance to read the articles, although the difference in the scores was only 2, I feel the the scoring for the Contessa IMO was over generous in some areas to archive this 'win'.

The Contessa has always been the benchmark for a safe seaworthy boat. Although it has a BR of 48% it only manages a Stix of 33, 1 point above the minimum of 32 and only .7 above that of the Bav (the low stix for the Bav was pointed out but failed to be highlighted for the Contessa). A bit of research will see that the Etap 32S has a Stix of 36, I'm sure there are many other 32 ft boats with similar ratings.

In the past the Contessa may well have been the safest most seaworthy boat afloat, but that was in the past, together with RDF, Decca, cappok lifejackets and Stuart Turner engines, technology moves on.

When it comes to looks though, the row away test, then it has to be the Contessa every time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top