Contessa 32 season so far and Cowes Week 2025 preview
by Peter Binning 2 Aug 01:15 AEST
Contessa coastal race from Cowes to Poole and back © Rob Hamlett
As the season reaches its peak with Cowes Week starting this Saturday, what better time to look back at the 2025 season and provide a preview of next week's regatta.
The Contessa 32 fleet has enjoyed a fine season of racing to date with a wide variety of weather conditions to which the design is so well suited. After the relatively light airs Island Sailing Club event in April came the tricky western Solent Contessa regatta in May followed by the much breezier Hamble River Sailing Club weekend in June and another windy outing at the Taittinger classic in July.
Outside the series points was the Round the Island Race in early June with a fine turnout from the Contessa fleet. Most recently came the traditional Contessa coastal race from Cowes to Poole and back with its unique onboard cake baking competition - no other class does racing quite like this!
Winner of that event was Firefly, a newcomer to the 2025 winner's slot ahead of Bugler of Hornet sailing double handed and Corafin. Simon Pritchard of Firefly commented on his win: "Great to be back with the Contessa fleet, both on and off the water. Well done to all involved in pulling everything together, and hope to be out again before too long."
Some 18 boats have been battling the series points so far with the leader board going into Cowes Week looking very encouraging for relatively new class podium competitors Mel McQueen and Rob Hamlett lying in third place on 53 points, some way ahead of Corafin on 64. The top two boats Drumbeat and Andaxi are separated by a single point on 22 and 23 respectively and need little introduction as fleet leaders.
Mel McQueen said of her season so far; "This is our second season as owners of Connie and thoroughly enjoying the challenge of racing in this fantastic fleet. Everyone has been so encouraging and generous with their help and advice. We are lucky to have a regular crew who are fantastic on the water and great fun off the water. Rob and I are on a massive learning curve in our roles as skipper/nav and helm, respectively - and we will be doing our very best to keep up with the top boats for the remainder of the season."
The results table is sure to be shaken up by the Cowes competition ahead. The class has been a huge success at Cowes Week since the very beginning of Contessa time over 30 years ago and that continues as the regatta itself prepares for its bicentenary next year.
For 2025, fifteen boats are entered, many of which, having taken part in one or more of the season points racing to date, will be up for the challenge of denting the advantage gained by the current season leaders. All the Contessa 32s will be based at Sheppard's Wharf marina and anyone interested in sailing a Contessa 32 is welcome to come over to meet members of the class association.
One of the very few true cruiser racers on the current racing circuit, the class is attracting a range of ages and many female helms and crew. The Cowes Week Equal Seas trophy for boats with 30% female crews in each race will have several Contessa 32's entered and the class is an enthusiastic supporter of Cowes Week Women's Day on Tuesday. Contessa 32 sailors are proud of the range of sailing the class offers with many younger crew competing and a relatively high numbers of female sailors.
Donna Rouse-Collen of Andaxi said this ahead of the Cowes Week first race: "We've had a couple of new crew members this season Ollie Wilson 23 and Evie Pearce 14 who are new to yacht racing and have made an excellent start, alongside our regular experienced crew, including both of our daughters, Sophie 23 and Eva 14, which brings the average age of our crew down to 34.
"Like many of the Contessa 32 racing teams, our team is young and loving racing in a competitive one design fleet. We are all super excited about Cowes Week where there is always great racing and fun to be had, both on the water and after the racing, in the marina, soaking up the sun and post-race atmosphere at the pontoon parties."
The legendary Contessa 32 pontoon party takes place early in the week followed on Tuesday by the class dinner kindly hosted by the Island Sailing Club.
The weather is looking good for most of the week with some challenging conditions building for Sunday and Monday as this goes to press.
After Cowes Week, the season continues with racing at Cowes Corinthian on 13-14 September and the Nationals at Cowes (Royal London YC) from 26-28 September.
Results of 2025 season to date: events2.ksail.co.uk/CO32/2025.html