Contessa 32
Description
The Contessa 32, built by J.J. Taylor & Sons Ltd. in Toronto, Ontario, and also by Jeremy Rogers Ltd. in the UK. It is one of the most iconic and enduring British cruiser-racers ever built, designed in 1970 by David Sadler in collaboration with Jeremy Rogers (who built the first hull in Lymington, UK). Launched in 1971, it became legendary for its seaworthiness, speed, and timeless lines—most famously surviving the disastrous 1979 Fastnet Race (e.g., Assent was the only finisher in Class 5 amid hurricane-force winds). Over 750 hulls have been produced (primarily by Jeremy Rogers Yachts, with a few by MacBar Marine and others), and the design remains in limited production today (new builds from Rogers Yachts start around £150k+ with modern upgrades). It's celebrated as a "modern classic"—responsive and rewarding to sail, with excellent upwind performance, a dry ride, and surprising offshore capability for its size. The narrow beam and deep cockpit demand active sailing in big seas, but it's forgiving and easy to handle short-handed. The interior is compact but practical (headroom ~5'10"–6', 4–5 berths with V-forward + saloon settees + quarter berth, small galley/heads).
Construction Details
| Designer | David Sadler and Jeremy Rogers |
|---|---|
| Builder | J.J. Taylor and Sons |
| Length | 32.000 ft |
| LOA | 32.000 ft |
| LWL | 24.000 ft |
| Beam | 9.500 ft |
| Displacement | 9500 lb |
| Ballast | 4500 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1971 |
| Notes | L.W.L.: 24' 0" (7.32 m). Beam: 9' 6" (2.90 m). Draft: 5' 6" (1.68 m). Displ.: 9500 lbs. (4309 kg.). Ballast: 4600 lbs. (2087 kg.). |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.10 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.20 ft |
| p | 32 ft |
| e | 10 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.10 ft | 12.20 ft | 32 ft | 10 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Contessa 32 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.99 ft - (10055 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 33.19 ft - (10116 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 165.15 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31.24 ft - (9522 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.23 ft - (4947 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.01 ft - (8233 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.03 ft - (4276 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 219.14 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
| Leech | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 100.82 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.3 ft - (3749 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.31 ° |
| Area | * 206.08 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - GENOA
| Luff | * 37.1 ft - (11308 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.77 ft - (6026 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.82 ft - (10613 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.3 ft - (5578 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 339.49 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - GENOA
| Luff | 39.5 ft - (12040 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Leech | 37.5 ft - (11430 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.34 ft - (5895 mm) |
| Deck Angle | 4 ° |
| Area | * 382.01 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - GENOA
| Luff | 39.5 ft - (12040 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.75 ft - (5410 mm) |
| Leech | 37 ft - (11278 mm) |
| Area | * 326.91 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - DRIFTER
| Luff | 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 21.5 ft - (6553 mm) |
| Leech | 35 ft - (10668 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6.44 ° |
| Area | * 371.3 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 36.65 ft - (11171 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.39 ft - (5910 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.72 ft - (10278 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 533 ft² |
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Contessa 32 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 37.1 ft - (11308 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 21.96 ft - (6693 mm) |
| Foot | * 21.96 ft - (6693 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 693 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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