Can anyone assist please?  A friend of mine is considering buying a Contender.  Does anyone know the optimum weight range for the boat?  Also, what are the fleets like down in the South West?

Thanks.

I think it'll be sailed down in Plymouth mainly.  Did they have a traveller event at Looe?  Do you know if they have a fleet?

Hi.

There are a few Contenders at Porthpean and at least an open event there each year.

The nationals has been at Looe and Porthpean over recent years.

The weight range is reasonably wide but suspect ideally you'd be 80 - 90kg.

Lots of lighter sailors out there and also many heavier (world champ last year was well over 90kg).

Good kuck.

We have 5 at Porthpean & there are another 4 at Restronguet in Cornwall.  I think theres a small fleet at Starcross & Portishead, then bigger fleets at Castle Cove & Highcliff.

Realisticly the weight range is from about 75kg to 95kg

Thanks very much for your useful comments.  I'll pass on the details.

Having discussed it with him and hearing the ideal weight range, I feel like I'm talking myself into one!

Cheers, Adam

Go for it, I have just come back from the IOW Contender Open.

Saturday was a bad day with no wind and tood much tide and to top it off we had to wait 2 hours for our curry.

Not good but Sunday made up for it.

Still loads of tide but plenty of wind and flat wiring all day. We did four races back to back followed by a long beat back home (still wiring). I am knackered and I have a busy week at work. Oh the joys of a Monday morning.

p.s anyone want to buy a Contender or 2 - and don't tell BNS or she will know what I am up to.

pps One or two of the gusys were using carbon foils by Bloodaxe - very sexy and not cheap. The owners did not want to tell me how much just in case it got back to their better halves. 

Thanks for all of your help.  He's gone for it and bought one.

I can't wait for a go!

hi,

before i confuse anyone this is an old topic!

how does a contender compare to a 600?

is 65kg to light even if i am just doing club racing for fun?

is it a good boat to learn to wire and helm together on?

thanks!

I've not sailed a 600, but I believe (partly from knowledge of how the Blaze rig was improved) that the large roach gives a sail which is always keen to get itself powered up. The hull is also pretty narrow - surprisingly so when you look at the underneath.

I have sailed a Contender, and tho' I'd trapezed before, I found it reasonably forgiving *. Certainly a good boat to learn helm+wire, I'd say. It does fairly poor on handicap against things like Lasers in lightish wind - you need to be on the wire with full power to get the better of them. I was probably about 65kg when I sailed one, and did find I was slightly lightish. But a lot of it is about technique, needless to say. If you want something new, a bit of fun, and can get one fairly cheap then its def a boat worth trying - great fun to sail and get really cracking along, and so elegant with it.

* - forgiving enough to be able to teabag yourself, floating there with feet a foot or so from the gunwhale and yet still possible to save it and not result in windward capsize!

I have a 600 and have club raced it since i was 60kg and I'm now about 67kg and still loving it.  I admit i hav'nt sailed a contender so what i say could be tosh but...

The good thing about the 6 is that every boat is the same however old it is, Also there very very easy to maintain

All I can say about the condender is you can't beat it's looks!

Mark.  

the contender is easier to sail than the 600 in my opnion, I have had 3 600s, 630, 652 and 655 they are good boats and as long as yo go for the super spars rig you will have no problems.

If you are learning to wire though it may be best to go for a contender as they tend to be cheaper than a 600 if looking at the lower end of the market.  Also you are wiring of the gunwhale rather than racks which may make the learning curve easier

I picked my contender up for £250 hell of a boat for the money in my opinion.

I've never sailed a 600 but, if you believe Prince Buster who's in that weight range, lighter guys on a 600 face quite a challenge (even with the small rig).

There are plenty of very competitive Contender sailors who weigh hardly 60 kgs (I saw a few tall slim ladies who knew exactly what they were doing at the Worlds last year).

Of course, it's going to be a bit tricky to handle the boat in a real blast and/or in strong gusts but I think the Contender is far more forgiving than the 600, and definitely cheaper!

Contender443 might be able to help if you're looking for a second-hand boat, he's got a few these days! 

All sorry for staring a up an old thread again but I am picking up my first contender this weekend fingers crossed but it hasnt got a road base. My question is will russ's 300 road base do the job. If it helps the boat is on a standard contender launching trolley

Cheers James 100 on order I see.

http://www.wavelengthdesigns.com/content/view/19/39/ - http://www.wavelengthdesigns.com/content/view/19/39/

http://www.sailcontender.org.uk/Contender-FAQs/How-do-I-sail-the-darn-thing.html - http://www.sailcontender.org.uk/Contender-FAQs/How-do-I-sail -the-darn-thing.html

That wont happen Jimbo

He had a blaze and hated it so much he almost burnt the thing!

Took Olly's new contender out for a blast today, what an awesome boat i love them.  Only criticism is how the hell do you get under the bloody boom? my head is like a bruised apple!

Dump the kicker and an armful of main then DUCK

Thats what i was doing, but i still got nailed, must be a get used to kind of thing!  Lovely boat though!  Feels so well balanced, light and easy to control with Masses of stability!

When I say duck I mean fold yourself in half and kiss the floor

Do we have a convert?

Do any contender sailors out there have any idea how long the halyard is? Mine has just lost the outer layer where it cleats off.

Contact Wavelength - they will have them in stock

Yes i am a convert, maybe at some point in the future!  Still loving my 300 too much to even think of changing at the moment though! 

They are a great boat  i had one in 91 and i went to the nationals had a great time spent most of the time drinking as the sailing was mad eastborne that year big seas on the beach great fun i kept falling over when i boar off still it was fun.

And praying always seemed to work to get under the boom !!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers that would be great

Some tips on sailing the contender which might help, I found them useful.

1. the ICS class website is great

2. Use a piece of foam pipe insulation tied to the top of the mast to stop it inverting quickly. It will still invert but it gives you 30 seconds to get your act together)

3. Rake the mast more upright than the tuning guide (about 4 full holes) to get started then rake it back as you get more confident.

4. don't be in too much of a rush on the bear away, the centrifugal forces when you're on the wire ... splash

5. sail with the board 3/4 down

Anyone in the Bristol area who wants to try one just pm me.  Mine cost me £100 and then abou £250 to epoxy, replace fittings etc, its a great boat I just don't have enough time.  My son also sails it and he weighs about 9stone. I weigh 90Kgs...

I think the one parked next to mine at BCYC is for sail.

Garry