Contessa 28

BoatsContessa 28

See her sail

The Contessa 28, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from practicalboatowner

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23

CoastalBluewater

1.98 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.98

LightHeavy

292 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 292

EasygoingPowered-up

14.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.9

TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Contessa 28, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Contessa 28 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Doug Peterson and built by Jeremy Rogers Ltd. from 1977 to the present, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder. It measures 8.4 meters LOA, with a 2.9-meter beam, 1.5-meter draft, and displaces 3161 kg. The model has a SA/disp of 14.9 and a comfort ratio of 22.9. Long-distance cruising preparation for boats like the Contessa 28 emphasizes systematic maintenance, crew dynamics, and route planning, including researching ocean currents and prevailing winds.1:44 Redundancy in critical systems, such as dual fuel filters and a comprehensive spare parts inventory, is prioritized.17:28 Rig integrity is maintained by addressing chafe points, using high-strength lines like Dyneema, and installing messenger lines in the mast for halyard replacement.12:08 Safety equipment, like life rafts, must be stored accessibly.17:52 Diversifying cooking methods reduces reliance on region-specific gas canisters, and AIS and radar are essential for situational awareness.22:33

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

40.2%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

14.9

Displacement / length

292.2

Comfort ratio

22.9

Capsize screening

1.98

Hull speed

6.3 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

740

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

First built 1977

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 278.28 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft options

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Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising

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Mirage Yachts 2758.38 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable fin keel and spade rudder

Preparing to go from Great Lakes to Blue Water Sailors. Canada to Europe, via Greenland.2:23 from Sailing Northern Brees

Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance

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Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations

Bahamas for $5000? The Watkins 27 foot Sailboat0:47 from Practical Sailor

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Contessa 35A Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype Gumboots Contessa 39A Doug Peterson-designed ocean cruiser built with advanced vacuum-bagged construction and proven in the 1979 Fastnet Contessa 32A 1973 London Boat Show winner with a skeg-hung rudder and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 47 per cent Contessa 33A Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a stiff, light displacement hull

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