[Jeff_H]

I don''t really know the Santa Cruz 33 all that well. I am much more familiar with the 27, 40, 50,60 and the more recent and well rounded 52. My experience with the SC 27, 40, 50, and 60 ''s is that they are generally very well constructed and cleverly detailed but as you note optomized for sailing once the wind is well aft of the beam. In keeping weight down these boat tend to be a little fragile when things go wrong. I only put the 33 on the list that you are referring to in case the inquiry was a west coast distance racer.

I have never sailed one and in fact I am not sure that I have ever seen one in the flesh. While the 33 seems ''bulkier'' or more ''powerful'' than most of the early SC line, it still appears to have the comparatively full bow and vee''d stern sections of a downhill racer.

I am not sure how helpful any of this is to you.

Regards
Jeff