Design and Construction
Ed Dubois designed the Storm 33 during his long partnership with Westerly, which ran from 1979 to 2000. The hull reflects its performance-cruiser brief: it is very beamy, with a wide, tapered stern and a dish-shaped bottom. That hull shape raises the galley worktop higher than might be expected. Most boats have a fin keel, though a rare bilge-keel version was also built.
Westerly built the Storm as a tough, no-nonsense boat. Marine surveyor Nick Vass notes that, like all Westerly yachts, it is well made and strong. Instead of relying on interior mouldings, Westerly used solid hardwood and plywood joinery.
The keel support structure was rather more generous than on the Storm’s smaller sisters. Better headroom in the accommodation allowed Westerly to fit taller, thicker matrix beams, whose greater structural depth paid dividends in stiffness.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Storm was intended to combine performance cruising with enough racing ability to support a one-design class. The Storm never truly caught on as a one-design racer, however, and most boats were used for fast cruising rather than circuit racing.
Period testers regarded the Storm as an offshore yacht capable of taking some stick, though it isn’t great fun in light airs. Its displacement of 5,130 kg and 27-foot waterline suggest a boat that prefers a breeze and a sea to work against rather than a calm, flat lake.
The bilge-keel version is rare. Its splayed keels work well under sail, but they place considerable loads on the hull keel stubs, keel bolts, and hull-to-keel bonding.
Accommodation
Inside, the Storm combines Westerly’s usual comforts with solid hardwood and plywood joinery rather than interior mouldings. The dish-shaped hull results in a rather high galley worktop—a consequence of the broad, tapered hull form rather than a styling choice.
Early boats tended to list to starboard because of the location of the fuel and water tanks. This balance issue was either corrected or lived with as the series matured.
In 1993, the Storm was revamped and rebadged as the Regatta 330. Ken Frievokh redesigned the interior, making this a mid-production refresh rather than a separate new model line. That same year, Westerly organised its models into the Oceans, Regattas, and Victorias ranges.
Known Issues and Maintenance
Fin-keel Storms did not suffer from the cracking around transverse floor beams that affected the smaller fin-keel Griffon, GK24, GK29, and Merlin. The Storm’s more generous keel support structure helped it avoid that particular problem. Even so, cracking to keel support beams has been seen on both Storms and Fulmars, so the deeper structure is not immune.
On the rare bilge-keel version, the splayed keels can work loose over time if the boat is kept on a drying mooring. The same splay that helps under sail also loads the hull-to-keel bond, keel bolts, and hull keel stubs.
The rudder uses bushes rather than bearings. According to an owner report, replacement bushes are supplied by John Blount, JE & JE Blount Precision Engineers. More generally, the solid joinery is straightforward for an owner to maintain, and the rudder-bush arrangement is a known, sourced item rather than a mystery.
The Verdict
The Storm 33 is a Dubois-designed performance cruiser that found its natural role as a fast, sturdy offshore cruiser rather than a racer. Its beamy, dish-shaped hull, generous keel structure, and solid-joinery interior support its reputation as a rugged offshore cruiser that lives up to its name. The 1993 interior refresh keeps the design usable.
The main caveats are lacklustre performance in light airs, the tendency of early boats to list to starboard, and the potential for bilge-keel boats kept on drying moorings to develop loose keels.
Pros
- Strong, well-made hull with generous keel support beams
- Solid hardwood and plywood joinery instead of interior mouldings
- Rugged offshore behaviour, good looks, and capable sailing performance
- Fin-keel version avoids the transverse floor-beam cracking found in smaller sister models
Cons
- Not great fun in light airs
- Early boats tend to list to starboard because of tank location
- Bilge-keel versions can develop loose keels on drying moorings
- Keel support beam cracking has been seen on Storms and Fulmars
