Here´s the next boat I´ve brought for you from last Boot Duesseldorf show. It´s a world premiere, in two ways. First of all, it has been the first time ever Contest Yachts was putting this brand new design on a boat show for the public. And secondly, it was really the first time ever for me to set foot aboard a Contest. See, for whatever reason, the people on the boat shows never granted me access to their boat. 2025 was my nineth Boot Duesseldorf show (with one year off because of Covid), and I´ve never made it past their reception desk. Why? Well …
As you may know, I used to work for a Beneteau dealership here in Germany. I don´t like to play cat and mouse and I never hide who I am or where I am from. I´ve had never any trouble boarding boats on any boat show. Even the well-known “hard selection” at Nautor´s Swan never really posed a challenge. In the end, we are all colleagues. Besides, many people in the industry know me by know, so why deny me access to their boats? Well, as it turns out, Contest´s welcome desk is a harder door than Berlin´s Berghain … up until this year.
My dear Beneteau-colleagues from the Dutch dealership Nova Yachting, upon hearing my sad story, took me by the hand: We went upfront to the desk and they chatted – in Dutch of course – with the guys. Voilá: Please come in, Sir. That´s how you do it. So, now you know that after ten years, this is finally my first time aboard a Contest luxury yacht.
Stepping aboard the Contest 56 CS´s deck
The boat is clearly upper shelf, no question. Contest is renown for world class building quality, rigidity and luxury. Dutch boatbuilders are without question amongst the most talented and highly regarded shipyards in the world. This yacht wants to be a bluewater cruising yacht, made to take you to the farthest places on Earth and provide for a safe, but luxurious base to experience the time of your life.
As many yachts of her class, she is a center cockpit boat. This means, that the cockpit is not in the last quarter of the hull, directly putting the helmsman at the stern, but shifting everything more to the mid-section of the hull. This comes, as usual, with some very clear advantages but also with some compromises. One of which is a narrower guest area: Med-style yachts offer far more lounge and sunbathing area. But oceanic sailing calls for more safety and a less wave-affected comfort.
Also, center cockpit yachts usually offer a very unique setup for the cabin-layouts under deck, which you will come to see later in this article. First, I positioned myself on the centerline and looked onto the bow of the boat: View is excellent, although one must say that here inside the exhibition hall there was no mast obstructing it, nor any sprayhood or the fixed windshield this boat is also available with. Nevertheless, as helmsman aboard the Contest 56 CS you will surely love your workplace.
Push button sailing with a twist
For a luxury sailing yacht of this class – and size – electric winches are a matter of course. Furthermore, as it is custom with more and more series production boats as well, these winches are wired to the helm stations so that you can trim your sails with a mere push of a button on the panel right in front of you. No need to kneel down at the winch anymore. That said, I don´t know if this is available for the Contest 56 CS as well, but there are winches which can sheet in and ease, which will make it even more convenient.
There´s a nice little detail about the Contest´s helm stations I quite liked: The seats. Although active steering by hand is for the most part something any skipper won´t do for longer periods of times – hence the need for a very good autopiloting system – but if you do, you want to have fun, right? And if not fun, you want to sit down in a comfy way and relax, maybe enjoying your morning coffee behind the steering wheel. The Contest 56 CS comes with two ergonomically shaped composite seats, which reminded me of the Outremer catamarans. I smiled. Like it!
What´s a bit odd in my point of view is the running rigging layout and positioning of the winches aboard the Contest 56 CS. You will find the working winches for halyards, reefing lines and other trim lines on both sides of the entryway. There are also large jammers, which means this is supposed to be a serious workplace for the crew. Also, another set of Jib sheet winches is mounted on the coamings of the cockpit, right in between the guest´s backrests.
Of course, yachts like these are often sailed by the classic couple with only occasional guests so that there is seldom somebody bothered by sheetwork, lose ends of lines and piles of ropes in the cockpit. On the other hand, diverting all lines aft to the helm station is a very convenient way to separate guest-/lounge area from the “working” area. Also, it eliminates transit time from behind the wheel all the way through the cockpit to the winch and back. I find it simply more convenient, to have everything in the back.
