At just under 70 feet on deck, with a 60.7-foot waterline and an 18.5-foot beam, the 67CS is a centre-cockpit, semi-custom yacht intended for both ocean passage-making and regatta sailing.
Design and Construction
The 67CS is a bluewater-minded yacht that Contest describes as easily driven and sea-kindly. It is also a very highly specified and exceptionally quiet yacht.
The model was the first Contest designed by judel/vrolijk & co in the yard’s nearly 60-year history. Contest presents that racing-derived design lineage as taking performance one level higher than its previous models.
Rig and Handling
Under sail, the 67CS is fast and straightforward to control both upwind and downwind. She is also notably stable and can be sailed by a short-handed crew. Her stability curve indicates high initial stability and strong sail-carrying capacity, with a stability range exceeding 130 degrees—well beyond the CE norm.
The boat reviewed by Yachting World carried the full set of extra performance options: a Hall Spars carbon rig with SCR rigging and 3Di sails, along with size 88 primary winches and a vertically battened in-mast mainsail. These were features of the test boat, not standard equipment.
A central mainsheet and outboard primary winches are within easy reach of the helm. Vertically mounted winches at the mast base further support short-handed sail handling. The single-blade rudder is paired with angled footwells that provide firm standing support at the wheel. There are no helm seats.
Accommodation
Contest’s semi-custom approach allows considerable choice in cabin configuration and completion. The standard accommodation plan sleeps up to eight guests in as many as four cabins.
The owner can specify the master suite forward or aft, while the galley and crew quarters can also be placed at either end. The owner’s stateroom has a super-king bed with a high-quality mattress, full ventilation and excellent headroom. Its super-sized ensuite includes an enclosed shower stall. Two identical VIP guest cabins provide equal-sized luxury berths.
A high-low fold-out table serves for dining and other uses. The galley provides good scullery space, hatch ventilation and direct cockpit access for serving upwards. The large, well-proportioned navigation station is equipped with touch-management screens.
Deck, Stowage and Equipment
A large lazarette and tender garage provide room for stores, toys and tenders. They include an easy-launch system and space-saving door hardware.
The navigation station’s touchscreens and the deck’s ergonomic safety features reflect the yacht’s high technical specification. Together with the test boat’s mast-base winches and primary winches positioned within reach of the helm, the arrangement is designed to make sail handling practical for a short-handed crew.
Verdict
The Contest 67CS is a serious bluewater performance cruiser that combines judel/vrolijk & co’s racing-derived hull thinking with Contest’s semi-custom Dutch build discipline. She is stable, quiet and genuinely manageable short-handed. Her flexible accommodation plan can suit both private and charter use.
Her defining qualities are a stability range exceeding 130 degrees, an easily driven hull, and navigation and sail-handling arrangements built around ergonomic safety. Her largest performance potential, however, is realized only with optional equipment such as the carbon rig and 3Di sails fitted to the test boat.
Pros
- Stability range exceeding 130 degrees, with high initial stability
- Easily driven, sea-kindly hull that a short-handed crew can manage
- Semi-custom layout, with the master suite and galley configurable at either end
- Exceptionally quiet, highly technical specification with ergonomic safety features
- First judel/vrolijk & co design for Contest, presented by the builder as a step up in performance
Cons
- No helm seats; angled footwells provide support at the wheel
- Largest performance potential is realized only with options such as the carbon rig and 3Di sails
