The Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

Published Specification for the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33

Underwater Profile: Fin keel & Skeg-Hung Rudder;

Hull Material: GRP;

Length Overall: 32'10" / 10.0m;

Waterline Length: 27'3" / 8.3m;

Beam: 11'0" / 3.3m;

Draft: 6'0" / 1.8m;

Rig Type: Masthead sloop;

Displacement: 11,000lb / 4,990kg;

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17;

Displacement/Length Ratio: 243;

Designer: Donald Pye (Holman & Pye);

Builder: Henri Wauquiez (France);

Year First Built: 1977;

Year Last Built: 1986; 

Number Built: 299;

Published Design Ratios for the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 16.8

• Less than 16 would be considered under-powered;
• 16 to 20 would indicate reasonably good performance;
• Over 20 suggests relatively high performance.

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 43.7

• Under 40: less stiff, less powerful
• Over 40: stiffer, more powerful

3. Displacement/Length Ratio: 243

• Under 100: Ultralight
• 100 to 200: Light
• 200 to 275: Moderate
• 275 to 350: Heavy
• Over 350: Ultraheavy

4. Comfort Ratio: 24.1

• Under 20 indicates a lightweight racing boat
• 20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser
• 30 to 40 indicates a moderate offshore cruising boat
• 40 to 50 indicates a heavy offshore boat
• Over 50 indicates an extremely heavy offshore boat

5. Capsize Screening Formula: 2.0

• Under 2.0 (the lower the better): Better suited for ocean passages
• Over 2.0: Less suited for ocean passages

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Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33

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1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 16.8 suggests that, in the right conditions, the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 will approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 43.7 means that the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 243, tells us the Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 24.1 suggests that crew comfort of a Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness. 

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.0 indicates that a Wauquiez Gladiateur 33 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with similar sailboats that have a CSF of 2.0 and above.