Frers 33 (Frers 338)

Description

The Frers 33, a sleek fractional sloop designed by German naval architect German Frers to exploit the emerging International Measurement System (IMS) rating rule and built by Carroll Marine Ltd. in Bristol, Rhode Island, from 1986 to 1992, stands as a benchmark racer/cruiser hybrid that delivers competitive one-design performance with genuine overnight accommodations in a 33-foot package optimized for club racing and coastal passages. Measuring 33'2" LOA on a 10'10" beam, with 9,900 lbs. displacement and 3,900 lbs. external lead ballast in a 6'0" fin keel (or 4'11" shoal), the balsa-cored fiberglass hull with vinylester resin laminates achieves a SA/D ratio of ~20, enabling sprightly 6.5–7.5 knot upwind speeds in 12–18 knots, a PHRF around 90–100, and a Comfort Ratio of ~20 for lively yet balanced handling—its low ballast/displacement ratio (39%) and deep forefoot ensure stiff form stability and 40-degree pointing angles, though it demands active crew input in gusts. The functional teak-trimmed interior, with 6'0" headroom, sleeps four via a V-berth forward, saloon settees, and quarter berth aft, plus a compact galley (two-burner stove, icebox, sink) and enclosed head—spartan for racing but adequate for weekends, with 40-gal water/20-gal fuel tankage suiting diesel thrifters. Approximately 50 hulls were produced, fostering a tight-knit class association.