Yachting_Monthly_2016-01

80 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com JANUARY 2016

USED boat tESt

Is this S&S-designed beauty an iconic 1970s classic or just another ageing relic

of the IOR rules? Duncan Kent investigates

Deb 33 Performance on testPoint of sail Apparent wind angle Apparent wind speed Boatspeed

Close- hauledFetch 35°60° 12-15 knots12-16 knots 4.8-5.2 knots4.2-5.9 knots

Beam reachBroad reach 90°120° 12-15 knots8 knots 4-5.5 knots3.2 knots

Run 180° 8 knots 3.8 knots

A

s far up the Hamble river as it’s possible to get with a mast intact is Deacons Boatyard, where the subject of this

Deb 33, was commissioned in 1969. She’s among the least well-known of her designer Olin Stephens’ creations, which month’s used boat test, the

include such classics as the She 31, 32, and 36, the S&S 30 and 34, and of course many of Nautor’s early Swans. The Deb 33 shares many similarities with her more

famous sisters, but only around 50 were built. She was designed for safe, secure offshore sailing in all conditions. Does she achieve what she set out to?

PerformanceOur test sail took place in benign conditions – a dry but grey day on the

Solent with an offshore NNE Force 3-4 blowing, resulting in a fairly flat sea. We set sail and drifted dead downwind out of harbour, goose-winging the

main and genoa easily thanks to her straight spreaders. Being heavy, with a conservative sailplan and high wetted surface area, she is slow downwind under

white sails alone and needs a big spinnaker to keep the speed up.comes into her own the closer you take Reaching up and down the coast, she

her to windward and the harder you push her. The rising sheer, gentle tumblehome and raised bulwarks keep spray and green water at bay when pushed. Her slender,

deep body and long overhangs give her a

PHOTOS: jOe mccarTHy

Deb 33

lovely, relaxed motion through the waves.12 knots true – very tame conditions for a The strongest wind on our test day was

yacht of this ilk. Nevertheless, we had no trouble keeping the log between 4-5 knots on a close reach, dropping to around 4 knots close-hauled. When the wind speed

dropped to just 12 knots apparent she remained well balanced to windward, but slowed noticeably on a broad reach.I found her steering a little heavy, even

in the gentle conditions, so you’d probably want to reduce weather helm by reefing her large genoa to 100% above a force 4, and shortening the mainsail shortly after,

although Brian insists she’s stiff enough to

hold full sail with up to 20 knots blowing over the deck.

At the helmHaving a pinched stern (in modern design terms), her cockpit is narrow, which is great under sail as it allows the helm to

brace against the opposite seat, but not so good when entertaining. That said, there’s room for five or six people to sit in comfort when she’s alongside or at anchor.

wide, flat coamings, within easy reach of the helm on tiller-steered models – likewise the mainsheet and mainsail furler The primary winches are mounted on

on for singlehanded sailing.Design & constructionMidsummer II – so she’s well sorted

Introduced in 1969 and moulded at the Tyler Boat Company, the Deb 33 is a typical Sparkman & Stephens cruiser-racer: beamy, with seductive overhanging

ends and a small degree of tumblehome in her topsides. She has an encapsulated fin keel with generous lead ballast, along with a deep centreboard, making her stiff

under sail in strong winds and giving her an impressive upwind performance. Then, with her board up, her relatively shallow

ABOVE: Her slight tumblehome, overhangs and pleasing sheerline are rarely seen on

today’s new boats