Choices for the guest area: Rigid T-Top or not?
The guest area of the Contest 56 CS offers two very long sofas facing each other with a central cockpit table. Table tops can fold up, inside it is stowage, possibly a little fridge. The “large” area is a bit misleading, because in the aft quarter of the sofas there´s no legroom – the owner´s lounge underneath needs the headroom. So, basically, you can only sit here facing forward, putting your legs awkwardly sideways or have them up on the cushions.
This yacht is destined to sail the Coconut Route and go to dream places. This is where the sun is shining all day long. UV-protection is paramount, no cruising yacht shall ever set sails without a proper bimini providing shade. For the Contest 56 CS, as increasingly for many yachts this time bigger than 50 feet, apart from the classic bimini on a framework of bars, a rigid T-Top is available ex yard. No ship ever looked sexy with one of these, in my opinion, and so the renderings available on the Contest Website show a fixed bimini which I wouldn´t choose – nevertheless, it´s admittedly the best way to do it.
What Contest does indeed do good is both the overall looks and the details. Speaking of renderings: Comparing how this yacht looks on the computer graphics and how she presents herself in real life is a big difference. She looks so much better in real life! Also, “zooming in” and looking at details, makes clear that we are indeed aboard a very, very well made yacht. Look at the cockpit table´s woodworks, for example: Fine Teak, continuous grain and the different parts are even symmetric! This is attention to detail, material quality of the finest and the best choice for the customers. Nice.
The nice thing about raised salon yachts
So, let´s get inside, shall we? So, here´s the thing: I simply love raised salon yachts! As much as I like the classy lines of a Scandinavian sailboat with its sharp, elongated coachroof, the bulge of the salon on a center cockpit yacht for me is synonymous with long haul cruising. And it really flatters any boat´s design: It surely looks like a sports car or something.
Contest Yachts employ German naval architects and designers Judel/Vrolijk for the 56 CS and you can clearly read their signature design lines within this yacht as well. A bit “edgy”, clear and clean lines. Judel/Vrolijk avoid flowing, bent shapes – the almost “feminine” approach of Rob & Tom Humphreys for the Oyster for example is something never to be seen with Judel/Vrolijk. So that´s the reason why Contests always look a bit more straight, “Apple”-like from the outside. But how does it show down under deck?
Upon coming down the few steps of the entryway ladder, a warm salon welcomes you. Though its layout and the positioning of the usual parts is pretty classic, here too, Contest follows a strict, straight and clean design language. By the way, interior design for the Contest 56 CS has been come up by Amsterdam-based Anglo-Dutch bureau Wetzels-Brown. These guys do high-class interior for hotels, luxury housing and superyachts as well.
Here again, the real-life boat looks so much better than the computer renderings promise. It´s like a band who´s studio albums are shite but their live sessions are top notch. I suppose that the options list and individualization range for the 56 CS interior is plentiful, but the interior chose to present here in Duesseldorf was special. That´s besides, a trend I notice with many other brands too: More and more designers (and therefore their clients) seem to choose color-schemes and overall designs which aren´t “maritime” anymore. Just like here … this reminds me more of a nice luxurious house in Tuscany than of an oceangoing vessel.
Interior design á la country chic
But it´s not bad, don´t get me wrong here. I take my time to let the interior do its work. Arrive, breathe, look and contemplate. Earthy colors, soft fabrics with a “rougher” structure, lots of bare wooden panels. No glossy paint, everything is matte, light absorbing. Quite the opposite of a shiny, glittering palace. I love the understatement, the basic character that is felt within this design.
The whole main front bulkhead is a fitted with a wooden panel that has a simple, yet intriguing pattern. Thin slats of wooden lamellae, like a grill, make a very deciding impact on the whole atmosphere down here. It´s an atmosphere that reminds me so urgent of the calmness and the warmth of a fireplace. It may sound awkward, but that´s how I feel: And isn´t this exactly what a yacht´s salon should convey? A sense of being protected, at home. Arrived in your personal cocoon.
