Design and Construction
Contest built the 33 with a solid-fiberglass hull and deck. Its reputation for robust construction fits its substantial 11,574-pound displacement and 4,740 pounds of iron ballast. That puts the ballast-to-displacement ratio near 41 percent and gives the boat a settled, reassuring character to windward.
With a 25.92-foot waterline and a 10.33-foot beam, the hull favors volume and stability over outright speed. A hull speed of 6.82 knots and a displacement-to-length ratio above 290 further define it as a moderate-performance cruiser intended for comfortable passagemaking, not racing around the buoys. The 5.25-foot fin keel and skeg-hung rudder complete a conservative but effective underwater profile for the era. The boat was built by Contest Yachts (Conyplex) in Medemblik, Netherlands.
Rig and Handling
The Contest 33 is a masthead sloop. Its rig dimensions are 39.04 feet for I and 12.46 feet for J, while the mainsail measures 33.63 feet on P and 10.50 feet on E. The resulting 420 square feet of sail area produces a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 13—enough to keep the boat moving in a breeze, though modest by modern standards.
The mast rises 44 feet above the waterline, helping keep the center of effort contained. Combined with the boat’s ballast and beam, the moderate rig gives the Contest 33 a predictable, forgiving, and undramatic performance envelope.
Accommodations and Systems
The 32-foot-9-inch overall length and 10.33-foot beam provide a cabin plan typical of a small Dutch cruiser from the early 1970s. There’s enough room for a couple to live aboard and entertain, but without the interior sprawl found in later aft-cockpit designs.
Tankage consists of 44 gallons of water and 22 gallons of diesel, suggesting a boat sized for weekends and coastal passages rather than long-term self-sufficiency. Auxiliary power comes from a single 25-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel driving a shaft, an appropriate arrangement for the boat’s displacement and hull speed.
Refits and Ownership
Production was concentrated in the early 1970s, with 188 boats afloat. Spares, model knowledge, and fellow owners are findable. Straightforward systems—a solid-fiberglass structure, shaft drive, and a single modest diesel—also keep the basic ownership proposition approachable.
The boat’s robust construction may reduce some of the anxiety surrounding age-related surveys compared with more lightly built contemporaries.
Verdict
The Contest 33 is a quietly competent small cruiser from Contest’s first decade under Dick Zaal’s design leadership. It asks little of its owner beyond the normal stewardship expected of an older fiberglass boat. In return, it offers a stable, well-built hull and an unpretentious rig. For a sailor seeking an early-1970s Dutch cruiser with structural substance, it’s an easy boat to trust.
Pros
- Robust solid-fiberglass construction and a ballast ratio near 41 percent
- One of the more common early Contest models, easing access to parts and the owner community
- Moderate, forgiving performance suited to coastal cruising
Cons
- The modest sail plan and 6.8-knot hull speed limit outright pace
- Early-1970s systems and tankage are better suited to weekends than extended cruising
