In the early eighties, a wiz kid designer named Mark Soverel had expanded on some of his early work of creating successful MORC, IOR and Admiral's cup race winners by designing an Ultralight racer/cruiser, the Soverel 33.  With hopes of creating a popular one design class and backed by father Bill Soverel's production facility in North Palm Beach, Fl., Mark produced the first S-33 in 1983.  The boat was a success as a racer and is the forerunner to today's' modern sport boats, with its innovative open stern and high sail area to displacement ratio.

     Over the next five years, 90 Soverel 33's were built.  Quantity wise that was enough boats to comprise the one-design class Mark envisioned, but for a variety a reasons, starting with Bill Soverel's failing health, that never transpired.

     Two years ago I stumbled onto the class when I was in the market to own a racer/cruiser on a tight budget.  It began with a friend recommending a broker, Linda Warren of Sailboats Northeast, to me.  After I described to Linda that I was looking for, a competitive "A" fleet, club racer with the ability to overnight and weekend on, she suggested a 1984 Soverel 33.  With an asking price of 28K and a nifty 84 rating, Linda arranged for me to see the boat at the PHRF NE Championships.  The owners, Russ and Marty, had bought "Dilligaf" new in 1985 as the hottest production boat on the market for 60K.

     I liked Dilligaf's lines immediately; she had a low sleek cabin top, 11' wide beam amidships and reversed stern that maximized waterline length, plus a very tall 50' Kenyon spar.  I came aboard and immediately ducked down below to get out of the light rain falling at the time.  Surprisingly, I was able to stand up straight given the 6' overhead.  The interior was spartan but functional, with two double quarter berths and two midship berths, a large cooler, alcohol stove and sink to port of the companionway, and nav. station to starboard.  An optional 9.5 horse Yanmar, "one lung" diesel was tucked nicely behind the companionway step.  A large transverse frame acted as a mast step and distributed keel and rig load athwartships.  Marty had made sure a fully plumbed head was installed up forward of the teak bulkhead that separated the main cabin from the bow sail storage.  Otherwise, the boat was devoid of cruising amenities such as a table, nor were there any hanging lockers or drawers, just cubbies to store things.  All in all, the cabin was livable, and spacious, just more akin to camping than cruising.

     The boat was constructed with unidirectional E-glass over a rigid PVC Klegecell foam core and bonded together via vacuum bagging.  The featherweight hull had a molded cabin insert glassed to it that stiffened the boat and doubled as cabin interior.  The deck was bolted to the in-turned hull flange at the sheerline via a flat T-track.  This flat toerail makes sitting on the rail more comfortable and provides a handy place to add sliding cars.

     The weather was clearing and the crew started preparing on board to go racing so we went above to inspect the deck.  We stepped up into the cockpit which had long bench seats on either side backed by a flat topped coaming that doubled as a backrest and support for the Lewmar 43 primary winches.  The deck layout was clean and all the cabin top lines were led so that anyone standing on the top step of the companionway could easily manage all "pit" functions.  In keeping with the Soverel 33's reputation as a very "tweakable" boat, the amount of control lines did not disappoint.

     I had to delay the actual test sail for a few more weeks, but I was able to include my wife and 12-year old son.  We took off from Kittery, bound for Isle of Shoals, in about 6 knots of breeze under full main and a 150% jib.  The boat weighs only 5,800 pounds and with only five people aboard I could see why she had a well deserved reputation as a terrific light air racer, as we powered along at 4 knots.  We dropped anchor for lunch, and I noticed that the anchor was stowed below, as no proper race boat wants a chain locker on the foredeck.  On the way home we flew the large oversized class spinnaker and surfed down the ocean swell in the light breeze.  My wife loved it as she felt far safer in the cockpit than on any of the modern racers I'd gotten her to inspect at recent boat shows we'd attended.  The helm had a very neutral feel as the boat seemed to want to be in the groove all the time without a lot of attention.  With it's 5'10" draft, high aspect fin and large spade rudder, I was surprised at how quick, balanced and responsive she was.

     What I did not learn that day was how tender Soverel 33's are in a breeze (8+ big guys recommended for racing) and what skill the checkstays require.  We hadn't used the checks while cruising but while racing they need someone dedicated to managing them other than the helmsman.  The unique 15/16^th fractional rig is limber and the checks are required to keep the mast in column.  Designed without runners to beat MORC rules, the rig is neither a true fractional nor a masthead rig and can be quite challenging.  When racing a Soverel 33, you need an attitude which emphasizes de-powering to keep the boat on her feet.

     You will find some minor variations in cockpit styles and interior packages across the class due to the fact that the design had 4 different builders over the years.  With a recent round up of all the boats nationwide and a new class website www.soverel33.com, the class is getting some renewed interest.  Soverel 33 one design racing is finally enjoying success as well, particularly in light air areas like Lake Norman, NC and Western Long Island Sound.  The recent purchase of hull #77, Menace XX by Dennis Conner, who is cleaning up in PHRF racing around San Diego, has also given new visibility to the class.  All in all, you will find the Soverel 33 to be a blend of all Mark Soverel's previous "go fast" success in an affordable, exciting and demanding design capable of winning handicap races against bigger competition.