contessa 26 sailboat data

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Contessa 26

• By Ryan Langley
• Updated: March 27, 2012

For a boat to become legendary, it doesn’t have to be particularly fast or of groundbreaking design. It only needs that special spark that captures the sailing world’s hearts and minds long enough for it to go down in history. A number of boats with that quality come quickly to my mind—the S&S 34, Flicka 20, Swan 38, Valiant 40—but none holds the same place in my memories as the Contessa 26.

I grew up reading of feats accomplished aboard Contessas by Tania Aebi, Brian Caldwell, and John Kretschmer, so when the Australian adventurer Jesse Martin asked if I’d like to deliver his Contessa 26 from Grand Bahama, in the Bahamas, to Panama and through the Canal, I jumped at the opportunity.

The Contessa 26 was drawn up in 1965 by Jeremy Rodgers, who’d built Folkboats for a number of years, and David Sadler, who had ideas on how to improve the design. They took the classic Folkboat, modified the keel, added more sail area forward for racing performance, changed the layout and deck structure, and built it of fiberglass instead of wood. Four decades later, the popular and widely loved vessel is still safely taking sailors to the far reaches of the globe.

Right away, the Contessa 26 proved itself a strong, seaworthy vessel. It performed well in the Round Britain and Ireland Race and the OSTAR solo transatlantic race, but the brave little boat really became famous when 18-year-old Tania Aebi chose the design for her solo circumnavigation in 1985 and her adventures in Varuna were published in Cruising World . In 1996, Brian Caldwell sailed a Contessa to become the first to circumnavigate under the age of 21.

The Contessa 26 is good-looking, with low freeboard and a narrow beam. For such a small boat, it has a large cockpit, which is nice for having guests aboard and daysailing but a potential danger when filled with water at sea. When sailing, the Contessa heels over quickly, but it soon steadies up and can carry full sail in up to 20 knots of wind.

It doesn’t take much wind to get the boat moving, and it can comfortably make 120-nautical-mile days on passages. After sailing the boat upwind for 300 miles through the Bahamas, I’ll admit that its upwind performance isn’t impressive, but it makes up for it with its ability to survive almost any storm.

The single-spreader sloop rig could easily be converted into a cutter with running backstays and an inner forestay for offshore performance and safety. On some boats, the halyards and reefing lines have been led aft to the cockpit for easy handling. For those who prefer to work forward at sea, the wide side decks and ample handholds permit safe passage to the foredeck.

Down below, the boat has a V-berth forward and a small head and hanging locker aft of that. A small galley and navigation table are positioned aft of the main bulkhead, and two sea berths complete the accommodations. There’s no standing headroom below, which can get old after a few days locked up in the cabin at sea, and the poor air circulation could benefit from added vents, but the boat has everything a singlehander really needs for long-distance voyaging.

Jeremy Rogers built about 350 Contessa 26s in the United Kingdom, and another 400 were built by J.J. Taylor in Canada. At listed prices from $10,000 to $15,000, used boats are an affordable option for sailors who want to safely head offshore on a budget.

CONTESSA 26 LOA 25′ 6″ (7.77m.) LWL 21′ 0″ (6.40m.) Beam 7′ 6″ (2.29m.) Draft 4′ 0″ (1.22m.) Sail Area (100%) 304 sq. ft. (28.2 sq. m.) Ballast 2,300 lb. (1,043 kg.) Displacement 5,400 lb. (2,449 kg.) Ballast/D .43 D/L 260 SA/D 15.8 Water 10 gal. (37 l.) Fuel 11 gal. (45 l.) Engine Various Designer David Sadler/Jeremy Rodgers

Ryan Langley is a 19-year-old adventurer, sailor, writer, and musician from Port Angeles, Washington.

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• Sailboat Guide

Contessa 26

Contessa 26 is a 25 ′ 5 ″ / 7.8 m monohull sailboat designed by David Sadler and built by J.J. Taylor and Sons Ltd., Maclan Marine, Jeremy Rogers Ltd., and Chris Carrington between 1965 and 1990.

• 6 / 16 Sandusky, OH, US 1973 Contessa 26 $14,500 USD View
• 7 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 8 / 16 Sandusky, OH, US 1973 Contessa 26 $14,500 USD View
• 9 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 10 / 16 Sandusky, OH, US 1973 Contessa 26 $14,500 USD View
• 11 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 12 / 16 Sandusky, OH, US 1973 Contessa 26 $14,500 USD View
• 13 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 14 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 15 / 16 Marlboro, NY, US 1977 Contessa 26 $9,900 USD View
• 16 / 16 Sandusky, OH, US 1973 Contessa 26 $14,500 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

Designed by David Sadler and Jeremy Rodgers in the 1960s, the classic little Contessa 26, like her popular sibling the Contessa 32 , is one of the better known and loved British productions yachts, with around 650 cruising the world today. She’s a pretty boat, built from fibreglass, and owes her looks to the Swedish Folkboat whose elegant and seaworthy design influenced so many cruisers of the era. Although not speedy by today’s standards the Contessa was a fast boat for her time and established a reputation as a one-design racer with an active class association.

