– LeComte Yachts Archive –
1956 – 2025
– MEDALIST 33 –
The Medalist 33 Mk II is a sailboat designed by the American maritime architect William Tripp together with Adolf LeComte in the mid sixties. The Medalist 33 Mk II is built by the Dutch yard LeComte-Holland, N.V..
The 33′ Dutch-built yacht was a pioneering fiberglass production sailboat. Because of its reputation as a safe, sturdy and agile sailing vessel, the Lecomte Medalist remains a highly sought-after boat that provides a memorable sailing experience. It is a popular cruising and racing yacht known for its performance and seaworthiness.
The interior of the Medalist 33 MKI is well-designed and offers ample space for living aboard. It typically has a V-berth forward, a main salon with settees on both sides, a galley, a navigation station, and a head. The boat can accommodate up to six people, making it suitable for family cruising or racing with a small crew.
In terms of performance, the Medalist 33 MKI is known for its speed and agility. It has a large sail area, allowing it to excel in both light and heavy winds. The boat is often praised for its upwind performance and ability to handle rough seas, making it a reliable choice for offshore sailing.
The Medalist 33 MKI has a strong and durable construction, with a solid fiberglass hull and a balsa-cored deck. It is known for its quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. The boat’s construction and design contribute to its longevity, and many Medalist 33 MKIs are still actively sailing today.
Overall, the Medalist 33 is a well-regarded sailing boat that offers a combination of performance, comfort, and seaworthiness. It is a popular choice among sailors who appreciate its classic design and reliable performance both on the racecourse and during cruising adventures.
There have been two different, but similar, boats built as Medalist 33s. The original (33-1) was designed by Bill Tripp, the elder, and was built between 1961 and 1965. All were flush decked with ports in the topsides and had attached rudders. The I was 35.58 and the J was 11.83. Some of these were later rebuilt with spade rudders and taller rigs.
In 1966, Le Comte redesigned the boat so that it was slightly longer. One(33-2) was built with an attached rudder and had a trunk cabin.
Between 1966 and 1970 the enlarged hull was built with a spade rudder and a tall rig (33-2). The I was 39.5 and the J was 12.25. The -3 was available with either a flush deck or a trunk cabin.
The Medalist 33 Mk III is built with a masthead rig. The sail area for the mailsail + jib is 42.4 m2 (456.4 ft2). The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area – compared with a fractional rig – can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.
The Medalist 33 Mk III is built with a long keel. A long keel provide a better directional stability than a similar boat with a fin keel. The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.60 – 1.70 meter (5.25 – 5.55 ft) dependent on the load.
The capsize screening value for Medalist 33 Mk III is 1.76, indicating that this boat could – if evaluated by this formula alone – be accepted to participate in ocean races.
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.6 knots. The term “Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed” is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Medalist 33 Mk III is about 149 kg/cm, alternatively 839 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 149 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 839 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Medalist 33 Mk III is 31.2. Comparing this ratio with similar sailboats show that it is more comfortable than 85% of all similar sailboat designs. This is a comfort value significantly above average.
The l/b ratio for Medalist 33 Mk III is 3.30. Compared with other similar sailboats it is slimmer than 58% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a slightly more speedy hull design. The ballast ratio for Medalist 33 Mk III is 36%. 7% of all similar sailboat designs are categorized as heavier. A heavy displacement combined with smaller water plane area has lower acceleration and is more comfortable. The DL-ratio for Medalist 33 Mk III is 374 which categorizes this boat among ‘heavy cruisers’.
Sailboat Specifications
| Hull Type: | Fin w/spade rudder |
| Rigging Type: | Masthead Sloop |
| LOA: | 33.00 ft / 10.06 m |
| LWL: | 24.08 ft / 7.34 m |
| S.A. (reported): | 456.00 ft² / 42.36 m² |
| Beam: | 10.00 ft / 3.05 m |
| Displacement: | 11,700.00 lb / 5,307 kg |
| Ballast: | 4,200.00 lb / 1,905 kg |
| Max Draft: | 5.25 ft / 1.60 m |
| Construction: | FG w/airex cored deck |
| First Built: | 1965 |
| Builder: | Le Compte |
| Designer: | William Tripp/LeCompte |
Sailboat Calculations
| S.A. / Displ.: | 14.21 |
| Bal. / Displ.: | 35.90 |
| Disp: / Len: | 374.08 |
| Comfort Ratio: | 31.47 |
| Capsize Screening Formula: | 1.77 |
| S#: | 1.10 |
| Hull Speed: | 6.58 kn |
| Pounds/Inch Immersion: | 860.40 pounds/inch |
Rig and Sail Particulars
| I: | 35.58 ft / 10.84 m |
| J: | 11.83 ft / 3.61 m |
| P: | 31.41 ft / 9.57 m |
| E: | 15.66 ft / 4.77 m |
| S.A. Fore: | 210.46 ft² / 19.55 m² |
| S.A. Main: | 245.94 ft² / 22.85 m² |
| S.A. Total (100% Fore + Main Triangles): | 456.40 ft² / 42.40 m² |
| S.A./Displ. (calc.): | 14.22 |
| Est. Forestay Length: | 37.50 ft / 11.43 m |
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