Contest 38 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Contest 38, designed by Dick Zaal and launched in the late 1970s, represents a pivotal era for the Dutch shipyard Conyplex. Built during a time when heavy-displacement cruisers were the gold standard for offshore safety, the 38 was engineered to meet the stringent requirements of Lloyd’s Register, ensuring a hull of exceptional structural integrity. As noted in the Contest Yachts official archive, the model was produced primarily as a center-cockpit cruiser, though an aft-cockpit variant—the Contest 38S—was also offered to cater to those who preferred a more traditional deck layout and a larger single-level cockpit. This vessel was designed to bridge the gap between the smaller coastal cruisers of the 1960s and the larger, semi-custom luxury yachts that would eventually define the builder’s modern identity.