She’s proven very capable, and despite her size and cramped 5′ 8″ of headroom, her blue water pedigree includes several circumnavigations and a score of Atlantic and Pacific crossings. The Contessa 26 association tells us that those who buy her are traditionalists and keen sailors who appreciate her easy-to-handle and dependable performance.

The Contessa 26 was conceived in 1965 in Lymington, England from a collaboration between Jeremy Rogers and David Sadler over many late night sessions around the Rogers family dinner table. Jeremy Rogers was traditionally a builder of wooden boats and of the classic Swedish Folkboat in particular. David Sadler, one of his Folkboat customers, had the idea of tweaking the Folkboat design to give it a horizontal base to the keel so that it could ‘dry out’ upright, as well as fitting a masthead rig and a large genoa to improve racing performance. Although the design was Sadlers, Rogers has stressed that the Contessa 26 would never have been produced without the financial backing of Vernon Sainsbury of the Sainsbury grocery family who was an avid yachtsman and took a leap of faith in providing the funding for the tooling.

Rogers decided to build his modified Folkboat out of GRP and the Contessa 26 saw his boatyard change over from wood to fibreglass production. Before this Rogers had only used fibreglass for dinghies. The first boat Contessa of Lymington was manufactured and released in 1966 and, along with the next few boats off the line, was an instant hit on the racing circuit. The Contessa’s boat show debut was a tremendous success and her winning formula of good looks, easy handling, seaworthiness and affordability brought the orders rolling in. It didn’t hurt her popularity that the first few boats clocked up a number of early racing successes in both short and long distance events including a Round Britain win by Binkie , the smallest entrant there, and a twenty-fifth placing in the 1972 OSTAR (Observer Single-handed Transatlantic Race) by  Shamal . As a nice touch, thanks to the hand they had played in her production, David Sadler and Vernon Sainsbury sailed away in hulls number five and six respectively.

In total the UK production was around 400 boats. Jeremy Rogers’ boatyard built 350 from 1966 until 1977 when the yard decided that these small boats were too labour intensive to be profitable and sold the moulds to Chris Carrington. A few more boats were built  by Carrington before the moulds went to Maclan Marine who produced only a few more in 1977 and 1978. The Roger’s boatyard had also sold a set of moulds in 1969 to J. J. Taylor in Toronto, Canada who produced the Contessa 26 under licence, also making the transition from wooden boats to fibreglass production. The Canadian Contessa 26 had an identical hull but a modified deck moulding with a larger cockpit area, short aft deck and no lazarette. There were also minor differences to the interior layout. Due to problems with the license these boats were renamed the Taylor 26 from 1984 onwards and around 400 boats were produced in total before J.J. Taylor ceased business in 1990.

The two recorded circumnavigations, by Tania Aebi in Varuna (described in her book “Maiden Voyage”) and Brian Caldwell in Mai Miti Vava’u , were both in the Canadian version of the boat and there has been some debate amongst owners over which is the better version, with both camps claiming the superior design but with no hands down winner.

Configuration and Layout

The Contessa is a masthead sloop with a deep keel cut away at the forward end and the horizontal base which allows her to be dried out easily. Like the Folkboat, she has graceful lines, low freeboard and an acutely raked transom with a distinctive rudder shaft mounted to the hull. Her other distinctive feature is the exaggerated ‘hump’ at the aft end of the coach roof and keyhole companionway which replaces the standard sliding companionway hatch. This is a feature more commonly seen on modern offshore racing boats as it makes for a stronger and more waterproof companionway, as well as reducing production costs. However, it means some stooping to get below and with no overhead hatch to let in light, the interior can be dark and a little oppressive. And with only 1.73 metres of headroom below, the stooping doesn’t end at the companionway. Her short waterline and narrow beam results in only four and a half square metres of living space inside, however the cabin feels secure and ‘cocooned’ from the elements which for some is no bad thing.

The good news is that the berths are generous at between 6’3″ to 6’6″ depending on the interior layout so there is plenty of room for lying down. The Contessa 26 was originally offered with a choice of three layouts A, B or C. Layout A featured a twin v-berth with the head inbetween, the cooker and chart table opposite each other amidships and two large quarter berths aft. Layout B featured the galley to port by the companionway, two settee berths in the saloon, the head in its own compartment and a double berth forecabin. Layout C featured a two berth forecabin, the head in a separate compartment to starboard, a hanging locker opposite to port and a gimballed cooker amidships with the chart table opposite and two quarter berths aft.

