Contest Yachts Joins World Cruising Club’s Exclusive Bluewater Partner Programme as First Monohull Builder

World Cruising Club, organiser of the annual ARC and World ARC rallies, and Contest Yachts, the Dutch builder of high-quality semi-custom performance bluewater sailing yachts, are delighted to announce a new partnership, with Contest becoming an exclusive founding Bluewater Partner and the first monohull yacht builder to join the programme.

The new partnership, which will be presented to the yachting world at the Cannes Yachting Festival (8-13 September, berth SAIL054), follows a series of visits by World Cruising Club to Contest’s shipyard in Medemblik, NL. During those visits, World Cruising Club has taken the opportunity to understand Contest’s Lloyd’s Register certified yachts, the people behind them, and importantly the extensive support provided to owners wherever their yachts and voyages take them around the world.

For World Cruising Club, that combination of capable bluewater yachts, the knowledge of building these yachts and the highly responsive owner support makes Contest a natural fit for its Bluewater Partner Programme. 

As World Cruising Club MD Paul Tetlow says, “We are delighted to welcome Contest as a founding Bluewater Partner and the first monohull yacht builder to join the programme. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to supporting bluewater sailors at every stage of their journey, from careful planning and preparation through to making the most of their cruising adventures and enjoying life on the water. We have taken the time to understand Contest, their yachts and the exceptional support provided to owners around the world, and we look forward to bringing that expertise and support to an even wider community of sailors.”

The partnership will see Contest extend its own expertise and owner-support experience into the World Cruising Club community, while giving Contest owners a natural pathway into World Cruising Club’s renowned ocean rallies, including the ARC, ARC+, World ARC, ARC Europe, ARC Portugal and ARC Baltic.

For sailors taking part, World Cruising Club provides experienced organisation, preparation, communications and support that make joining an ocean rally such a reassuring way to undertake a major offshore passage. Contest adds its specialist knowledge of its yachts and their systems, together with direct technical support before departure and throughout the adventure, wherever, whenever.

Contest yachts are designed and built for fast, comfortable and confident passage making, combining optimal sailing performance with the capability, seakeeping and comfort required for serious bluewater cruising. Their ability to perform across a wide range of conditions, together with Contest’s commitment to supporting owners wherever they sail, were among the qualities that attracted World Cruising Club to the partnership.

Contest Yachts CEO Arjen Conijn says, “We are delighted that World Cruising Club has recognised what we can bring to its community. Our yachts are built to take their owners places, but we believe the support around the yacht is just as important. Working with World Cruising Club gives us an opportunity to extend that philosophy to even more sailors setting out across the oceans. This is all a part of what we call ‘building dreams together’.”

The partnership is also relevant to sailors who are still considering which yacht will take them on their first ocean rally or their next bluewater adventure. Being part of the Bluewater Partner Programme gives prospective participants the opportunity to discover Contest yachts in the context for which they are designed, while seeing firsthand the expertise and support that stand behind them.

For both organisations, the partnership reflects a shared belief that preparation and capability do not diminish the spirit of adventure; they give sailors the confidence to embrace more of it.

And a well-organised ocean rally brings together the best of bluewater sailing: the exhilaration of days and nights at sea, ever-changing conditions and endless horizons, followed by new landfalls, different cultures and the camaraderie of sharing the adventure with others. With the right yacht and the right support around it, the confidence to cross an ocean opens a whole new world of possibilities.

Where would you go if you knew you could?