Design and Construction
Conyplex built the 38 to high standards using good-quality materials, and the hull is solid fiberglass with a solid fiberglass deck, carrying a lead fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder. The interior is trimmed in mahogany, consistent with Dutch yachts of the era. With a displacement-length ratio of 351 she falls into the "heavy cruisers" category, and her 43 percent ballast ratio is higher than 69 percent of comparable sailboat designs, giving her the kind of stability reserve a long-distance voyager wants. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 33.5 places her as more comfortable than 76 percent of similar designs, while a capsize screening value of 1.75 as calculated by the yachtdatabase review marks her as acceptable by that single formula for offshore work anchor.
Rig and Handling
The Contest 38 is a masthead sloop carrying 647 square feet of sail area and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.74, and period assessments describe her as a fast-sailing yacht that handles well in difficult ocean conditions. She can easily be handled by two crew members and is proven as a good blue-water cruiser as well as a vessel for shorter trips. A bow thruster makes her easy to manage in harbor, and under power the calculated maximum is about 5.7 knots with a theoretical hull speed near 7.1 knots. Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.39 makes her slimmer than 62 percent of similar designs, and the wetted surface of about 365 square feet with an immersion rate of 1,086 pounds per inch speaks to a substantial hull that goes beyond the range of many smaller sailing yachts.
Accommodations
Below, the Contest 38 is laid out with two cabins and — per one review — four berths, while a separate survey lists seven berths with a galley and toilet facility, indicating variation across individual fit-outs. Either way, the spacious inner areas are similar to those common in much larger boats, with plenty of headroom and the capacity to be fitted out for long stretches of living aboard. That volume, paired with the heavy-cruiser hull, is what lets her serve as a platform for long-haul ocean passages without feeling cramped.
Known Issues
The available surveys establish her as sturdily and solidly built without itemizing failure modes.
Refits and Ownership
Because the 38 was made to the highest standards by Conyplex and is well equipped as delivered, an owner's principal concerns are the usual age-related systems on a 1970s fiberglass cruiser rather than inherent design faults. The mahogany interior and solid-glass hull are straightforward to maintain, and the bow thruster, masthead rig, and two-person handling make her a practical boat for a cruising couple.
The Verdict
The Contest 38 is a thoughtfully engineered Dutch cruiser that punches above her length in interior volume and offshore capability. Her heavy-cruiser numbers, lead ballast, and skeg rudder mark her as a conservative, seaworthy design, while the bow thruster and manageable rig keep her approachable in port and at sea.
Pros
- Fin-and-skeg ocean-going layout with lead ballast and high comfort ratio
- Interior volume comparable to larger yachts with living-aboard capacity
- Easily handled by two crew and proven as a blue-water cruiser
Cons
- Draft of 6.5 to 6.8 feet limits marina access to deeper ports
- Berth count varies by source, suggesting inconsistent factory layouts