On deck the 7′ 6″ beam creates some limitations with a small foredeck and narrow side decks, but a raised bulwark offers security when going forward in nasty conditions. There are also plenty of sturdy grabrails and lifelines. The cockpit is small and deep and protected by coamings but can get wet. It has been acknowledged that the cockpit in both versions is too large to be truly bluewater suitable, and in fact the Canadian boat has a larger cockpit than the British, but this fact does not not seem to have held back her owners.

The Canadian version of the 26 used the same British-made hull moulds but with a modified deck mould. In 1983 J.J. Taylor’s Gary Bannister redesigned the deck mould and interior further. Headroom was increased by extending the ‘hump’ above the companionway further into the cabin and a hatch was added amidships for improved light and ventilation. Canadian Boats prior to 1983 had no anchor locker at the bow, cast iron ballast instead of lead, no teak and holly sole, and different positioning of the water and waste tanks.

Construction

The Contessa was hand built from fibreglass and the British version has a solid fibreglass deck with no coring, an advantage for older boats as it avoids the risk of core rot commonly found in balsa cored decks of this age. The early J.J. Taylor boats appear to have been built with either a 3/8″ plywood or balsa core. Some flex is apparently noticeable in the foredeck but overall construction is robust. Her mast is stepped on deck and supported from below by a deck beam as well as a main structural bulkhead to prevent compression sagging, another issue common to older boats with deck stepped masts. The first three Contessa 26 built, and many others from the early years, are still going strong, testament to the quality of the fibreglass construction.

As reflected by her racing successes the Contessa’s windward performance is excellent and she is surprisingly fast for her size as well as being responsive and well balanced. Thanks to her small size and rig, the Contessa 26 is easy to handle in just about any conditions, making her popular with single-handers. Her large, transom mounted rudder is also particularly good for self-steering systems. Her narrow beam means that she is tender initially but with half her weight in her keel overall stability is good. ‘Reef early and reef often’ is advice that is given by some Contessa 26 owners although others maintain that this is only the case if using an original oversized (130%) headsail and that she performs admirably under a more modest 100-120% headsail with full main.

Buyer’s Notes

No major flaws have been identified. There are generally several Contessa 26s for sale on the used boat market somewhere in the world at any one time but popularity remains high and is reported to be increasing in the UK thanks to the extremely active class association and the Contessa’s ongoing success on the racing scene. Prices range from 5k-16k UK pounds or up to $18k USD for a used boat. Prospective owners are recommended to contact the Contessa 26 class association in either the US/Canada or the UK (see links below).

Links, References and Further Reading

» Sailing Today ‘What makes the Contessa so special? April 2007 by Peter Poland » Contessa 26: A tradition in fibreglass by Paul Howard » The Contessa 26 – A Brief History (Contessa 26 Class Association) by Peter de Jersey » The Contessa Corner: A site for owner’s, sailors and dreamers (USA and Canada Group Site) » Jeremy Roger’s Boatyard, UK Contessa 26: Introduction

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Contessa 26

The contessa 26 is a 25.5ft masthead sloop designed by david sadler and built in fiberglass by jeremy rogers ltd. between 1965 and 1990., 750 units have been built..

The Contessa 26 is a heavy sailboat which is under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a coastal cruiser.

Contessa 26 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Meow, a supercharged Contessa 26 with 3Di sails and seriously tweaked rig and gear

• August 21, 2015

The Contessa 26 has a good reputation for performing well overall in the big races and Meow’s owner Chris Charlesworth has gone further than most to optimise her chances. Rupert Holmes asks him how – and why – he did it

A long-standing tenet of big fleet handicap racing is that either a very fast boat, or a very slow one, is likely to have an advantage compared with those in middle rating bands. This is regularly borne out in the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race , which has been won by fast boats, most notably in recent years TP52s, and by some of the very slowest in the IRC fleet. Over the years successful small boats have included quarter and mini-tonners, as well as H-Boats, Folkboats and Contessa 26s.

Although inspired by the Folkboat, the Contessa, which dates from 1965, is even heavier and more underpowered than the Scandinavian classic. This results in a rating that’s typically 20 points lower than that of a one-design Folkboat.

In 2002 and 2003 Jeremy Rogers, racing with his sons, won the Gold Roman Bowl sailing Rosina of Beaulieu , and followed this up with another win in 2006. Five years later, Rogers’s nephew Nick, a double Olympic Silver medallist, achieved the same result in 2011 in Jo Hutchinson’s Sundowner , following it up with a 2nd place in the next race, both of which were windy editions of the event.

