Why are YBW in love with Contessas?

[evangeline44]

Stop carping you lot!
Not everyones ideal but still a great boat that has stood the test of time - if you don't want a French caravan.
PLUS they are built in the UK - Use em' or lose em' maybe?

 

[JumbleDuck]

Stop carping you lot!
Not everyones ideal but still a great boat that has stood the test of time - if you don't want a French caravan.
PLUS they are built in the UK - Use em' or lose em' maybe?

If they are as good as YM suggests, why are hardly any produced any more?

 

[wully1]

If they are as good as YM suggests, why are hardly any produced any more?

Probably the same reason most British yards don't produce any more- cost?

Folk would rather buy a cheaply made, floppy cavern with apartment like interiors to motor between marinas with the mainsail sheeted hard amidships ,than a properly built boat that will sail.

 

[jwilson]

A question to the forum, which current production boat of similar length would you say has similar or better seaworthiness and handling?
It's not a trick question I'm just interested to know whats available.

Cheers
Buck.

I'm waiting for answers too. Remember - built now, 32 ft or under.

 

[sailorman]

Probably the same reason most British yards don't produce any more- cost?

Folk would rather buy a cheaply made, floppy cavern with apartment like interiors to motor between marinas with the mainsail sheeted hard amidships ,than a properly built boat that will sail.

modern production are designed from the inside out. the lounge,bathroom, kitchen @ bedrooms are designed, then a hull is wrapped around them & titivated to sort of look acceptable.
I owned a Co32 for 11 yrs, .slow by modern standards but all gear is fitted where a real sailor needs it to be, the cockpit is narrow so the helmsman can place / brace his seaboots on the bench edge opposite. the main saloon berths are like a babys cot at sea, on the centre line below the water & very little motion is felt even in a gale.
Would i have another, well yes i would.

 

[sailorman]

The Westerly Fulmar sails just as well if not better and has none of the failings of the Contessa bar one.It's ugly ish.The accomodation is great there's tons of stowage,a proper heads compartment,it sails beautifully on a run or a beat,I could go on.It can even be made to look sort of elegant with a decent paint job.

You forgot "The Westerly Droop"

 

[awol]

I have been known to criticise the quality and accuracy of YM's journalists, specially when I actually have some knowledge of their subject. It is therefore incumbent upon me to praise those journalists when I totally concur with what they have written. So well done on the Contessa 32 article!

As a 6'1", blue ensign wearing, bearded but not a pipe smoking relic of the past I thoroughly enjoy my boat. Perhaps if the detractors thought of her as having a 24' LWL (it's the length I use in marinas as the amount of their water I occupy - airspace is free!) and tried comparing her with other boats of a similar LWL they would be less vociferous in their criticism. And anyway, my digestive system allows me to spend considerably more time sailing than sitting on the excellent Blake's porcelain.

 

[Sailfree]

As a 6'1", blue ensign wearing, bearded but not a pipe smoking relic of the past I thoroughly enjoy my boat. Perhaps if the detractors thought of her as having a 24' LWL (it's the length I use in marinas as the amount of their water I occupy - airspace is free!) and tried comparing her with other boats of a similar LWL they would be less vociferous in

Try that in an MDL marina and you will be evicted. The boat pays for it's overall length not waterline.

 

[AndrewB]

Gosh, this looks like it could develop into a ding-dong the length of an anchor thread!

Could it be a troll perhaps? If so, it's a good one.

 

[sailorman]

Gosh, this looks like it could develop into a ding-dong the length of an anchor thread!

Could it be a troll perhaps? If so, it's a good one.

Mine had a 10Kg Bruce ( gen made in Belgium) in fact i still have it

 

[JumbleDuck]

Perhaps if the detractors thought of her ...

I'm certainly not a detractor. How could I reasonably be? - I have never sailed on a Contessa 32 or even been on a Contessa 32. I find them rather ugly and dated, but form follows function and the things I don't like about their appearance, like the bulgy mid-section, are doubtless things which contribute to the sailing qualities.

What does jar, though, is the bleedin' constant bleedin' harping bleedin' on about the bleedin' things in Yachting Monthly as if no better yacht in any respect ever has been or could be designed. That's why I have proposed the YM drinking game - you take a drink ever time you read "Contessa 32" or "1979 Fastnet Race" and try to stay sober till the adverts.

Why do they do it? Well, someone said once that Dick Durham owns one, which might be the explanation. Generally I suspect it's a bit of mournful and slightly jingoistic nostalgia for the past glories of British production line boat building. Westerly, Moody, South Hants Engineering, Victoria - all gone, driven out of business by those fiendish foreigners with their comfortable accommodation, excellent performance, high build quality and low prices. How dare they? But while Mr Rogers can, every now and again, turn out a Contessa 32, then by George there'll always be an England. Hooray!

