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List classes of boat for sale |
The Contender |
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E.J. 
Posting king 
Joined: 19 Feb 06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 184 |
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 Topic: The ContenderPosted: 16 Apr 06 at 4:46pm |
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Rondar hulls in the 500-600 numbers will be in that price range, they are well built and robust. Most Contender Hulls can be made competative with the right rig. Wavelength mast and sail is the best alloy combination and still fast on the circuit, If a sound old hull has a good rig I would go for it over a newer hull and a poor rig. |
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jamesint505
Groupie 
Joined: 18 Feb 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 75 |
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Posted: 16 Apr 06 at 10:50am |
 I bought an old ridge composites about 14 months ago and i think its great its a fibreglass hull with a lovely wooden deck.Its a pig in light airs especially as i'm a big lad at 6 foot 4 and 17 stone but I can live with that as its such a blast thrashing about in a breeze.Especially upwind and tight reaches bear off the thing leaps onto the plane throws up loads of spray and feels really fast.Gets a bit lairy dead downwind in a breeze(then again what doesn't) but its a great feeling and you do get wet very frequently when your learning.I couldn't get my head round the trapezing/steering thing at first and always ended up getting out on the trapeze too late.But once you've got over the wierdness of getting out on the wire straight away its great.I thought I might have been ripped of when I bought it cos I paid nearly agrand but looking at it now I think I got a bargain.
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505 7567
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les5269
Really should get out more 
Joined: 11 Oct 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1530 |
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Posted: 16 Apr 06 at 8:57am |
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The Contender is a beautiful boat to sail and look at.I owned one for 4 years and loved every sail (I only sold it because I couldn't justify it sitting there).Things to look out for; Check the mast where the trapezee lines go in,it tends to crack there Blobbys was another good one (hadn't thought of that ) The deck is generally fairly solid but check for holes from hooks and check the trailing edge of the foils they are fragile Otherwise enjoy the boat it's amazing in a blow ! |
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49er 531 & 5000 5025 and a mirror(now gone to mirror heaven)!
Grafham water Sailing Club The greatest inland sailing in the country |
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Blobby
Really should get out more
Joined: 07 May 04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 779 |
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Posted: 16 Apr 06 at 6:22am |
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The Contender has a plywood space frame under the deck supporting the mast. You should have inspection hatches in the front of the cockpit or fore deck so you can see it. You need to make sure that the spaceframe is sound - easy way is to open the hatch and look at the frame with no rig tension and then get somebody to tension the rig up - if the space frame bends the boat is a dud.
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One step forwards, 2 steps back...
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Guests
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 11:18pm |
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Im not so sure about the foredeck on a 600 being fragile, in the light winds ive spent a fair bit of time prancing around on the foredeck and not even a slight sign of damage or lack of rigidity showing yet....... |
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Prince Buster
Really should get out more
Joined: 15 Dec 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 1146 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 11:06pm |
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foredecks fragile....yeah i was shifting mine down to the club today and bashed a nice big hole straight thru it!
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international moth - "what what?"
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ColH
Far too distracted from work 
Joined: 11 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 242 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 10:57pm |
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I sailed a Contender for most of last season, and enjoyed sailing it a lot. I'd not trapezed single-handed before, and whilst it was 'entertaining' learning, I reckon they're fairly stable really - if you capsize then you can generally identify pretty quickly what you did wrong. You don't end up in the water wondering "what the hell just happened there?". Even fully tea-bagged, as long as you have a bit of speed, you can save a windward capsize. The RS600 - which I hasten to to point out I have never tried - is much narrower and seems much more tippy and unforgiving, and has a fully-battened sail which can generally be an absolute b*tch. And their foredecks look so fragile! Depends how much of a challenge you want - that's not to say sailing a Contender well is easy! Check their website http://www.sailcontender.org.uk/ for an idea of prices - a reasonable 'starter' should only need about 1-2K. Apart from anything else, the Contender is a beautiful, stylish design, even in 'plastic'. In wood - simply gorgeous. Col PS - For any that's wondering - I loved sailing it; just didn't enjoy racing it! PPS - Matt'll be along shortly, I've no doubt!
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combat wombat
Far too distracted from work
Joined: 16 Jan 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 345 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 10:40pm |
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Thanks guys,
Yep thought that might be the answer, I guess the 600 is a classic now but I've heard they are tippy as f$@k (but wicked fast as you say BBSCFaithful). Also my budget for the boat is low since I recently purchased the B14 (with all the go-faster bits so not cheap!) and I don't think it would even stretch to a 600 (cheap as they are). I know of a Contender going for £500 and another for £600, I'm not looking for a nats winning one just a nice trapeze boat to get used to helming from the trap and going fast in, then I'll sell both boats and go 49er  Or 18ft Skiff... So Contender experts, what are the weak points? |
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B14 GBR 772
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Guest
Newbie 
Joined: 21 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 10:14pm |
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If you are after a low budget classic with no kite I don't see you have any other choice... Rick |
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carshalton fc
Really should get out more
Joined: 26 Jan 05 Location: England Online Status: Offline Posts: 2337 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 06 at 8:36pm |
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well i have never had a go in one but they look like realy nice boats, and they have now got some nice carbon spars so fully upto date. the 600 looks like a nice boat but the contender has a better association and more boats at there nats. |
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International 14 1503
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