We’re sailing the Contest 63CS upwind on a glorious late autumn day in the Balearics, in supreme comfort and with minimal heel, yet maintaining 6.5-7.1 knots of boat speed in only 8 knots of true breeze. The helm has a lovely light, direct feel and I’m able to fine tune sail trim instantly from a comprehensive bank of controls for the electric and hydraulic sail handling systems on the wheel pedestals.

Yet this is not a lightweight and pared-down daysailer or weekend. It’s a high-end 32-tonne cruising yacht with spacious accommodation, refined aesthetics and the ability to go anywhere in the world in style.

I sailed the Contest 63CS over two days in a fairly wide range of conditions with windspeed ranging from as little as four knots through to gusts in the upper teens.

Contest 63CS performance in these light to moderate breezes proved astounding for a boat of this size and weight, though my test boat had the benefit of substantial upgrades over the standard specification. This includes a taller three-spreader carbon mast with textile standing rigging, furling V-boom, deeper 3.5m draught, North 3Di main and headsail, plus Helix Code 0 and A2 asymmetric spinnaker.

Performance underscores the potential of the design. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

These upgrades greatly raise the cost of this yacht above the base price, and the deep draught certainly won’t suit every owner, but my notes repeatedly point to just how well this boat sails in this configuration.
We also spent a lot of time sailing with the Code 0 at a variety of wind angles and speeds.

While close reaching at 45-55° to the apparent wind we consistently sailed at the true wind speed in only 6-8 knots of breeze. When the true wind increased to 9 knots we accelerated to 9-9.5 knots, and topped 10 knots when it built to 14.

It’s not so long ago that many more traditional serious cruising designs would have barely been getting going in 8-10 knots of breeze, let alone pushing close to hull speed, so these are very impressive figures for such a comfortable yacht.

The performance of this tricked-up Contest is formidable, particularly under Code and A-sails. Photo: Sailing Energy

Power on tap

Of course, close reaching with a Code 0 in light airs has potential to generate a lot of apparent wind, which boosts speed in a virtuous circle as the faster you go the greater the apparent wind you generate. How quick is the Contest 63CS upwind under only main and jib? As the breeze built boat speed close-hauled increased to 8.1 knots in 12.5 knots true.

By this time we were well powered up – not surprising given the apparent wind speed was now approaching 20 knots – but this design is reassuringly easy to depower.

In particular, the powerful Reckmann hydraulic backstay, plus forestay load cell, fitted to the test boat makes for quick and effortless adjustment, as well as reliable and repeatable settings across different conditions.

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Alternatively, when steering by hand it’s easy to feather up a couple of degrees in gusts to depower and we had no problems close-hauled under full sail in 15 knots true. It still produced the same lovely feel on the helm with the pressure just starting to build as the heel angle increased.

The test boat was equipped with a 106% overlapping headsail, but a self-tacking sail, with a recessed track, is also offered. Similarly, there’s the option for permanent or removable inner forestays for a heavy weather jib. We had the latter, which makes for easy tacks when sailing with the larger headsail in lighter airs.

The 63CS Blue Vision is sporty for its size – you don’t want to relinquish the helm! Note: primary winch positions aren’t ideal for short-handing. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Control stations

A lot of thought, knowledge and experience has gone into the helm stations. These have generous rotating seats that adjust fore and aft, while big folding foot chocks make for a comfortable helming position sitting on the coaming when helming upwind, from where there’s an excellent view of the luff of the jib and spinnakers.

Big pedestals at both helm stations have plenty of space for MFDs and instrumentation, plus controls for the hydraulic furlers and other switch gear, as well as the retractable bow and stern thrusters. There’s also a ‘panic’ button that stops all the winches and hydraulics from operating, an important safety feature.

Rupert on the wheel with double helm seat which rotates to make use of aft deck. Photo: Ben Scheurer/EYOTY

Our best speed of the test was with the asymmetric spinnaker in 19 knots and at 120º to the true wind. We hit 10.6 knots, with the boat feeling powered up, but still with no worries about remaining in control. It’s very noticeable that, unlike the majority of cruising monohulls, the performance potential of this boat is such that you’re apparent wind sailing a lot of the time.

This boosts boat speed, but also brings the advantage that, if things unexpectedly become too exciting, bearing away will significantly reduce the apparent wind and thereby restore a sense of calm and order.

Sunken guest cockpit for up to eight. Photo: Ben Scheurer/EYOTY

Easy handling

The Contest 63CS deck layout is arranged for remarkably easy handling, with the electric winches and optional hydraulic furlers on our test boat taking almost all the effort out of sail handling. The only major exception for boats with overlapping headsails is the location of the primary winches.

These are outboard of the helm stations and within easy reach of the driver, but a second crewmember handling the sheets may need to do so from the lee side deck. This is of course not an issue for boats with the self-tacking jib option, which further simplifies sail handling, especially when short-handed.

The mainsheet is taken to a central pedestal and winch a little forward of the helm stations. Anyone working aft of this pedestal should therefore be clear of the mainsheet in manoeuvres. Other lines are taken aft to jammers and winches on the coamings abaft the helm stations.

Big coachroof windows and slim mullions maximise the amount of natural light finding its way into the saloon. Photo: Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Our test Contest 63CS had no provision for stowing rope tails, although the large aft deck area is slightly lower than the side decks, so lines can be stowed flaked there.

