LM 32 or 33 Vitesse

[martin]

Hi 
I am looking to buy a motor sailer, that sails, to take to the Baltic and it seems both the LM 32 or 33 Vitesse tick all the boxes. I have just started the search and it seems very few are available. Also noticeable that requests for info on the 33 Vitesse get no replies on the forum??. The depth of knowledge and experience on this site is very impressive, to say the least, so if anybody could help with locating boats not formally advertised , comparison of the two as I have yet to sail on one, or with any tips or points to consider peculiar to checking out LMs I would much appreciate your help. M

[Daniel]

Hello.
I have a LM vitesse 33. Bought the boat 4 year's ago and are very happy. We are planning to sail to the mederteraen in 2022. Lm vitesse 33 is very well planned. Works perfect for us, family of 4. Sometimes we bring friends with us and it works for 8 as well but oveisly it's a bit tight. She sails impressively well and our boat have also a strong engine, 40hp lombardini from 2017. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

[patrick]

They are both appealing and both have their pros and cons. I am only a prospective owner, so don’t have the depth of experience of others here, but I have looked closely at a couple of examples of both the 33 Vitesse and the 32 and even sailed a 33 Vitesse briefly.
The 33 Vitesse is defintely larger with a bigger rig and clearly has more contemporary looks. With the reverse transom it was very easy to board from a dinghy - I have not tried this on a 32 so not sure how it stacks up but I suspect the Vitesse wins marginally here.
The pilot house on the Vitesse is impressively light and airy but the one I sailed on had no opening windows - for ventilation one has to rely on the aft doors and large hatch so cross breezes are a bit limited. There may be Vitesse 33’s out there with opening windows but it is not obvious to me how it would be achieved.
The quarter berth is definitely a win some, lose some, proposition. For me the downsides outweigh the positives - it is quite roomy but I found the access is too awkward and once in I would find it claustrophobic. It also means there is no slide out second helm seat. Of course, like quarter berths in general, you gain a berth but lose locker space. That trade off is mitigated by the very generous locker space to port and under the cockpit sole though.

I like both boats a lot but in the end feel the 32 suits us better. In more northerly cruising waters I think the 33 has a lot to recommend it though. In hotter areas there may be just too much “greenhouse”. You really need to see, and ideally sail, both.

As many here like to say the LM 32 is a sailboat with a pilot house more than a motorsailer - I certainly felt that way about Vitesse 33 after my brief sail.