As Seen In Sailing Magazine, June 2010

Alerion Sport 33 Design Review

by Bob Perry

Back in the mid-1960s the Islander 36 set the standard for medium-sized boat interiors. Then the race was on to put more and more accommodations into production “racer-cruisers” or “cruiser-racers.” A quick look at today’s typical production 33-footer of that type will show you where that got us. All the comforts you had on shore were shoehorned into the boat—or at least tried. In the early 1990s the Alerion Express line was born with an idea to return us to simple boats designed for daysailing and short cruises with a minimum of complication and an optimization of performance. The trend was off and running. Today the term “daysailer” means more than a 17-foot Lightning class sloop. It generally means any boat under 50 feet designed to optimize comfort for afternoon sailing on protected or semi-protected waters.
Building off their previous series of Alerion Express models the designers at Pearson Marine have come up with this new series called the Sport series. The first in this line is the new Alerion Sport 33. The hull is identical to that of the Alerion Express 33 but weight has been taken out of the build with the result being a lighter, faster boat. The keel and rudder are also identical to the Express 33 model.

This is a very pretty boat. It looks good from every angle. The freeboard is low. There is shape in the ends coupled with modest overhangs. Beam is on the narrow side of moderate with an L/B of 3.57. Draft is modest with a fin and bulb keel drawing 5 feet. The D/L is 196, with 800 pounds taken off the original Alerion Express 33 displacement. This design has a nice spring to the sheer. The overall look reminds me of a few boats that I admired when I was young, including the Kettenburg 38, the Owens cutter and of course the Concordia yawls.

The deck for the Sport 33 is totally different from the Express 33. The cockpit is long and features only tiller steering. I was talking to a lady about her next boat and I suggested a boat that came with a tiller. A week later I got a letter from her telling me that she thought I was the type that would tell her to buy a car with a manual transmission too. Tillers are great on small boats. You feel every nuance of the boat’s action through the tiller. It’s the thermometer on the health of the boat at any given time. And you can hinge it up and get it completely out of the cockpit when you don’t need it. The seats adjacent to the tiller are removable in this model, so someone could sit aft facing forward if they didn’t mind the tiller cracking their knees during tacks and jibes.

There is a Barney post for the mainsheet in the cockpit and a traveler aft of the coaming. The mainsheet gross tune is at the Barney post and the Harken fine tune tackle is at the traveler. I have a similar arrangement on my own boat. I bought it because I thought the fine tune looked cool. I never use it. There is a well in the foredeck for ground tackle and a small hatch in the cabintop. The coamings wrap around forward along the cabin bulkhead to form line bins. This is a clever, useful and stylish detail and it will hide the lines that spill down from the cabintop winches.

There is a self-tacking jib track just forward of the mast but you also have the option of getting standard jib tracks on the deck if you want the ability to fly a jib with some overlap. If that’s the case then you also get primary winches located on the coaming about halfway down the cockpit. The rig with an SA/D of 24.4 is pretty simple and this rig comes with a masthead asymmetrical chute and the option of overlapping headsails of small LP.

The interior is very simple but does have an enclosed head. It would be nice to have a rudimentary galley but it is not standard. Given the semi-custom nature of this shop I’m sure a small galley could be devised if you insisted on one.
With that small custom galley the Alerion Sport 33 would come pretty close to my ideal as the ultimate boat for me.

As Seen In Sailing Magazine, March 2009

The Summer of 94 Daysails

by Pat Nowak

As I walked about the Yacht Basin Marina in Holland, Michigan this season, I noticed that there were just a few sailboats that actually got out on the weekend and even fewer that made it to some of the Wednesday night races.

Most of the boats, particularly the larger cruising boats, sat there week after week, waiting patiently for their owners to rescue them from terminal boredom.  It kind of reminded me of horses I have seen in stables that never got exercised.   I felt bad for the horses and for the boats, not to mention the owners who have invested a sizeable amount of time and money in them.

