Design and Construction
Conyplex built the Contest 31 as a solid fiberglass hull with a fin keel, and the recorded ballast-to-displacement ratio of 53 percent gives her a stiff, settled posture anchor when compared with lighter contemporary racer-cruisers. Her displacement-length ratio of 364 puts her among what survey data call ultra-heavy cruisers, and the motion comfort ratio of 32.0 suggests the kind of damped, deliberate ride a heavy hull delivers in a seaway. The capsize screening value of 1.70 and a wetted surface of about 247 square feet round out a picture of a boat engineered for stability and seakeeping rather than outright pace. A draft of roughly 4.6 feet, varying with load, lets her tuck into shallow marinas that deeper fin-keelers cannot reach.
Rig and Handling
The masthead rig carries what the comparison record describes as significantly underrigged proportions, with more sail area than only about 15 percent of similar sailboats anchor. That changes with a 135 percent genoa: the sail-area-to-displacement index climbs from 12.9 on the reference sail to 15.5, a jump that tells you the boat’s personality depends heavily on forward sail power. Her calculated maximum speed is about 5.6 knots against a theoretical displacement-hull speed of 6.5, and the immersion rate of 760 pounds per inch means she sits with real substance in the water. The shaft-drive transmission behind a single 25-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2B diesel completes a straightforward, serviceable propulsion package.
Accommodations
Below, the Contest 31 sleeps six across a mahogany interior with a galley and a toilet facility. The woodwork is the sort of period mahogany joinery found across many production cruisers of the era, and the berth count supports a small family or two couples on a coastal passage. The beam of just over nine feet gives enough width for a proper saloon without inflating the hull into a barge; the length-to-beam ratio of 3.35 keeps her proportions lean for a boat of her weight.
The Verdict
The Contest 31 is a small, seriously built Dutch cruiser whose heavy-displacement hull and high ballast ratio make her a stable, comforting seaboat rather than a lively performer. Her underrigged masthead plan is the one clear compromise, easily mitigated by a larger genoa, and the shallow-ish draft widens her cruising range. With 110 built and production finished in 1974, she is a finite and somewhat scarce class.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass hull with 53% lead-ballast ratio for stiff, stable motion
- Shallow draft near 4.6 ft expands mooring and anchoring options
- Six berths and mahogany interior suit small-family cruising
Cons
- Significantly underrigged on the reference sail; needs a 135% genoa to feel balanced
- Ultra-heavy displacement limits top speed to about 5.6 knots
- 110 built; limited availability on the used market