After the 2012 race Sundowner was bought by former professional offshore powerboat racer Chris Charlesworth, who renamed her Meow . “I identified the boat as being one with a good pedigree and a lot of potential, so it would be worth spending time and effort to get it absolutely right,” he says.

He recognised at the outset that simply having a low-rated boat is not enough on its own to be assured of success in the Round the Island Race – it was clear to him that a boat that was as well prepared as the professionally maintained TP52s at the other end of the fleet would have an advantage.

“Although the boat had previously been successful, it had been used hard and thrashed in strong wind races,” Charlesworth says. “Everything had to be replaced – even the bulkheads and chainplates needed attention.”

Refitted to a higher standard

While Meow ’s age was clearly part of the reason for this remedial work being needed, a further problem was that when the boat was built the Dacron sails and polyester running rigging of the time were very stretchy, but with modern lines and sails, peak loads transmitted to the boat are very much higher.

Meow therefore needed to be refitted to a higher standard than the original specification. This necessitated moving the genoa tracks from the bulwarks, where they were screwed in place and always leaked, to an inboard position where they could be bolted through the deck.

On the positive side, while older raceboats are renowned for bending in the middle when backstay is applied, Meow ’s long keel ties the structure together, with the only movement possible in the overhangs. Nevertheless, the main bulkhead was removed and strengthened to take the compression loads from the deck-stepped mast.

The hull has also received a great deal of attention to get a perfectly fair finish. “There’s a lot of wetted surface area,” Charlesworth says, “so the finish has to be perfect.” He’s now happy with the result, having had the entire hull painstakingly faired and coated in Durepox by David Heritage Racing Yachts. As Meow is drysailed, antifouling is not needed and she looks superb in black and white.

Rig and sail plan

The most important changes beyond the structural work were to the rig and sail plan. “Sail area is a key issue for these boats and initially I optimised for a blow,” says Charlesworth. “This was partly because, as Sundowner , the boat had had 1st and 2nd places in the Round the Island in really windy years, but my first RTI was a very reachy one that the TP52s won. Other races that season indicated that more area in the mainsail and spinnakers was needed.”

After moving the boat to Cowes, where she is now drysailed from Shepards Wharf, Gerry Faram of Sailcare suggested working with North Sails might be worthwhile. This led to North’s Dave Lenz developing a trial suit of 3Di sails for the 26-footer, which at the time were the smallest the company had made.

To take advantage of the single furling headsail benefit IRC offers Meow and provide ample drive she has a 155 per cent genoa on a custom-made, low-profile, continuous line furling drum produced by Sailspar in Colchester. Although the furler lifts the tack of the sail off the deck, the genoa is cut to sweep the deck and take advantage of the end plate effect. Spinnakers include a Code 0 plus two symmetric sails, a reacher and a runner.

Optimising the deck gear

When he bought the boat Charlesworth asked Nick Rogers what he would recommend changing – he suggested moving the traveller to the coachroof, getting a new rig and replacing the tiller. Charlesworth appears to have little appetite for compromise, at least where raceboats are concerned, and has therefore put a huge amount of energy into getting the deck layout exactly how he wants it.

He says he spent a long time optimising systems, “especially the layout of controls and getting the purchases right and so on. After a lot of effort we think we’ve got it right now.”

Two examples of his meticulous attention to detail stand out. First, he spent a great deal of time sourcing a small-diameter foil for the furler, one with only provision for one luff track, to minimise wind resistance and weight aloft. Similarly, a great deal of research was needed to find the narrow-diameter, two-speed primary winches that fit on the same pedestal as the original single-speed models.

Once Charlesworth had assembled the deck gear, he got Cowes-based Brett Aarons to fit the new hardware. Aarons sailed on board before work started so that he could add his considerable experience. Lenz also had a critical look over the deck fittings and, among other things, suggested the cranked stanchions on the foredeck that enable both the genoa and the Code 0 to sheet inside the rail.

Meow on the water

“These are difficult boats to sail well,” says Charlesworth, “you can’t pinch and they take a very long time to accelerate.” Among other things, he has done lots of work on rudder angles. “It’s a big rudder, but doesn’t give a great deal of feel,” he explains, “so it’s really hard to feel the difference between five and ten degrees of helm.” That’s a sharp contrast with a Folkboat, which points much higher and gives more feedback on the helm.

“I don’t think there’s anything I’ve overlooked now in terms of rating,” says Charlesworth and Meow is down to minimum weight, tipping the scales at exactly the builder’s original figures, whereas most Co26s with endorsed IRC certificates are notably heavier. She is therefore quick compared with other Contessa 26s, especially in light airs – winning the Nationals in five-six knots last year, as well as taking 3rd overall in the very light-airs Round the Island Race. “We haven’t sailed her much in more than around 15 knots yet and are looking forward to our first Round the Island in a big wind.”

