Why Contributing to the Yearbook Matters

We are fortunate to have an active Class Association, a strong membership, and a diverse and welcoming programme of events. Much of what we do is naturally focused on the future: welcoming new members, enjoying new experiences, and creating new memories on and off the water.

However, it is equally important to pause occasionally and reflect on where we have come from. The Yearbooks play a valuable role in preserving the history of both the Association and the people who make it what it is.

We are fortunate to have a digital archive of yearbooks spanning more than fifty years (Yearbook Archive (Members). Looking through them, it is fascinating to see how the Association, our activities, and the world around us have changed. Equally striking are the things that have remained constant: the spirit of adventure, the friendships formed, and the enjoyment of being part of the Contessa community.

That is why, we as a committee, would encourage all members, and indeed their families, friends and crew members, to contribute to future yearbooks. Whether it is a cruising story, a racing achievement, a memorable photograph, a practical lesson learned, or simply a reflection on a season afloat, every contribution helps capture our collective history.

Perhaps most importantly, there is something rather special about being able to look back years later and find your own experiences preserved alongside those of friends. What may seem like an ordinary memory today can become a treasured record of both your own sailing journey and the life of the Association for future generations.

Every yearbook is a snapshot of the Association at a particular moment in time. The stories, photographs and memories of today will become part of the historical record that future members enjoy decades from now. The yearbooks we value so highly today only exist because members took the time to share their experiences. By contributing to the next edition, you help ensure that future generations of Contessa owners will have the same opportunity to look back, learn, remember and enjoy.

You can be part of this by emailing yearbook@co32.org.

Last updated 20:07 on 28 October 2026