 

[sailorman]

Just wait till Alex gets his way my little Scottish friend, that will give you something to crow about, remembering "The good ole days" when you were well off & supported by Old Blighty

 

[Neil_Y]

Haven't read the article but like the use of hagiography to sum up that type of review.
In car terms it's a landrover series 1 pick up with 2 person cab and soft top, Top Gear would still rave about it as it does what it does quite well.
I do think though that a magazine should write in the context of what has evolved and where we are now in technology/design terms (unless they are writing for classic enthusiasts) There were far better boats in the 80's in my view and they continued to improve, the mass market cheap boats are just that and can't be compared as they are a genre that didn't exist in the 70's.
Nice boat, but it has a number of downsides, my real concern is that any one new to sailing might think that other more comfortable, drier, faster new boats are somehow less capable and there are many that are as capable. For the record I learnt to sail and did many cross channel adventures on Twister/Rival/halmatic in the 70's and then ocean adventures on Sweden and Bavarias in the 80's 90's as well as many coastal and offshore miles in Sadlers/Moody/XYachts/1/2 tonner/3/4 tonner
Contessa: nice boat if you like that sort of thing, doesn't do much for me apart from look good, but there are many inpractical modes of transport that look good, I want a spitfire.

 

[Neil_Y]

Old classics? does any one remember a yacht similar to an twister that had a large maltese cross on the sail? I thought it was a crusader but can't find any reference to them, used to sail one of those regularly from Pompey to wooten creek.

 

[awol]

Gosh, this looks like it could develop into a ding-dong the length of an anchor thread!

Could it be a troll perhaps? If so, it's a good one.

If you really want to start something off try suggesting that Bavarias are wobbly keeled, broach prone beach toys.

(Not that I would ever condone such calumnies.)

 

[Colvic Watson]

Even the venerable Morgan cars have gently upgraded and developed their designs - OMG I've got it!!! That's what the Contessa is - it's a Morgan car! You see one and it tugs at an elemental heartstring for the days gone by, even the language is the same, a gentleman's yacht/car, and they're driven by similarly late middle aged chaps who've always wanted one since they passed one 30 years ago. True Morgan have a couple of new designs that are relatively bang up to date but they still have the old ones. Of course Morgan have a waiting list and churn our cars, Contessa build one every year or so. It's not a bad yacht, it certainly isn't a great one, my beef is that YBW journos cannot write a review of one - and every year there's a 'new' review - without getting all silly and emotional. Sailors voted with their feet a long time ago and stopped buying this 1970's design, but I didn't realise Dick Durham has one, does he have an old Morgan as well?

 

[KellysEye]

>Not everyones ideal but still a great boat that has stood the test of time - if you don't want a French caravan.

True

>Folk would rather buy a cheaply made, floppy cavern with apartment like interiors to motor between marinas with the mainsail sheeted hard amidships ,than a properly built boat that will sail.

Also true but a bit OTT.

Comparing an AWB to a classic yacht is pointless they were built for different purposes. AWB's were designed as a family boat going out in no more than moderate conditions, classic boats were designed for long distance sailing and handling bad weather.

 

[NealB]

"Why do they do it? Well, someone said once that Dick Durham owns one, which might be the explanation. Generally I suspect it's a bit of mournful and slightly jingoistic nostalgia for the past glories of British production line boat building. Westerly, Moody, South Hants Engineering, Victoria - all gone, driven out of business by those fiendish foreigners with their comfortable accommodation, excellent performance, high build quality and low prices. How dare they? But while Mr Rogers can, every now and again, turn out a Contessa 32, then by George there'll always be an England. Hooray!"...

Thank you, JumbleDuck, I enjoyed those insightful scribblings!

 

[sailorman]

Old classics? does any one remember a yacht similar to an twister that had a large maltese cross on the sail? I thought it was a crusader but can't find any reference to them, used to sail one of those regularly from Pompey to wooten creek.

Caravelle

 

[sailorman]

Even the venerable Morgan cars have gently upgraded and developed their designs - OMG I've got it!!! That's what the Contessa is - it's a Morgan car! You see one and it tugs at an elemental heartstring for the days gone by, even the language is the same, a gentleman's yacht/car, and they're driven by similarly late middle aged chaps who've always wanted one since they passed one 30 years ago. True Morgan have a couple of new designs that are relatively bang up to date but they still have the old ones. Of course Morgan have a waiting list and churn our cars, Contessa build one every year or so. It's not a bad yacht, it certainly isn't a great one, my beef is that YBW journos cannot write a review of one - and every year there's a 'new' review - without getting all silly and emotional. Sailors voted with their feet a long time ago and stopped buying this 1970's design, but I didn't realise Dick Durham has one, does he have an old Morgan as well?

Another 70s boat

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?282180-Colvic-Watson-Sailing-Ability
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f9/hello-to-colvic-watson-owners-48063.html