Design and Construction
Conyplex assembles the hull and deck before building the interior, the reverse of usual practice, and the hull-to-deck joint is glassed over with at least seven layers of cloth and also through-bolt’s, then protected by a raised deck and a teak rubrail with stainless steel strip to keep it less vulnerable to damage. The hull and deck structure is built of chopped strand mat, cloth and woven roving, cored with end-grain balsa, while hardwood stringers and floors are fiberglassed to the hull to increase rigidity. Every boat was delivered with a Lloyd's certificate, meaning construction proceeded under that agency's specific rules, and Yachting Monthly described her as solidly built and very well finished.
The rudder hangs on a full skeg, a smart cruising feature provided the skeg is well attached, and the propeller shaft exits through a solid log rather than a strut, adding some wetted surface but lending strength and margin. Offered with fin or winged keel, the wing version saves 1 foot 4 inches in draft over the standard keel, developed in tank tests at the Marin Institute in the Netherlands.
Rig and Handling
The rig is a conventional masthead sloop with double spreaders, a high-aspect mainsail, and the ability to carry large genoas. The boat sailed by the reviewers carried a fully battened main with the Dutchman system and Profurl furling on the headsail. Test sailors found her well balanced under mainsail and a #2 furling genoa, and hard on the wind they could take their hands off the Whitlock wheel with little tendency to round up. She tacked through about 85 degrees, made about seven knots on a reach in 12 to 15 knots of wind, and about six knots beating in relatively calm bay waters. Yachting Monthly credited exemplary heavy-weather handling and a reasonable turn of speed in lighter conditions alongside outstanding seakeeping and easy handling.
Accommodations
Below, the all-wood, built-up interior uses marine grade plywood fiberglassed to the hull rather than molded pans, keeping access open and noise down. The saloon has a 6 foot 6 inch settee to port and an L-shaped settee to starboard that make good sea berths, and Yachting Monthly noted lee-cloths were standard. Headroom runs 6 foot 3 inches aft down to 6 foot 1-1/2 inches forward. The forward V-berths are 6 foot 7 inches long with shelves port and starboard, though headroom there is only 5 foot 11 inches in a large but low forecabin whose hull was covered in upholstery fabric rather than wood. A double berth stateroom sits under the cockpit with an access door for each side, and the head is aft and to port under the bridge deck with direct access from the aftercabin. The navigation station is sized to spread charts folded once, while Yachting Monthly called the chart table huge. The galley is small with little counter space, and the builder admitted the icebox is small by U.S. standards; Dutch tiles around the galley are a Van Breems trademark. The wet locker aft of the head is difficult to access, and the hull inside many stowage compartments was merely spray painted.
Known Issues
Practical Sailor's survey flagged a few honest shortcomings rather than structural faults: the galley's tight counters and small icebox limit food prep at anchor, the forward cabin's fabric ceiling rather than wood joinerwork was unexpected given the craft elsewhere, and the spray-painted hull liners inside lockers read as a cost step below the rest of the fitout. The wet locker placement makes it awkward to use. None of these undermine the certified construction or the skeg-and-log drivetrain integrity, but they shape how the boat suits a given owner.
Refits and Ownership
The tested boat's equipment choices hint at common owner priorities: a three-bladed prop traded a little sailing performance for thoroughly manageable backing out of slips, and the well-insulated 28-hp Volvo diesel with flexible drive coupling minimizes vibration. A wing keel is a draft-saving alternative developed through tank testing. The companionway hatch slides into a seahood, and the Lloyd's certificate travels with each hull, simplifying survey baselines for later refits.
The Verdict
The Contest 35S is a thoughtfully engineered Dutch cruiser whose reversed build sequence, certified joinery-to-hull structure, and skeg-hung rudder mark her as a serious offshore candidate, while the balanced helm and tank-tested wing option broaden her appeal to inland and shallow-water cruisers. She is not a loft apartment afloat — the galley and forward cabin trade polish for function — but the sea berths, aftercabin access, and predictable handling make her a genuine passage boat.
Pros
- Hull and deck joined with seven cloth layers and through-bolts, shielded by rubrail and stainless strip
- Full-skeg rudder and solid-log shaft exit for strength and protection
- Well-balanced helm, ~85-degree tacks, 7 knots on a reach per tester report
- All-wood interior with furniture fiberglassed to hull; Lloyd's certificate standard
- Wing keel option saves 1 foot 4 inches of draft from Marin Institute tank tests
Cons
- Galley small with little counter space; icebox small by U.S. standards (builder admission)
- Forward cabin headroom 5 foot 11 inches with fabric ceiling, not wood
- Wet locker aft of head difficult to access
- Hull inside many stowage compartments merely spray painted
