Contest Yachts has been building well-found cruising boats for decades. Its 50-footer is a proven passagemaker with thousands of open-sea miles under its keel. But with the trend clearly moving toward larger semi-custom designs, Contest is offering a new 65-footer that it believes will fill a niche. With a masthead rig and powerful sailplan, the yacht has been designed to perform well over a full range of wind conditions.
There are four different layout options, which can be finished in either teak or cherry. The owner’s cabin can be located forward or aft with single or double berths, and there is also a crewed-charter version. The fiberglass hull and deck are constructed with vacuum-infused resin over a balsa core. An exterior laminate of isophthalic resin prevents osmotic blistering. The cast-iron keel features a bulb and is partly filled with lead. Standard items include dual steering stations, a 185-horsepower Perkins diesel with a Max-Prop propeller, and a 6.5-kilowatt Fischer Panda genset. Contest Yachts, Overleek 3, 1671 GD Medemblik, Holland; tel. 011-312-27-549-428, www.contestyachts.com
