Contessa Yachts, Jeremy Rogers and the Fastnet Survivors

Jeremy Rogers, David Sadler and a modified Folkboat

Jeremy Rogers (1937 to 2022) founded his boatyard in Lymington, Hampshire in 1961 at age 23. In 1966 he and designer David Sadler introduced the Contessa 26, a fiberglass yacht derived from the Nordic Folkboat with a fin keel and a more modern underbody. It was narrow, wet and fast, and it sailed beautifully in a breeze. In 1970 the larger Contessa 32 followed, again by Sadler, and it was voted boat of the show at London in 1972.

Rogers' yard went on to build larger Contessa racing yachts, including the 35, 39 and 43. In North America the Contessa 26 and 32 were also built under license by J.J. Taylor and Sons in Ontario, starting in 1970 and 1973 respectively, which is why many US-market boats are Canadian-built.

The 1979 Fastnet and the reputation it made

The storm that hit the 1979 Fastnet race killed 15 sailors and sank or disabled many boats. Two Contessas came out of it with their reputations transformed. Rogers himself sailed his Contessa 39 Eclipse to second overall, behind Ted Turner's much larger Tenacious, and the Contessa 32 Assent was the only boat in its small class to finish. Since then the Contessa 32 has been the classic example of a small, seakindly offshore boat.

The Contessa 26 built its own legend. Brian Caldwell completed a solo circumnavigation in one, a voyage he began at 19, and many have made long ocean passages. After Rogers' original company failed, he concentrated on building new Contessa 32s again from 1996 and refurbishing older boats from the yard.

• Contessa 26, about 750 built in the UK and Canada between 1966 and 1990
• Contessa 32, more than 800 built across all builders, still built to order
• Contessa 35, 39 and 43, larger racing designs

Finding and inspecting a Contessa in North America

Most Contessas sold in the US and Canada are J.J. Taylor boats, available mainly in the Great Lakes, New England and the Pacific Northwest. A used Contessa 26 typically lists for about $8,000 to $40,000, while Contessa 32s run from about $25,000 to $85,000. A new UK-built 32 costs far more, around $360,000. Both are tight below for their length because of their narrow beam, so they appeal to sailors who prize seaworthiness over space.

Age makes the survey critical.

• Keel bolts and ballast type, which varies between builders and years
• Deck core moisture around stanchions and chainplates
• Chainplates and rigging, often original on older boats
• Rudder and tiller fittings
• Engine condition and fuel system, often small original diesels