Of course, successful owners are always looking for incremental improvements and when we caught up with Meow at the beginning of the 2015 season Charlesworth was talking of experimenting with small tweaks to the furler height and mast rake as the next stage of refining his boat’s performance.

Race successes

1st overall , Contessa 26 Association Spring Regatta

1st in Class 6 , JOG Nab Tower Race

1st in Class 2 , Royal Southampton YC Double Handed inshore series

3rd in Class 2 , Spinlock IRC double-handed nationals

3rd overall , JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race

1st overall , Contessa 26 Nationals

See also our guide to the best routes to take in the Round the Island Race

The ultra-low profile furler that enables Meow to take advantage of the rating benefit IRC gives to 130 per cent furling genoas was supplied by Sailspar in Colchester

One of the first changes to the Contessa 26 was a new coachroof-mounted mainsheet traveller, on the recommendation of Nick Rogers, her former skipper

The original wooden tiller bent considerably under load – its carbon replacement is no lighter, but is considerably stiffer

Proper backstay chainplates replace the original U-bolts through the deck

This is an extract from the July 2015 issue of Yachting World

Discovering the classic Contessa 26 Thousand Knights III. VIDEO

My Classic Boat team is out on The Solent with Richard Pickance and crew on his 1978 classic Contessa 26, Thousand Knights III.

Filmed at the Cowes Classic Week, they’ve got on-board interviews and exclusive video of the race start.

If you like it, don’t forget to subscribe to My Classic Boat YouTube channel and you’ll get news of the latest videos from the world’s most watched vintage boat channel.

Copyright, Bob Aylott, myclassicboat.com music The Green Orbs.

About the Contessa 26

The Contessa 26 is a 7.77 meter (25.6 ft) fiberglass monohull sailboat, brought about when Jeremy Rogers, with a background in traditional wooden boatbuilding along with one of his Folkboat customers, David Sadler, created a modified version of the same boat in GRP. Rigged as a masthead sloop, with a deep keel and a hull-mounted rudder, the sailboat was launched in 1966 and early boats proved to be very successful racers, including long-distance events. Jeremy Rogers Limited went on to produce the Contessa 32.

The design characteristics of the Contessa 26 comes from the Nordic Folkboat which was conceived by the Royal Gothenburg Sailing Club in 1939 as a new one design class for the masses which would provide more accommodation for the cruising family than the traditional Dragon Class. This idea effectively spawned a competition organised by the Swedish Sailing Association in 1940 that attracted 58 entries. Choosing one winner proved difficult so the final design was effectively decided by committee and Tord Sundén was commissioned to draw a boat based upon designs from Sweden’s Jac Iversen and Denmark’s Kned Olsen.

Sometimes named the VW of the seas, the Folkboat concept was the same as Porsche’s Volkswagen: to make a car/boat that was appealing across a wide section of society. In 1942 the Folkboat was as much a creation of the century of the common man as the bicycle. It’s one of the most popular designs of all time and Loibner says there are more than 4,000 still around. With her graceful lines, acutely raked transom and easily handled rig, she proved almost as fast as a Dragon, and considerably more seaworthy.

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Affordable Classics 4 – Contessa 26

Boats under £10K – this time, we look at the Contessa 26

L ike the wooden, Kim Holman-designed Stella class of 1958 that we featured for our first boat in this series, the origins of the Contessa 26 lie in the famous Nordic Folkboat of 1942, the most popular cabin yacht of all time, and one of the most attractive. The only problem with the Folkboat was that those sleek lines, on a yacht that size, meant very limited accommodation, a problem that would lead to a number of ‘modified Folkboats’ over the next two decades.

The story starts with boatbuilder Jeremy Rogers of Lymington, who was, in the early 1960s, building modified Folkboats in wood, but with masthead, rather than fractional rig. One owner, the engineer David Sadler, raced particularly successfully with his boat, Contessa of Parkstone , named after his wife, Tessa. The Folkboat Association, however, took a dim view of this, so Jeremy moved away from the class identity and tooled up to build the boats in GRP in collaboration with David Sadler and thanks to the backing of grocer Vernon Sainsbury, who paid up front in full, for the sixth boat, to be sure of having one with the teething issues ironed out. The first boat, Contessa of Lymington was followed by nearly 350 sisterships over the next 11 years, and later spawned the Contessa 32. When production eased, a few more were built by nearby Maclan Marine, then the Canadian yard of JJ Taylor built around 400 under licence, firstly as the Contessa 26 then, after 1984, as the lightly modified JJ Taylor 26.