On the other hand, there were a few fortunate guys like me who did get out on Lake Michigan a lot, probably more than we deserved.   I kept a ship’s log with the details of each trip: miles traveled, highest observed wind, highest speed reached, specific hours of the day out on the water and any other noteworthy happening. 

At season’s end I was reviewing miles traveled and found it was 1120 nautical miles, which is in line with the miles traveled in each of the previous two years.  Those miles were accumulated in part on twenty Wednesday night races and in the Anchorage Cup that runs from Grand Haven to Holland, a distance of about 20 miles.  Most of the Wednesday night races put about 15 miles on the boat, accounting for about 300 of the 1100 miles.  So where did the other 800 miles come from?

Day sailing, friend.  Day sailing.  I’m of the opinion that the essence of the pure sailing experience is that two to four hour day sail that takes place in the early afternoon for we retirees or just after work for the gainfully employed.   You slip your lines, in my case usually alone, or with a few friends and you’re away.   You can hoist sails 100 yards away from your berth or wait until you’re out on Lake Michigan but in either case you’re away and moving on the water.

Here in Holland we have a choice of lakes, so I can sail on Lake Macatawa, a six-mile long lake that connects to the big lake, or I can get out to Lake Michigan and enjoy all that it offers.  Often the smaller lake has better wind, particularly late in the day.

Imagine being out on the big lake in a pretty day sailor, winds out of the southwest at about ten to twelve knots, with just the beginning of whitecaps here and there.  The English liked to describe those first whitecaps as “seeing a few sheep in the meadow.”  You’re close hauled, hearing the thup, thup of waves against the sides and notice that your boat speed is about half the apparent wind, confirming your opinion that the sail trim is pretty good at the moment. 

Of all the places on the planet you could be, this is one of the best.   No, this is the best.  I have often wished that anyone who ever wondered what it would be like to be sailing were on board right then.  The experience is just too sweet.  You’re drinking from the golden cup of day sailing and you can never get enough.  Never enough.

So, how many times would you think I could do that in a summer’s season?

Ninety-four times.

You went sailing ninety-four times in one season?  Eleven hundred miles of sailing from mid-April through mid-October, mostly day sailing?  Isn’t that overdoing it a bit?  I plead guilty, your honor, guilty as charged.

On the other hand, the actuarial tables don’t offer much comfort once you reach retirement age.  If you live twenty years past your last day at work, you’ve only got 7300 days to go.  Take about half of those away because of the cold weather seasons and the frailties of old age, and you might have 3650 days or ten years of sailing left, if you’re lucky.  I’m going to try and do more next season because the more I think about it, I’m probably not over doing it at all. 

When I was thinking about ordering this boat back in late 2005, the better half objected to my selling my four year old Colgate 26 in favor of the new boat.  She called an old friend, Alan Ware, hoping to get his support to talk me out of the new Alerion.   He thought about it for a few minutes, then said, “Nancy, we are dead a long time.  Let him have his boat.”

Sailors, here’s my New Years resolution for you.  Say after me,  “In 2009, I resolve to sail my boat at least fifty times.”

Try to over do it.

The sweet experience of the late afternoon day sail, about 2 miles off the Holland, MI coast, on the Nancy Anne, an Alerion Express 28.

To View the Article as Published on Sailing Magazine's Website please click HERE

May 2007, Sailing Article

A sweet mix of simplicity and sailability make this a desirable daysailer
By John Kretschmer

I have had the privilege of sailing a wide array of boats for SAILING Magazine Boat Test. From nimble dinghies and daysailers, to custom-built rocketships and world cruisers, to productions boats of every ilk, I have conducted more than 100 boat tests during the past 18 years. And like Lothario, I find something to admire in just about every boat I sail. I understand that I am paid to critically review boats for the benefits of our readers, to point out the good, the not so good and occasionally the bad, but you must be driven by a profound respect of sailing and sailboats to bring the proper perspective to the job. And while sailing any new boat is intriguing, every now and then I am simply blown away by the combination of form, function and romance that only a sailboat can define. Such was the case with the new Alerion Express 33.