How do they make these panels? I zoom in, I touch it, I ask the guide. He smiles, raises his shoulders and says: “It´s beautiful, right?” I cannot deny. It´s something special – so easy, so simple, yet so powerful in its effect. Something one might keep in mind, a nice inspiration for your next interior upgrade or refit? It is indeed also a testament and proof of the fact that good design isn´t always a brand new complicated thing – often it´s just the simple lines, a clever combination of material, new haptics, light and shadow. Well done, Wetzels-Brown!
But of course, there cannot be a perfect boat. At least not for everyone. As taste is a very, very personal thing, so will the simple fact of different requirements, purely factual and objective, change your point of view and your verdict. Design is always only a suggestion. If it fits your needs, your taste and your aesthetic preconditions? Purely individual. And here´s the thing …
The inevitable discussion: Oyster or Contest?
See, I am an Oyster fanboy. I always was and I guess I will always be. The flow of Humphreys design, the catlike “eyes” in the salon windows, the hull shapes … I just like this much more and would prefer the English yacht over this Dutch counterpart at any time. Even if the Oyster 565 is roughly two tons heavier and carries a bit less sails: I just like it much more. Also in the details. Look at this chart table:
It will do perfectly well what it is supposed to do. But compare the Contest 56 CS´s skipper´s corner to the grandiose workplace of an Oyster´s skipper: For me, no further question needed. Here in the Contest it seems as if the straight line, the reduction of forms and shapes to a minimum is paramount. The “Apple”-effect, I shall say. I like it, but I prefer the English. This is “suffering on the highest level”, of course. As I enter the portside aft part, where the ship´s galley is located, it becomes even clearer.
Again, look at the meticulous woodwork in the galley: Joinery is a true work of art. All of the fronts, the cupboards, the covers – the whole kitchen module – is made with continuous grain from ceiling to the floor boards. This is incredibly intricate, laborious and also, very costly. But ahhhh, the looks!
Of course, everything is here: Your all-electric stove and oven, stainless-steel sinks and lots of fridges and freezers. Sailing with yachts like these is very energy-intense, so the battery bank of the Contest 56 CS is surely in the upper-range of available capacities. Huge is also the tankage of this yacht: 835 liters of Diesel fuel for the 110 horsepower engine, just over 700 liters of fresh water. For comparison, a 55 foot new Dufour 54 comes with 450 liters of fuel.
I bow down to the engineering and craftsmanship, it´s truly fascinating. And then there are this little details which make me shake my head in disbelief. For example, there is a slide-out compartment integrated into the galley. When open, your Nespresso coffee machine will slide out, the inside of the cover door has a special wooden part that holds the coffee capsules. Really? Okay, taste, again, is something very personal, but I have thought that people who can afford a multimillion budget needed to pay for a yacht like this would also invest in good coffee!
But maybe this Nespresso is a good solution to the Oyster-or-Contest questions: There is none! You either hate Nespresso coffee or you like it. Same with the ships, you are either an Oyster-guy or not. As for my Dutch friends, who are still with me roaming the Contest, they´d of course never choose the English boat over “their” brand. But at least we agree on the coffee, though …
Luxury for owners and guests
Let´s check out this Contest´s cabins. Following the hallway down abaft, I enter into the aft cabin. Which on center cockpit yachts is the main stateroom, the owner´s suite. I shall call it this and not “cabin”, because the center cockpit-configuration allows for the designers to fill up the biggest possible space aboard a yacht with the most possible luxury. Such a cabin would be impossible on a Med-style aft-cockpit yacht. By the way, one of the most luxurious and most lavish of such can be seen aboard the Wauquiez 55 – roughly the same size as the Contest, but this is how you make a palace!
Back to the Contest: The owner´s suite features a large Queen-size double bed. It is positioned in the middle of the cabin, right on the longitudinal axis of the yacht. Sleeping here, you will face in the direction of sailing. Lee cloth can be fitted – imperative for high-seas sailing. There´s your usual flatscreen vis-à-vis and two sofas, or 1.5 seaters, to both sides of the bed for conveniently getting dressed and undressed.
Highlight of this suite clearly is the awesome view through the double seascape windows. There are three of them, vertically aligned, in the Oyster, two bigger windows, horizontally aligned, on the Contest. Those windows, together with one skylight hatch, make for a lot of natural light suffusing this cabin. But first and foremost, these will offer a fantastic view when underway or even at anchor!
