The tester walks through the ship. On the way to the galley, the lower of the two steps from the saloon creaks. A brief pause. A questioning look at Marcel Offereins, the sales manager at Contest. He understands immediately, because we know each other: "Do you really think we'll deliver it like this?" No, a Contest doesn't creak. None of the Contests tested by the author so far have done this. And the fact that this one step, of all things, does indeed report when someone is standing on it is somewhat unpleasant for Mr Offereins. But: As always, the fair came sooner than expected, and a world première is a world première. The ship can't stay at home in the shipyard because a step creaks. Understandable.
Because the rest of the 24-tonne wonder is quite impressive. The hull is reinforced all round with carbon stringers to give the interior more flexibility for expansion. There is a watertight bulkhead at the front and rear, and one further inside in front of the engine room and near the mast, which has been pushed through; all with several degrees of freedom. Judel/Vrolijk & Co provided the interior artists from Wetzels and Brown in Amsterdam with plenty of room to manoeuvre. They made use of it. Now it makes little sense to describe the interior of Contest in detail, because the next ships - a total of four have already been sold off paper - look completely different; they call it semi-custom. The truth is more likely to be three-quarter custom. The saloon has a classic layout and is finished in light-coloured oak. The view to the outside is excellent, also thanks to the large hull windows. There is a wet room and a large cabin in the bow and a slightly smaller one to starboard.
The layout aft is always similar: long galley with fridge, dishwasher and freezer and aft the owner's realm. This has a huge wet room with washing machine and a special highlight: when the bathing platform is folded down and the dinghy is outboard, a window in the watertight bulkhead provides an unobstructed view of the anchor bay. That's great.
On deck, nothing is noticeable at first - because there is nothing. Everything is clear in front of the small cabin superstructure. A playground. A cutter stay would be possible and, depending on the sailing area, also sensible. The fixed bowsprit is a novelty at Contest. But it is also very practical. Behind the superstructure is a very deep cockpit. Here the guests sit protected and have little to do with the sailing. On the companionway, it is noticeable that the stairs and the cut-out of the sliding hatch do not quite match. Behind the cockpit there are three steps up, and that's where the work is done. Well, buttons are pressed; of course, on such a format this can be done electrically or hydraulically. Comfortable armchairs help the helmsman to drive in a relaxed manner.
Contest Yachts is located in hall 16 at stand C54.
With the help of Judel/Vrolijk & Co, Contest has created another exquisite blue-water cruiser, technically equipped to the highest standards, with excellent soundproofing - as can be seen from the door to the engine room in the aft wet room - and well finished. The price varies greatly, not least because of the extensive customised equipment. However, you should have around 2 to 3 million euros to spare.
