Contest Yachts and World Cruising Club – organiser of the ARC and World ARC rallies – have announced 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.
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.
Contest Yachts CEO Arjen Conijn comments: “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.
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.
If you would like to join us at the Cannes Yachting Festival and step onboard the Contest 63CS or the Contest 50CS on display, please email our expert team at [email protected], call +44 (0)23 8045 0011, or complete the form below.