It was a docile February morning as we slipped our lines at Miami' s Bayside Marina the day after the boat show. Our plan was to ease into the Intracoastal Waterway and head south toward Biscayne Bay. This would provide photographer Walter Cooper with a nice backdrop, the glass menagerie of high rises that shadow the waterway, before the real test sailing would begin in the bay.

The wind was light and I suspected we might have to power to negotiate the narrow channel and to get enough way on to fill the sails for the photos. Not so. No sooner had we cleared the marina markers, than we quieted the diesel and rounded up onto the light southeasterly breeze. The full-roach main went up without a hitch thanks to the electric winch and the lack of a backstay. We jibed, gaining way promptly, and then unfurled the small fractional jib controlled by a self-vanging Hoyt jib boom.

Shifting from a close reach to a beat and back again, we happily negotiated the narrow, twisting channel. The only problem was that we were going too fast, speeding past our photo backdrop. No problem, hauling in the main we promptly tacked. This maneuver required a simple turn of the wheel and not much more of the waterway than the Express 33's LOA. I doubt one of the obnoxious powerboats crowding the channel with us could have turned any quicker. It took a few seconds to trim up the self-tending sails and then we accelerated north.

The details
The Alerion Express 33 is the latest model from the crew at Pearson Composites. From a design perspective, the 33 is a scaled-down version of the handsome Alerion 38. From a practical perspective, the Express 33 blends the daysailing mindset of the popular Alerion 28 with the interior elbowroom of the 38. This sweet mix of simplicity and accommodation makes the 33 perfect for a weekend escape. Of course the Express 33, with its ease of handling ethos is also ideal for an hour's sail after work. And I confess, although the interior is pared down, I'd be rather content cruising for a week, greedily spending hours at the helm of this exquisite sailboat.

The new Alerion Express 33 is all about sailing, pure sailing, there is no secret agenda. When you feel the need for an attitude adjustment just hop aboard, slip the lines and get underway.

The sleek hull shape combines low freeboard, just the right touch of sheer and a slightly raked bow entry. The short cabin trunk, with two oval ports on each side, blends naturally into the linear flow of the boat. The term "nice lines" fits the Alerion 33 like a sailing glove. Below the water there is not much wetted surface. The keel section has an integral bulb to keep the center of gravity low. The keel is a one-piece lead casting alloyed with antimony for hardness, and externally fastened to a molded keel stub. The spade rudder blade has an elliptical profile and is a composite construction with a stainless steel stock.
The Alerion Express 33 is built by Pearson Composites, employing its patented SCRIMP infusion molding process. This is the company that also builds J/Boats, and there are similarities between Js and the Alerions. The composite hull consists of fiberglass with both biaxial and unidirectional E-glass fibers, end grain balsa as a core, and vinyl-ester resin as the active agent. The hull and deck are joined on a flange and bonded with Plexus MA 550. The joint is covered by a full-length teak toerail. Bulkheads are tabbed to the hull and deck. The elegant appearance might suggest that the Alerion Express 33 is on the fragile side. Not so, this winsome boat is a solidly built yacht.

On deck
With a separate helm station in the cockpit the Alerion Express 33 is designed for ease of handling and can be singlehanded without a lot fuss. You won't need to round up a crew when you go sailing. The electric sheet winches, such as they are, and the mainsheet controls are perched on coamings just forward of the helm. You can sail quite efficiently without shifting from the comfortable perch behind the wheel. In fact, as we zipped about the waterway the crew forward of the binnacle simply lounged about as the helmsman steered and trimmed.

It takes a moment to get used to the utterly clean deck layout. The standard boat comes without stanchions and lifelines, and although you can order them as options, they would alter the sleek profile. And really, there's not much reason to leave the cockpit while underway. Plus the absence of lifelines makes it much easier to dock the boat when sailing alone.

Our test boat, hull No. 1, was fitted with optional teak decks. And yes, they are expensive, a $22,000-plus add-on, but they sure glistened and provided secure footing..

