Review of Contest 48 CS

Basic specs.

The Contest 48 CS is a large sailboat designed by the Dutch maritime architect Dick Zaal together with Georg Nissen from in the mid nineties. Less than 100 boats have been produced. The Contest 48 CS is built by the Dutch yard Conyplex B.V..

Here we would have liked to show you nice photos of the Contest 48 CS.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image

Looking for a new boat? Find a Contest 48 CS or similar boat for sale

Hull

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

Engine

The boat is typically equipped with a Volvo Penta diesel engine at 100.0 hp (74 kW), which gives a max speed about 8.2 knots.

The fuel tank has a capacity of 600 liters (158 US gallons, 131 imperial gallons).

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

Stability and Safety

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Contest 48 CS is 1.73, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.5 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

Immersion rate

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Contest 48 CS is about 353 kg/cm, alternatively 1977 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 353 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1977 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

Motion Comfort Ratio

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for Contest 48 CS is 36.0.

Comparing this ratio with similar sailboats show that it is more comfortable than 58% of all similar sailboat designs. This comfort value is just above average.

L/B (Length Beam Ratio)

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Contest 48 CS is 3.47.

Compared with other similar sailboats it is more spacy than 50% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen an average hull design.

D/L (Displacement Length Ratio)

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for Contest 48 CS is 223 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.

54% of all similar sailboat designs are categorized as heavier. A light displacement requires less sailarea and has higher accellerations.

Maintenance

Rig

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

**Guiding dimensions of running rig**
Usage	Length		Diameter
Jib sheet	14.8 m	(48.4 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Genoa sheet	14.8 m	(48.4 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Mainsheet	36.9 m	(121.0 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)
Spinnaker sheet	32.5 m	(106.5 feet)	16 mm	(5/8 inch)

Boat owner's ideas

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

Finally

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Contest 48 CS it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

References

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.