Contessa 35
Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1974
A Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots
Designed by Doug Peterson, built by Jeremy Rogers.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Fin w/spade Rudder
See her sail
The Contessa 35, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Erik Aanderaa
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
LivelyComfort 26Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.92Bluewater
LightD/L 235Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 17.6Powered-up
TenderBallast 51%Stiff
A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
Seen 5 times across one channel of the fleet.
On the water
The Contessa 35 on video
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
51.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.6
Displacement / length
234.8
Comfort ratio
26.0
Capsize screening
1.92
Hull speed
7.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1204
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1974
Units built
80
Designer
Doug Peterson
Builder
Jeremy Rogers
Boats like this, on the water
More boats like her, on the water
Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.
Hunter Marine 3610.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 44% ballast ratio, designed for stable coastal cruising during a short early-eighties production run
Catalina Yachts 3611.07 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA versatile coastal cruiser offering optional tall rig and wing keel configurations to suit varying water depths
Hallberg-Rassy 3511.13 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA shallow-draft fin-keeler with a 1.3-metre draft, built for coastal cruising and ease of access to shoal anchorages
Beneteau First 36.710.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Farr-designed racer-cruiser with a 2.2-metre draft and a balanced sail-area-to-displacement ratio for club competition
Moody 34610.52 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 10.5-metre masthead sloop with a 40% ballast ratio, offering a stable and comfortable platform for coastal cruising
Catalina Yachts 35010.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a 2.03-metre draft and a high-volume hull designed for comfortable coastal cruising
The family
Related models
The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.
Contessa 28A Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977Contessa 39A Doug Peterson-designed ocean cruiser built with advanced vacuum-bagged construction and proven in the 1979 FastnetContessa 43A Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop available in both flush-deck racer and coach-roof cruiser-racer configurationsContessa 33A Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a stiff, light displacement hullContessa 32A 1973 London Boat Show winner with a skeg-hung rudder and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 47 percent
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