All new 33s will have a carbon mast by Hall Spars along with an aluminum boom. The standing rigging is continuous rod. As noted earlier the fractionally rigged 33 is set up without a backstay. This allows for a full-roach, almost catamaranlike main, and it really powers the boat. Our test boat was fitted with a Harken mainsheet traveler and roller furling headsail system.

Down below
The interior of the 33 is spartan by design but tastefully appointed just the same. The practical mix of mica and solid teak trim gives the boat a Down East feel. The plan is basic. There is a V-berth double cabin forward with an enclosed head just aft. The main cabin includes settees port and starboard with shelves behind. Ventilation is provided by a deck hatch forward and opening stainless steel portlights. The galley is tucked along the main bulkhead and includes a small single burner stove, a single sink and 12- volt refrigeration compartment. Manual water pumps are standard. I like the overall simplicity of the systems, the Alerion 33 is built for sailing, not for sitting below dockside.

There is good access to the 20-horsepower Yanmar diesel with a saildrive. A two-bladed folding prop is standard. The fuel tank holds 18 gallons, which is probably about a year's worth of fuel. The electrical system includes an isolated starting battery and a single house battery. The panel is behind the port side settee.

Under sail
I was reluctant to give up the helm and yield the boat to writers from other magazines, who were so anxious to test the new Alerion Express 33 they were buzzing around us like vultures in their photo boats. I lingered and put the boat through a series of jibes and tacks, we were showing off as most of the new sailboats heading out of the marina were still under power. Then the wind perked up a bit, to around 10 knots true, and we took one last long tack south.
Trimming for maximum speed on a close reach we touched 7 knots, then 7.5. The ride was silky smooth. There was just a slight heel. With each puff you could feel the acceleration in the seat of your pants and on the rudder, translated through the finely tuned Edson steering system. The Alerion Express 33 talks to you, and if you listen the message comes through loud and clear, "It's all about sailing."

Cruising World,
Mark Pillsbury
January 07’

When the Alerion Express 28 made its debut, it created the genre of the modern, elegant daysailer, designed to be easily rigged, simple to sail, and a breeze to put away at day's end. Well, now her big sister, the Alerion Express 38, is ready to steal a few hearts. The boat is built by Pearson Composites, in Warren, Rhode Island, and was designed by the late Carl Schumacher and the builder's design group.

On an early fall day on the Chesapeake, the 38 skipped right along close hauled at 5.7 knots in 8 knots of breeze and pushed close to 6 knots cracked off on a reach. Under power with the 40-horsepower Yanmar diesel and saildrive, top speed was about 8 knots. And the boat was nimble, easily spinning circles in less than its own length.

As with the Express 28, a modern underbody is disguised by traditional lines topsides that include a low coachroof, a large cockpit, a deck free of lifelines, and bow and stern pulpits. A carbon-fiber mast is rigged with a big, high-aspect main, and a small, self-tending working jib is set on a roller furler and Hoyt Jib Boom, which keeps it working efficiently when off the wind. Both sails are 3DLs from North
Related Resources

Belowdecks, there's a V-berth, settees, a table, a head, and a galley under 5-foot-8-inch headroom. It's tight for crewmembers of above-average height, but chances are they'll want to be on deck enjoying the day and the sail this sloop serves up.

Cruising World,
Jeremy McGeary
September 07’

When Nat Herreshoff designed his Alerion, which was destined to become his favorite personal boat, few thought of sailing for pleasure as anything other than a daytime occupation. For those of similar mind today, the Alerion Express 33, envisioned by Garry Hoyt and designed and built by Pearson Composites, should have considerable appeal.

To provide satisfying performance in light air without demanding great effort from a solo sailor, the boat has a large, roachy mainsail and a relatively small self-tacking jib set on the patented Hoyt Jib Boom. The roomy cockpit allows half a dozen passengers to enjoy the ride.
True to the Herreshoff idea, the Alerion Express has no lifelines (although they can be ordered) and in case the mood or weather encourages it, simple but elegant appointments below accommodate overnighting.

