- Founded
- 1959
- Headquarters
- Medemblik, Netherlands
- Shipyard location
- Same as headquarters
- Official website
- https://contestyachts.com/
Brand Overview
Dutch builder of semi-custom centre-cockpit cruising yachts, founded in 1959 by Ed Conijn and still family-run in Medemblik.
Overview written fromcontestyachts.com/our-story· Our storyread 9/13/2026
YachtCodex Analysis
AI-generatedAn independent reading of this builder written by AI. Unlike the specifications and descriptions elsewhere on this page, it is interpretation rather than a sourced fact — treat it as a starting point, not a citation.
What this builder is
Contest Yachts is a Dutch family yard, founded in 1959 by Ed Conijn and led today by the third generation, Arjen Conijn, building semi-custom cruising yachts from 42 to 85 feet in Medemblik. The current CS range pairs judel/vrolijk & co naval architecture with interiors by Wetzels Brown, and since 2011 a motor yacht, the 52MC, sits alongside the sailing line. Lloyd's Register certification since 1972, vacuum resin injection since 1995 and balsa-cored construction are the yard's stated hallmarks.
Who sails them
Contest owners are typically experienced cruising couples and families who want a centre-cockpit bluewater yacht built to their own layout and finish, for long-distance and extended seasonal cruising rather than racing; many are repeat owners moving up the range, and boats are generally owner-operated or run with a small crew on the larger models.
Signature models
The Contest 25 of 1959 launched the yard with 300 sold into the USA alone; the Dick Zaal-designed Contest 48 of 1973 was one of the largest series-built yachts of its day; the 62CS of 2006 established the modern flagship format, the 57CS of 2010 introduced the wraparound coachroof, and the 52MC of 2011 was the company's first motor yacht. The 56CS, a world premiere at Düsseldorf 2026, is the newest model.
Strengths
Contest is known for solid, quiet-sailing centre-cockpit hulls, a semi-custom process that lets owners shape layouts and joinery, consistent build quality certified by Lloyd's Register since 1972, and a design partnership with judel/vrolijk & co and Wetzels Brown that gives the range a coherent look.
Considerations
As a low-volume semi-custom yard, Contest sits well above production brands in price and lead time, its range is centre-cockpit cruising only with a single motor yacht model, and the yard publishes no engine horsepower on its pages beyond kW figures, so buyers compare specifications through the dealer.
Analysis generated 9/13/2026
Part of
Where they build
The building sites this yard publishes, in its own order.
Medemblik
Medemblik, Netherlands
Fleet at a Glance
10 models in total
Calculated from the models in the YachtCodex catalog, not from the builder's claims.
Sailing range
- Models in catalog
- 8
- Length range
- 12.85–26.78 m
- Hull forms
- Sailing Monohull 8
- Cabins
- 2–5
Motor range
- Models in catalog
- 2
- Length range
- 15.93 m
- Hull forms
- Motor Monohull 2
- Cabins
- 2–3
Models by this brand
10 models
Contest 42CS
LOA: 12.85 m
Contest 49CS
LOA: 16.1 m
Contest 50CS
LOA: 16.36 m
Contest 52MC Fastlane
LOA: 15.93 m
Contest 52MC Flybridge
LOA: 15.93 m
Contest 56CS
LOA: 18.1 m
Contest 63CS
LOA: 20.54 m
Contest 67CS
LOA: 21.71 m
Contest 72CS
LOA: 23.08 m
Contest 85CS
LOA: 26.78 m
History
Contest was founded in 1959 by Ed Conijn, who joined the 'Con' of the family name to 'test' for a name that travelled; the Gerard Luyten-designed Contest 25 was the first sailing cruiser and an immediate export success, with 300 sold into the USA alone. Dick Zaal drew the boats of the 1970s, from the Contest 27 Mk II to the 48, one of the largest series-built yachts of its day, and from 1972 every Contest has been certified by Lloyd's Register. Fritz Conijn took the helm from his father in 1974, adopted the wing keel just months after its America's Cup win, which the yard's timeline places in 1979, and in 1995 made Contest one of the first yards to refine vacuum resin injection; centre cockpits and wheel steering became the marque's signature. Arjen Conijn, the third generation, has led the family firm since 2003 -- the 62CS flagship, the first motor yacht (the 52MC of 2011), the 72CS, the 42CS that won European Yacht of the Year in 2014, and from 2016 the design partnership with judel/vrolijk & co that produced the 67CS, the 26-metre 85CS and the 55CS, European Yacht of the Year in 2021. The Medemblik yard passed 3,500 yachts at its sixtieth anniversary in 2019.
History written fromcontestyachts.com/our-storyread 9/22/2026