The Co26 is heavier than the Folkboat, with a rig set up for a lower centre of effort, so the mast is 2ft (60cm) shorter, and the upwind sail area slightly lower. But with the more modern topmast rig, the Contessa can set more sail area before the mast. The Portsmouth Yardstick favours the Folkboat (1067, with 1166 for the Co26), but this is from data derived from round-the-cans racing. Where the Co26 really excels is off the wind and in heavier conditions, with her higher freeboard, vastly improved accommodation and greater beam. These little yachts have been regularly used for grand bluewater feats like round-Britain and transatlantic voyages, and more than one global circumnavigation, most famously in the late 1980s by Tania Aebi, on Varuna .

To sail, they are well-balanced, simple to handle, fast and commodious for a boat of that era. The increase in volume over a Folkboat means better accommodation (layouts came in three versions, but it’s basically a small, four-berth yacht) and more buoyancy to support an inboard engine. This came as standard, elevating the Co26 to the status of a proper yacht.

Their racing victories are many and varied, from a first in class in the 1970 OSTAR to four Round-the-Island victories, three of those under Jeremy Rogers aboard Rosina of Beaulieu . If you want a handsome, low-maintenance classic that can take you around the world for less than the price of a used car, this must be on your shortlist.

Things to look out for

Choose a 1971 or later boat, with a self-draining cockpit. Forestay fittings and chainplates might need replacing, particularly if original. This is not a big issue. Replacing leaky windows is costly and time-consuming. The original fuel tank was sited in the lazarette – not great for weight distribution. Some boats have them sited behind the engine. This is a bonus. These boats are not particularly prone to osmosis, but it always pays to check. Some original rudders have waterlogged foam interiors. New rudders are expensive. As always, it’s best to apply the principle of caveat emptor – so consider a survey.

An owner’s view

“ My goal was a boat seaworthy enough to sail anywhere, mainly the high latitudes. This boat is fast enough to make passage and strong enough to crush ice. I’ve grounded her surfing at 12 knots with no damage. At sea, I feel so safe; even heeled right over, you know she’ll spring up like a bamboo stick. In big seas under bare poles, she floats like a cork – no resistance. When I see her anchored from a mountain top, I know that she’s home. ”  Vicente Castro Sotos, extreme climber

See Jeremy Rogers Ltd , jeremyrogers.co.uk and the Contessa 26 Owners’ Association

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The CO 26 Class Association is incorporated and membership is open to Contessa 26 owners and those who are interested in the Contessa 26.

The contessa 26 is a small classic yacht that has stood the test of time so well., the first boat was launched in april 1966 and the class has an impressive history including trans-ocean and global passages., the association is here to promote the class and run events for the membership., it also encourages friendship and fellowship amongst members., it is an active and friendly group, and includes uk and international members., it produces an annual magazine and organises cruises, rallies and some racing events., an active class association helps to raise the profile of the boats, and raise and maintain interest in the class, which in itself should help retain boat valuations., new members are most welcome, and categories include:, full membership for boat owners., associate membership for former owners who wish to keep in touch, and those genuinely interested in the class., affiliate membership for owners of other contessa yachts that do not have a class association available and want to join in some contessa 26 activities., north sea rally 2023.

by admin | Jan 2, 2023 | New News , News

NORTH SEA RALLY 2023 18 to 20 August 2023(FOLLOWED BY AN OPTION TO TAKE PART IN A DUTCH ICONIC 24HOUR RACE)Following Rob’s participation in the 2022 Cowes Rally he has sent over hisplan and programme for the 2023 North Sea Rally. This will be the third event,when UK...

Jeremy Rogers, MBE. 16/09/1937 – 12/10/2022

by admin | Oct 13, 2022 | New News , News

The officers, committee and membership of the CO 26 Class Association were saddened to hear of the loss yesterday of the late Jeremy Rogers MBE and our thoughts and condolences are with Fiona, Kit and Simon and all of the Rogers family.The CO 26 members and owners...

National Championships 2023

by admin | Sep 30, 2022 | New News , News

The CO26 Nationals are to be incorporated within the new and exciting Contessa Regatta for CO26's, CO32's and CO28's at the Royal Solent Yacht Club, Yarmouth. 9 - 11 June 2023.

Long keel w/trans. hung rudder

Specifications CONTESSA 26

Home - Sailboat Listings 1965 - 25.50 ft / 7.77 m - David Sadler - Jeremy Rogers

CONTESSA 26 Sailboat Data

Hull Type: Long keel w/trans. hung rudder Rigging Type: Masthead Sloop LOA: 25.50 ft / 7.77 m LWL: 20.00 ft / 6.10 m S.A. (reported): 233.00 ft² / 21.65 m² Beam: 7.50 ft / 2.29 m Displacement: 5,400.00 lb / 2,449 kg Ballast: 2,300.00 lb / 1,043 kg Max Draft: 4.00 ft / 1.22 m Construction: FG First Built: 1965 Last Built: 1990 # Built: 750 Builder: Jeremy Rogers Designer: David Sadler

Information from  sailboatdata.com .

