Contest 30 Mk1
Price £5,000-£9,500
Contest is one of the few European boatbuilders to weather all the financial storms of the past six decades and remain in family ownership. Many Contests were sold in the UK in the 1970s and 1980s, while today the yard is renowned for its superbly engineered and finished large bluewater cruising yachts. Nevertheless, the company’s roots are far more modest.
It was founded in the late 1950s by Ed Conijn at Medemblik, on the banks of the IJsselmeer. Initially he built Olympic class Flying Dutchman dinghies, but soon followed with a 25ft fibreglass yacht, the Contest 25, of which some 300 were launched. In 1964 the long keel Contest 29 was added to the range, with almost 250 sold over the next 12 years.
Two years later the Contest 30 Mk1 was launched. This superficially looks very similar to the 29, but has an extra foot of beam and more freeboard. In addition the underwater configuration changed to an encapsulated fin with a separate skeg hung rudder.
These changes created a much larger boat with civilised accommodation for its era, which offered those without substantial means the prospect of being able to sail long distances.
Stefan Blasberg, for instance, bought a neglected 30 Mk1 in Greece for r900, comprehensively refitted the boat, then sailed half way round the globe, mostly single-handed. Abraxus
(pictured) survived a knock down en route from Patagonia to Easter Island, as well as an encounter with a reef in French Polynesia. Blasberg subsequently sold the boat in New Caledonia, for more than 10 times her initial cost.
Contest has been at the forefront of fibreglass and composite construction throughout the company’s history. Every boat since the early 1970s, for instance, has left the yard with a Lloyd’s Register construction certificate.
Equally it has a long-standing reputation for innovative design. The 32CS of 1978 was a centre-cockpit model with huge accommodation for its day, including a walk-through to the aft cabin, while the heads is conveniently positioned next to the companionway. Yet there was still had space for a proper chart table.
The qualities offered by Contest have long been recognised by many in the marine industry. For instance, David Sadler, designer of the Contessa 32 and founder of Sadler Yachts, chose a Contest 42 for long-term cruising in his retirement.
Today the yard builds a range of 42-85ft semi-custom yachts. It’s run by Ed’s grandson Arjen and still embodies the key virtues that made the firm so successful in its early days.
■ contestyachts.com
LOA 9.15m 30ft 0in LWL 7.60m 25ft 0in Beam 2.83m 9ft 3in Draught 1.30m 4ft 3in Displacement 4,000kg 8,820lb Ballast 1,850kg 4,080lb