For several years, Pearson Composites has been developing a line of boats that have two main purposes: to be a pleasure to sail and a pleasure to gaze upon. Named and loosely styled after Captain Nat Herreshoff's favorite personal boat, Alerion series also embraces a tenet strongly expressed by L. Francis Herreshoff in that their purpose does not require that anyone spend a night at sea in them, they are, after all, daysailers.

At the Miami Strictly Sail show last February, Hoyt introduced the Alerion Express 33, the fourth in the series and right on target for his objectives. It's beautiful to behold, both from aboard and afar, and it sails like the dream. It's not inexpensive, but at today's real-estate prices, it runs out far less ($235,000) than a bungalow with a water view.

A glance at the spec sheet reveals the secret to the boat's sailing potential. It's more slender by nearly 2 feet than modern cruising boats the same length; it's low to the water, which keeps the sail plan low; and it has a deep enough keel to give real meaning to its 45-percent ballast ratio. On the water, it behaves accordingly.

Of course a daysailer in the purest sense really needs for amenities only a cockpit and perhaps a cuddy wherein to stow loose gear and a picnic hamper. Still, if without compromising its primary purpose it can accommodate a small crew for a night in a magical anchorage, so much the better. And if that means no standing headroom below, so be it—plenty of room for that on deck or in the companionway with the hatch open.

Just in case a fine weekend lures you into sailing beyond the bounds of your home harbor, the Alerion Express 33 has a small Isotherm DI 40 DC refrigerator to keep the beverages and cold cuts cool and a single-burner Kenyon KISS butane stove on which to heat up a can of soup or water for the morning coffee.

Forward of the little galley, a toilet, concealed under a hinged teak bench, faces a varnished vanity. This area and the V-berth can be shut off from the saloon by closing the cabin door and a panel above the fridge.

The decor is, appropriately, "Herreshoff," with white panels offset by teak trim varnished to a deep luster and navy-blue upholstery—a timeless combination that creates a relaxing atmosphere with a hint of luxury. Anyone nostalgic for the warm cocoon feeling so markedly absent from most of today's cruising boats will find solace here.

Cozy as the interior is, the exterior is where you expect to be most of the time. The cockpit is set up for singlehanding—this is a boat that lies in a slip or on a mooring awaiting its master's whim. Between the companionway and the command station, a pair of lavishly cushioned benches accommodate passengers, seated or supine.

All the running lines are trimmed from the helm—a 36-inch wheel that's in easy reach of the helmsman's preferred perch on a coaming—and an electric winch provides the muscle where needed. The full-battened mainsail has lots of roach to harness the steadier wind aloft unimpeded by a backstay—the tall carbon-fiber mast is engineered to stand up without one. Lazy jacks and single-line reefing help tame the sail should you stay out too
long when the sea breeze builds up on an incoming tide.

The mainsail is the boat's driving force, but it gets a measurable boost from the self-tacking jib which, set on Hoyt's patented jib boom, is as tweakable as the mainsail: The sheet provides macro trim, the "flattener," similar to the outhaul on a roller-furling main, controls draft, and the boom prevents the leech from twisting off as the sheet is eased. A pair of gas springs mounted under the foredeck oppose the sheet, pushing the boom out as the sheet is eased, opening the sheeting angle. (Want to clear the foredeck for anchoring action? Let the boom push itself out to starboard.)

A little wind goes a long way on the AE 33, and in under 10 knots it topped 6.5 knots upwind. Off the wind, the big main pushed it at a lively pace. No gentle sailor will miss the clutter and flutter of a spinnaker.While a daysailer needs auxiliary power only to take it to where the wind is, the 20-horsepower diesel will do that at hull speed (if a little noisily), ensuring, too that this boat will get you home with dispatch after you've squeezed the very last out of a dying breeze.

Both the hull and deck are infusion molded by Pearson Composites, using the SCRIMP system, giving the Alerion Express 33 heirloom potential serving a variety of sailors, among them those whose cruising days are done, or are yet to be, or those who simply like to sail a simple boat.