The Contest 44 Classic Sailboat
Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Design Ratios indicate that the Contest 44 is a moderately heavy boat with a good sail area to displacement ratio, meaning that she can sail well in light to moderate winds. She also has a high ballast-to-displacement ratio, which gives her stability and stiffness. Her comfort ratio and capsize screening formula suggest that she is a safe and comfortable boat for offshore sailing.

The Contest 44 is no longer in production. She was built from 1997 to 2000, and there were 18 hulls made.

There were two versions of the Contest 44 built: the standard version and the CS version. The CS version had a taller mast, a deeper keel, and a larger sail area than the standard version. The CS version was also lighter and faster than the standard version.

The Contest 44 can sleep up to six people on board. She has three cabins: a master cabin forward with an en-suite head, and two aft cabins with a shared head. She also has a spacious saloon with a U-shaped settee that can be converted into a double berth.

The sailing press gave positive reviews to the Contest 44, praising her quality, performance, and comfort. For example, Sail Magazine wrote: "The Contest 44 is an impressive yacht that combines excellent sailing characteristics with superb craftsmanship and luxurious accommodations."

Owners of the Contest 44 are generally happy with their boats, and report that they are easy to handle, reliable, and comfortable. For example, one owner wrote: "We have sailed our Contest 44 for over 10 years and have been very pleased with her. She is fast, stable, and seaworthy. She has taken us to many beautiful places and has always been a joy to sail."

The builders of the Contest 44 are Conyplex B.V., a family-owned company that was founded in 1959 in Medemblik, Netherlands. The company is still in business and continues to produce high-quality yachts under the brand name of Contest Yachts.

The mast on the Contest 44 is keel-stepped, meaning that it is supported by a metal structure that extends from the keel to the deck. This provides more strength and rigidity to the mast than a deck-stepped mast.

The sailplan and rig options for the Contest 44 are as follows:

• Standard version: sloop rig with furling genoa and mainsail
• CS version: sloop rig with furling genoa and fully battened mainsail
• Optional: cutter rig with staysail
• Optional: gennaker or spinnaker

The keel options for the Contest 44 are as follows:

• Standard version: fin keel with bulb (draft: 2.11 m)
• CS version: fin keel with bulb (draft: 2.35 m)
• Optional: wing keel (draft: 1.80 m)

The average cost of a secondhand Contest 44 depends on various factors such as age, condition, equipment, location, etc. However, based on some recent listings, the average cost of a secondhand Contest 44 is around £120,000.

The Contest 44 is a competitive sailboat in its class, which includes other 44-foot cruisers such as the Hallberg-Rassy 44, the Moody 44, the Najad 440, and the Oyster 45. The Contest 44 has some advantages over these boats, such as her modern hull shape, her powerful rig, and her luxurious interior. She also has some disadvantages, such as her relatively high price, her limited production number, and her lack of customization options.

The designer of the Contest 44 is Dick Zaal, a renowned Dutch naval architect who has designed many other sailboats for various brands. Some of his other designs include the Contest 31, the Contest 36, the Contest 50, the Koopmans 36, the Koopmans 48, the Noordkaper 40, and the Zeehond 37.