Dutch family yard Contest Yachts is heading to the Cannes Yachting Festival (8-13 September) with two of its flagship centre-cockpit cruisers on the water at Port Canto, Sail Berth 054. For anyone who measures a yacht by how it behaves 500 miles offshore rather than how it looks on a dock, this stand is worth a detour.
The headline act is the 19m Contest 63CS, voted European Yacht of the Year in the Luxury category by a panel of sailing magazines including Yachting World. Its pitch is appealing: superyacht levels of comfort and systems at a size an owner can still handle without professional crew. Naval architecture comes from judel/vrolijk & co, interiors from Wetzels Brown, and the layout includes two mirror-image VIP suites, a large aft master cabin, and an optional fourth cabin that can be fitted as bunks or a workshop. New for this year is an optional fixed carbon-fibre hardtop bimini and forward screen for all-weather protection, plus a transformable aft deck that switches between sailing mode and lounging. Owners reportedly rave about how quiet the boat is under way - soundproofing and vibration damping are a real point of pride for the yard.
Beside it sits the Contest 50CS, a 15m evolution of the classic centre-cockpit cruiser from the same design pairing. Twin helm stations with clear sightlines, power-assisted sail handling and a deep, secure cockpit make it genuinely manageable single-handed, while a hydraulic transom platform handles swimming and tender ops. Inside: an aft master suite, forward guest double, and a third cabin configurable as twin berths, office or workshop.
What sets Contest apart is process. The Medemblik shipyard has been family-run for nearly seven decades, and it builds everything in-house - from hull laminates to mechanical and electrical installation - under Lloyd's Register oversight. That vertical integration shows up in details like flawless joinery with not a screwhead in sight and class-leading noise insulation, all enabled by vacuum-infusion construction.
Why it matters for travellers: if you're chartering or dreaming about a serious passage-making yacht, this is a chance to step aboard two of the most credible bluewater cruisers afloat and see semi-custom Dutch craftsmanship up close. Bookings for private viewings at the show are open now.