Type Engine: Diesel HP: 7 Hull Speed: 5.99 kn

Review of contessa 26

Basic specs.

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The contessa 26 is equipped with a long keel. A long keel provide a better directional stability than a similar boat with a fin keel; on the other hand, better directional stability means also that the boat is more difficult to handle in a harbour with less space.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.22 - 1.32 meter (4.00 - 4.30 ft) dependent on the load.

The boat is typically equipped with a Petter diesel engine at 7.0 hp (5 kW), which gives a max speed about 3.9 knots.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.1 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for contessa 26 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

The Contessa Corner

A site for contessa owners, sailors and dreamers., what's a contessa 26, contessa 26 registry, contessa 26 marketplace, contessa 26 owner sites, contessa 26 links, good reading, contessa 26 specifications.

Posted: Mar 10, 05:36 pm

JJ Taylor Boat:

L.O.A.: 25’6” (7.8m) L.W.L.: 21’0” (6.4m) Beam: 7’6” (2.3m) Draft: 4’0” (1.2m)

Sail Area: 304 sq.ft. (28m 2 ) Ballast: 2300 lbs (1043 kg) Displacement: 5400 lbs (2400kg)

Rating (PHRF-LO) : 243

What's a Contessa 26?

Posted: Mar 4, 11:24 am

Contessa 26 – A tradition in Fibreglass By Paul Howard

The Contessa 26 entered production in England in 1966 by Jeremy Rogers in Lymington, with several hundred built. Moulds for the Contessa were shipped to Canada in 1969, with the first of the boats completed later that same year. J.J. Taylor and Sons Ltd. had been building boats on their site overlooking Toronto Harbour’s Western Gap since 1904. The Contessa would become the design to help this company change over from wood to fibreglass production. Taylor’s yard was later taken over by the National and Alexandra Yacht Clubs when the manufacturer moved to Rexdale, in Toronto’s dry-docked northwest quadrant. Other locally built boats from the 1960s, made of fibreglass but based on the lines of the Folkboat, are the Whitby 26 Folkboat and the Alberg 30. The family resemblance of moderate beam without pinched ends, pronounced sheer, long overhangs, especially at the bow—a long keel cut away at the forward end and a steeply raked rudder shaft attached to the keel, is obvious in all of these designs. The Contessa was known as a capable ocean cruiser from the outset of production in England. Many of these boats competed in the OSTAR (the Observer Single-handed Transatlantic Race) and the Round Britain and Ireland Race. In the first three years of production 350 hulls were laid up. The 26 is easily recognizable by its massive outboard rudderhead with slabs of teak sandwiching the rudder, as well as a long curved tiller poking from the middle of the sandwich. The bubble at the aft end of the coachroof where most vessels have a sliding companionway hatch—is said to make the coachroof stronger and more watertight for rough ocean conditions. Headroom under the hump is 5 ft. 8 in.

Cramped Quarters The lack of light and air from a sliding hatch has always put me off the Contessa. I am 5 ft. 10 in. and have lived aboard on sailboats with less than standing headroom. But each has had a sliding hatch where I could stand upright with feet on the cabin sole and my head poking out the companionway hatch. I enjoy surveying the 360 degrees around the horizon from this vantage point.

As well, the Contessa employs a raked cabin bulkhead to allow one to climb the companionway steps without bumping ones head on the coachroof. I also dislike the long stack of raked drop-boards, as they tend to let in more rain and spray than shorter, vertical boards, and must be kept closed more that the vertical type.

The boat feels closed-in, a condition many owners—and later the builder—have rectified with the addition of an opening amidships hatch. This cramped space reminds me of a comment made by a Frenchman who observed as he visited my British-built yacht: “Les anglais,” he nodded knowingly as he surveyed the tight quarters of the main salon, “ils se cachent du temps!” (translation: The English hide from the weather.)

Canadian Version The interior, however, feels safe, protected and cocoon-like but definitely not open and airy. The Canadian version of the 26 was pulled from the same British-made hull and deck moulds until hull 300, in 1983. Then Gary Bannister, the principal partner of J.J. Taylor since 1979, redesigned the deck mould and some of the interior moulds. To increase headroom, he lowered the floor by lengthening the hump at the aft end of the coachroom to extend farther into the cabin. He also added a amidships hatch for increased light and ventilation. Other changes at the time included the addition of an anchor locker at the bow and a switch to cast lead ballast instead of cast iron, and the shifting of the water and waste tanks. The updated version also had a teak and holly sole.