The guest cockpit is ahead of the wheels and a couple of steps lower than the helm area, which gives it more shelter, while also improving forward visibility from the wheels. This area seats up to eight people on two L-shaped benches with a table each side and folding leaves to join them in the middle for dining.

A further aft cockpit area behind the helm stations has three neat folding wooden seats on the rails and rotating the helm seats to face aft makes this another sociable space. It’s a format that makes very effective use of all the space above the aft cabin and the boat feels unusually spacious on deck, even by the standards of monohulls of this size, with the only downside being the three different levels of cockpit sole.

Vented locker immediately next to the companionway steps is for foul-weather gear. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Refined finery

Five easy steps lead down from the forward cockpit area into a raised full-width saloon with lovely ambience and space. Interior design is by Wetzels Brown Partners of Amsterdam, which has worked with Contest for more than 10 years. Key priorities for this model were to maximise volume, natural light and ventilation, while the stunning cut wood rounded corners that first featured on the Contest 72CS a decade ago are also included.

The yard also refined production processes for the Contest 63CS and in doing so was able reduce the space between the hull sides and furniture that’s otherwise wasted. This frees up more interior volume, helping to create the feel of a very large 63-footer that belies this design’s excellent sailing qualities.

Big hull and coachroof windows, together with compact mullions, maximise natural light while also offering a much-improved view, whether you’re sitting or standing in the saloon. Contest has also worked hard to improve the indirect lighting throughout the interior.

Well appointed galley is in the passageway between saloon and owner’s cabin. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Natural ventilation in the saloon is primarily via two overhead hatches, though the test boat lacks an opening port in the forward-facing windows. Other neat touches that make a big difference to life on board include a ventilated locker for foul-weather gear next to the companionway.

An excellent large galley is aft to port in the passageway to the owner’s cabin. It’s impressively thought out with lots of worktop space, plenty of stowage and a GN Espace induction hob, electric oven and cooker hood, plus dishwasher, boiling water tap, coffee machine and a bar with wine fridge at the saloon end.

Two equal double cabins, one each side forward of the main bulkhead, both have big en suites. The port side bathroom has a door to a small skipper’s cabin or sail locker that also has direct access to the foredeck via steps. Cushions for the two berths here can be used for a foredeck sunbed when the cabin is not in use.

Large owner’s cabin aft with its increased light and views through larger hull portlights. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Natural light

The owner’s cabin aft is a large and very welcoming space lit by a pair of hull windows each side, representing a marked improvement on the single windows of previous Contest models. Both natural light and the feeling of space are enhanced by mirrors on the bulkhead immediately aft of the windows that reflect a lot of light back into the boat. In addition, Contest’s option for its unique central window in the bulkhead to the tender garage gives great views of scenic anchorages when the dinghy is afloat.

Stowage is neatly arranged, though on boats with a stern thruster owners might struggle for space on a long cruise as it takes up all the space under the bed. The excellent en suite, however, has plenty of stowage space as well as a separate shower stall and washer-dryer.

One of the two compact double cabins sited forward of the main bulkhead. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Prospective owners should find it reassuring that since 1972 every Contest yacht has left the yard with a Lloyd’s Register Hull Construction Certificate. This covers hull, keel, rudder and hull-to-deck connection and requires plans and structural engineering calculations to be scrutinised and approved before construction commences. Each boat is then inspected by Lloyds surveyors two or three times during the build.

Hull and decks are built of closed-cell foam sandwich with a multi-stage Vinylester infusion process, with strategic use of carbon, while bulkheads are also foam sandwich. The hull stays in the mould until after bulkheads and other stiffening is in place and is post-cured at temperatures above 60° for 24 hours.

An engineering space below the raised saloon houses batteries and tanks, which are positioned low down in the middle of the boat.

Owner’s cabin en suite with a separate shower stall. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

In addition, a locker next to the companionway houses the twin parallel engine fuel filters. These are fitted with vacuum gauges that help diagnose fuel supply issues and valves that enable the spare filter to be instantly switched into use. This is such an important safety feature, especially if a fuel filter becomes blocked in confined waters, that it really ought to be standard on any boat.

Each wheel is independently connected to the rudder, so if one element of the system fails the boat can still be controlled from the other wheel. This arrangement also enables two independent pilot systems to
be permanently installed, facilitating an easy switch between primary and secondary pilots.

A decent dinghy is essential for long-term cruising. The generously sized tender garage will take a 3.4m (11ft 2in) boat that’s hauled in longitudinally with the aid of a winch and then rotated 90°. Equally, tankage is substantial, with more than 1,500lt of fuel and over 1,000lt of fresh water.

Large volume hull with 18ft beam and plenty of power when the breeze gets up. Photo: Sailing Energy

Contest 63CS specifications

LOA (including sprit): 20.54m / 67ft 5in
Hull length: 19.29m / 63ft 4in
LWL: 17.85m / 58ft 7in
Beam: 5.50m / 18ft 0in
Draught (standard keel): 2.90m / 9ft 6in
Displacement: 31,900kg / 70,327lb
Ballast (standard keel): 12,000kg / 26,456lb
Fuel: 1,560lt / 344gal
Water: 1,150lt / 253gal
Engine: 125kW / 168hp
Sail area/displacement ratio: 23.3
Disp/LWL ratio: 156
Price as tested: approx €3.5m
Builder: contestyachts.com

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