With a solid-fiberglass hull, fin keel, skeg-hung rudder, and masthead sloop rig, she reads as a purposeful small bluewater candidate rather than a coastal weekender. Lead ballast of just over 5,600 pounds against a displacement of 10,500 pounds gives her a 53 percent ballast ratio, placing her firmly in the heavy-cruiser camp.
Design and Construction
Conyplex built the Contest 31 with a solid-fiberglass hull and fin keel. Her recorded ballast-to-displacement ratio of 53 percent gives her a stiff, settled posture compared with lighter contemporary racer-cruisers.
A displacement-length ratio of 364 puts her among what survey data call ultra-heavy cruisers. Her motion comfort ratio of 32.0 suggests the damped, deliberate ride that a heavy hull delivers in a seaway. A capsize screening value of 1.70 and wetted surface of about 247 square feet complete the picture of a boat designed for stability and seakeeping rather than outright pace.
Draft is roughly 4.6 feet, varying with load. That lets her tuck into shallow marinas that deeper fin-keelers can’t reach.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The masthead rig has what the comparison record describes as significantly underrigged proportions, with more sail area than only about 15 percent of similar sailboats. A 135 percent genoa changes the equation: the sail-area-to-displacement index rises from 12.9 with the reference sail to 15.5. That jump indicates that the boat’s character depends heavily on forward sail power.
Calculated maximum speed is about 5.6 knots, compared with a theoretical displacement-hull speed of 6.5. An immersion rate of 760 pounds per inch means she sits with real substance in the water.
Auxiliary power comes from a single 25-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2B diesel driving a shaft—a straightforward, serviceable propulsion package.
Accommodations
Below, the Contest 31 sleeps six in a mahogany interior with a galley and toilet facility. The woodwork is typical period mahogany joinery of the kind found aboard many production cruisers of the era. The berth count can accommodate a small family or two couples on a coastal passage.
A beam of just over nine feet provides enough width for a proper saloon without making the hull barge-like. The length-to-beam ratio of 3.35 keeps her proportions lean for a boat of her weight.
Verdict
The Contest 31 is a small, seriously built Dutch cruiser. Her heavy-displacement hull and high ballast ratio make her a stable, comforting seaboat rather than a lively performer. The underrigged masthead sail plan is the one clear compromise, readily mitigated by a larger genoa, while the shallow-ish draft broadens her cruising range.
With 110 built before production ended in 1974, the Contest 31 is a finite and somewhat scarce class.
Pros
- Solid-fiberglass hull and 53 percent lead-ballast ratio provide stiff, stable motion
- Draft near 4.6 feet expands mooring and anchoring options
- Six berths and a mahogany interior suit small-family cruising
Cons
- Significantly underrigged with the reference sail; needs a 135 percent genoa to feel balanced
- Ultra-heavy displacement limits maximum speed to about 5.6 knots
- Only 110 were built, limiting availability on the used market