Power Plant The boat always had the option of an inboard diesel engine, with the 6.6-hp Petter first installed—then, later, the 7-hp Faryman was standard. Halyards were lead aft on the updated version, with clutches and winches at the aft end of the coachroof. A third set of gudgeons and pintles was added to support the long blade of the rudder.

Taylor 26 It was in 1984 that the Contessa had her name changed to the J.J. Taylor 26. “The name change made no difference to the buyers of the boat,” said Gary Bannister. “And the Taylor name had always been associated with the boat.” According to Bannister, Jeremy Rogers had gone bankrupt and the British Contessa moulds were destroyed in a fire. The company that subsequently purchased the rights to build the boat in the U.K., also claimed the rights in North America. After some legal wrangling, Bannister found that he had every right to continue to build the boat, only he was unwilling to suffer through a lengthy—and costly—international dispute. So, he simply changed the boat’s name and continued production. Ironically, the Contessa never went back into production in the U.K.

Viki de Kleer of Toronto is the sole owner of Mollyhawk, hull number 163, built in 1975. As an avid sailor who often single-hands her boat, Viki is one of the few Canadian sailors to hold the prestigious Royal Yachting Associationís Yachtmaster’s certificate ñ a much more rigorous level of competence than the Canadian Yachting Association’s Offshore standard. During her 18 years of ownership, she has added a amidships deck hatch, and the diesel has been changed to a Yanmar 9-hp. Viki also replaced the split fiddle-block mainsheet system with a traveller mounted across the aft end of the cockpit and supported on a stainless tube above the tiller. De Kleer says this arrangement not only gives better sail control, but also keeps the mainsheet from running across the cockpit.

She has also added roller reefing to the headsail and a jackstay to the foredeck for setting a storm jib. A bow anchor roller now pokes out at the starboard side of the forestay.

“There was always water on the side decks, as the scuppers were not the lowest point of the deck,” she observed. New scuppers, at the right level, are now retrofitted.

De Kleer also had a third gudgeon and pintle added to the rudder, and a shoe is now bolted at the heel of the keel to overlap with the foot of the rudder. This addition prevents floating lines from snagging in the gap between the rudder and keel.

Varuna is the best-known Taylor 26, sailed around the world by Tania Aebi, the youngest woman to solo circumnavigate. Her stories were often featured in a U.S. sailing magazine in the mid-’80s, and were later published in her book Maiden Voyage. In all, there were about 400 Contessa and Taylor 26s built in Canada, and the last rolled out of the factory just before it closed in 1990. “As a swan song for the company,” said Bannister, “we constructed the 14 friendly gargoyles that grace the corners of the Skydome in Toronto.” Micheal Snow, the artist who created the figures, sculpted them in foam. Then the boat builders at J.J. Taylor fibreglassed and finished them. “It was a fun last project for the company,” said Bannister.

The Contessa/Taylor 26 is a much admired institution in Ontario, and its long production run make this boat a common sight. Its loyal owners are traditionalists and keen sailors who appreciate the Contessa’s easy-to-handle and dependable performance.

Reposted with Permission from Canadian Yachting.

About the Contessa Corner

Posted: Feb 27, 10:42 am

This site owes its existence to the Pocket Cruisers website, a site it was originally part of. When the administrator of that site did the unthinkable and sold his Contessa, (for headroom its rumored!) it seemed only a matter of time before he let the Contessa Corner go as well.

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Homepage » Yacht Listings » 26′ JJ Taylor & Sons Contessa 26 26' JJ Taylor & Sons Contessa 26

Listing No. 4775

Specifications

Price/ $ 22,500

Hull Material/ Fiberglass

Colour/ White

Engine/ 2000

Beam/ 7' 6"

Displacement/ 5,400 lbs

Host Office/ West Vancouver

Location/ Thunderbird Marina

Moorage/ yes

The Contessa 26 became famous when 18-year old Tania Aebi chose one for her single-handed solo circumnavigation in 1985. This well respected vessel has classic lines, low freeboard and design characteristics that carries over from it’s Nordic Folkboat heritage. “Windsong” is a 1976 J.J.Taylor Canadian built version of this popular boat and has been beautifully maintained. A new Yanmar 1GM was installed in 2000 and she has had many upgrades including newer instruments, an upgraded mainsheet traveller system, battery charger, and Garmin GPS. Sail inventory includes a main, furling genoa and spinnaker ready to go for a summer of sailing. Assumable moorage may be available. Please call Sonia Telford at 604-315-7157 for an appointment to view.

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