Seen from the outside, one can easily imagine the level of comfort those windows induce. Some might ring the alarm: What if they get leaky? What if something as big as a floating log hits those? Well, as many boatbuilders have assured me, tightness is not a problem anymore: Modern adhesives and chemicals used to glue those windows in place are so effective, that the window is mostly inseparable from the surrounding GRP-structure. And by the way: A heavy collision with a massive log with a plastic boat is always a big risk, no matter where this collision happens.
The owner´s bathroom is on the starboard side of the yacht. It is not very roomy, which I like: Here, you want to relief yourself and take a dump, brush your teeth or take a shower. That´s all. Who needs a dance floor as bathroom? It will become dangerous in high seas and pose a hazard. What I like was the real wooden grating, you know that I´m a sucker for head´s gratings! To the lefthand side of the owner´s bathroom a nice big door opens to the engine room, where there´s also access to the auxiliary machinery of the yacht.
Your guests won´t complain about lower luxury in their heads as well. There is a second bathroom on the port side of the yacht in the front part. Nice detail – and testament that the designers know what they are doing – the toilets are mounted in a way that no matter on which tack you are sailing, there will always be one WC working flawlessly and with comfort. You don´t guess how many boats, even those made by the big names and brands, have both their toilets on the same side of the boat!
The Contest 56 CS comes in standard as a three-cabin-yacht. Your guests may choose to occupy the a Pullman cabin to starboard side or the double-bed cabin in the front. As for the bunk beds on top of each other, young sailors, kids and crew-member will reside here preferably. As for your VIP-guests, the front cabin is clearly best suited. There is also one option to cut the owner´s bathroom into half and fit another double bunk Pullman in here. But I guess this isn´t the best choice. Last not least, the front cabin. As much as I hate to say it, but I absolutely do not like the design of this one:
It feels like being down in the basement here. The windows are nice and big, but so much high underneath the ceiling that nobody can take a look out of these. There´s no chance to enjoy the view! It´s like being in a souterrain-flat! The deep V-shape of the cabin induces a feeling of being cramped in, almost as if the walls close in on each other. For me, this is nightmare fuel, really. I´m not exaggerating. Yes, front cabins always tend to appear slim, even more so if you come in after having seen the big, wide palace in the stern. But this … I really don´t feel comfy in here. But hey, it´s just for the guests, right?
So, are you starting your great journey with a Contest?
Time´s up: After spending more than half an hour roaming this yacht we have to go. It´s shortly before the venue opens to the public and the cleaning crew will have to polish the boat to perfection before potential customers arrive. I would have loved to check the engine room and look “behind the panels” much more intensively, but there is no time.
Also, I´d love to crawl into the dinghy garage in the back of the ship, see how much stuff the lazarette could take on. But maybe next time? As for now, let´s come up with a final review: Being aboard a Contest luxury yacht myself for the first time was really worth the time. I appreciate the very modern, clean and straight lines. Interior and exterior appearance match perfectly, Judel/Vrolijk and Wetzels-Brown do indeed chime together quite nicely. I loved the country-chic and relaxing atmosphere aboard. Finishing quality is beyond all question.
She is a sexy looking, modern but timeless yacht. She masters the balance between being something “new” to draw in attention and staying timeless, so that in many years to come people will still regard her as beautiful. I have my doubt that this applies to many other boat designs, which clearly rely much more on recent trends. Have I become a Contest fan? Well, sorry, I still prefer the Oyster. But I bow down and pay my respect to the craftsmanship and quality that the Contest displays in such understating richness.
Will she sail well, though? I don´t know. Maybe? Maybe that´s another job for my two Dutch Beneteau-friends: If the shipyard won´t invite me for a sea trial, maybe these guys can sneak me aboard. Medemblijk, where the Contest shipyard is located, is just a nice little five hours drive from where I live …
You might as well like to check out these related articles too:
The sailing palace: Wauquiez 55
Luxploration – combining go-anywhere-capabilities with luxury
If I only could afford … aboard the fantastic Oyster 565 and 595
