Contest 42 S Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Contest 42 S means coming to terms with a scarce boat: Conyplex B.V. completed only a few hulls of this Dick Zaal design between 1998 and 2002. Every example is one of a small cohort — a serious Dutch cruiser with conservative, repairable systems and a hull tuned for passage-making rather than pose.
Layouts on the Used Market
Expect the standard Conyplex interior of the late-1990s 42-foot cruiser: a masthead-sloop rig over a fin-keel hull drawing 6.73 to 7.03 feet loaded, with 88-gallon diesel and 117-gallon water capacities that define her voyaging range. The hull stretches 41.17 feet on deck and bears a 12.8-foot beam for below-deck volume. Evaluate each hull on its own survey rather than against any documented option list.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The certain factory fittings are a 59-horsepower Volvo Penta diesel, a masthead rig, and sheet runs of 14 mm diameter sized for a 41.2-foot jib/genoa sheet and a 102.9-foot mainsheet. The spinnaker sheet measures 90.6 feet at the same diameter. Any navigation, power, or canvas upgrades beyond those are owner-installed and must be judged on condition at viewing.
What to Inspect
Confirm the loaded draft near 6.73 to 7.03 feet against her 1,536 pounds-per-inch immersion rate and check the fin keel for grounding damage from prior shoal encounters anchor. The capsize screening value of 1.67 and the heavy-cruiser displacement profile mean a standard marine survey suffices for the rest of the structure and systems.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For a viewing, run this short check:
- Confirm loaded draft near 6.73–7.03 ft and inspect keel for strikes
- Survey the solid fibreglass hull below the waterline
- Verify Volvo Penta 59 hp diesel service history
- Check masthead rig and 14 mm sheet runs for wear
- Validate 88 gal fuel and 117 gal water tank integrity
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contest 38s | 37.25' | $ 68,500 | 25 | 4 |
| Contest Yachts 43 | 42.65' | $ 186,321 | 13 | 5 |
| Moody 42 | 41.79' | $ 62,024 | 12 | 1 |
| Comfortina 42 | 42.19' | $ 196,802 | 11 | 4 |
| Oyster Yachts 42 | 41.83' | $ 201,460 | 7 | 2 |