Used Contest 33 Sailboats for Sale

The Contest 33 stands as a definitive example of the transition from early fiberglass experimentation to the "overbuilt" era of European cruising yachts. Launched in the early 1970s and produced by Conyplex in the Netherlands, this model was designed by Uus van Essen during a period when the shipyard was beginning to solidify its reputation for high-end, blue-water capable vessels. Built under Lloyd's Register supervision, the 33 was marketed as a safe, offshore-capable cruiser that prioritized structural integrity and sea-kindliness over the burgeoning trend of lightweight coastal racers. It shares much of its DNA with the smaller Contest 31 and the later, more modern Contest 34, serving as a middle ground that offered true standing headroom and a separate head—luxuries that were becoming standard for the burgeoning cruising class of the era.