contest yachts

Contest History

As the owner of a timber yard, Ed Conijn, was more than familiar with the use of different materials such as wood and polyester. He was also passionately interested in boats and sailing so it was a natural move to put his knowledge of timber, joinery and finishes together with his enthusiasm for watersports, and start building boats. After gaining experience with building the open Flying Dutchman boats, in 1959 Conyplex launched its first cruising yacht, the Contest 25. This design was an immediate international success and served as the foundation for the company.
Now, some 51 years later, over 3,000 Contest yachts have left the halls of the yard in Medemblik in the North of Holland. Under the guidance of Fritz Conijn, Ed’s son, Conyplex has grown into a yacht builder of global stature, and the emphasis has shifted from serial building to semi-customised yachts between 45 and 62 feet. The fact that Arjen is the third generation of the Conijns (since 8 years) to be at the helm of the company confirms that a passion for sailing runs in the family’s blood.
During the 51 years Conyplex has been in business, Contest have always kept the entire production progress in our own hands. By doing so, they  have been able to guarantee their customers the highest possible standards. This quality level applies equally to the construction of the hull, the exquisite joinery work and the overall finish of the boat. From the very outset, the good name of their yard and the Contest yachts has relied upon sophisticated construction and the use of added value materials. A good example of their careful approach is that just 3% of the teak offered to use is considered of sufficient quality to be placed on a Contest yacht.

Contest yachts & product development

Innovation plays a crucial role in the design and production of Contest Yachts. Immediately after the victory of Australia II in 1983 America’s Cup, Conyplex contacted the designer of her famous winged keel. Since then, the have worked in partnership with Piet van Oossanen on keel configurations and hydrodynamics. Another breakthrough came in 1995 when, on cooperation with the Technical University and TNO research institute in Delft, they developed the vacuum injection method for building hulls. In the intervening years this revolutionary progress has been optimised to the extent that now all Contest yachts build this way are stronger and lighter, which enhances the sailing performance. And thanks to significant reductions in the emission of styrene, the vacuum injection method is also better for the environment and the personnel of Conyplex.

To further improve methods and increase efficiently, much of the furniture is made using the foil technique - a progress whereby surfaces to be glued are placed on top of each other and converted with vacuum foil. By taking the air out from underneath the foil via a vacuum pump, a steady pressure is generated on every square millimeter, guaranteeing a perfect bond. One other recent development of note is the use of an advanced Finite Elements Analysis method for calculating hull and deck constructions.

They made a complete new range of yachts, the Contest 45CS, 50CS, 55CS, 57CS, 62CS and now in design a new 72CS, these yachts are of modern design and offer excellent sailing performance.