BoatsContessa 43

Contessa 43

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1977

A Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop available in both flush-deck racer and coach-roof cruiser-racer configurations

Designed by Doug Peterson, built by Jeremy Rogers.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a narrow beam gives 30 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 30
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.82
LightHeavy

232 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 232
EasygoingPowered-up

18.5 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.5
TenderStiff

51% of her weight is ballast — very stiff, carrying full sail in a blow.

Ballast 51%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

  • Draws more than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2593 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
51.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.5
Displacement / length
231.7
Comfort ratio
30.5
Capsize screening
1.82
Hull speed
7.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1533
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

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Pearson Yachts 424 Ketch12.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead ketch featuring an aft cockpit layout and a 1.6-metre draft for versatile coastal and offshore cruising
The MIGHTY But CHEAP Pearson 424from Practical Sailor
Tartan Marine 430013.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 13-metre masthead sloop featuring a deep 2.51-metre fin keel and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
Tartan Yachts and the Catalina Fallout: How One Brand Survived5:35from Practical Sailor
Swan 43 (S&S)13.04 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthDrawn for the RORC rule, this masthead sloop features a high ballast-to-displacement ratio for a stiff, stable ride
113. Pedro Millet, the silver medal that changed everything.4:07from A Son de Mar
Hunter Marine 42 Passage CC12.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.95-metre centre-cockpit cruiser with a wing keel and a 1.5-metre draft, built for stable, easy-handling cruising
FOLLOWED FOR 4 HRS in the Dominican Republic - BEST PLACES TO VISIT FOR SUPER CHEAP - Ep 31from Sailing Jibsea
Beneteau Oceanis 43012.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser with a high comfort ratio, also produced as the Moorings 432 charter variant
The Reality of Getting This Boat Ready - Ep. 274from Sailing Zephyr
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42 DS12.93 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 12.9-metre deck saloon cruiser featuring a high-volume hull and a deep, bulb-weighted fin keel for stability
BEST Bluewater Are NOT What You Think! Ep 325 - Lady K Sailing3:57from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Contessa 39A Doug Peterson-designed ocean cruiser built with advanced vacuum-bagged construction and proven in the 1979 FastnetContessa 28A Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977Contessa 35A Doug Peterson-designed IOR One Ton racer that claimed the 1974 International One Ton Cup with her prototype GumbootsContessa 32A 1973 London Boat Show winner with a skeg-hung rudder and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 47 per centContessa 38 (S&S)A rare Sparkman & Stephens IOR One-tonner, this masthead sloop was built for only two years before production ceasedContessa 33A Rob Humphreys-designed fractional sloop built for performance with a stiff, light displacement hull

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Contessa 43

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