BoatsContest 30 MK I

Contest 30 MK I

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · First built 1966

A Uus van Essen design from 1966, this masthead sloop features a skeg-mounted rudder for stable, predictable cruising

Designed by Uus van Essen, built by Conyplex.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

1.80 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.80
LightHeavy

256 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 256
EasygoingPowered-up

13.6 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.6
TenderStiff

46% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 46%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws less than ~81% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2513 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
46.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.6
Displacement / length
255.9
Comfort ratio
26.5
Capsize screening
1.80
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
825
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1966
Designer
Uus van Essen
Builder
Conyplex, Contest Yachts - Conyplex

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Granada Yachts 319.39 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA masthead sloop with a spade rudder and nearly 46% ballast ratio, designed for stability in a 31-foot hull
Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
Lancer 30-28.99 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA masthead sloop derived from the original C&C 30 moulds, offering a stable fin-keel platform for coastal cruising

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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