Contender (dinghy)

Contender
Current specifications
Class symbol
A Contender on reach
Crew	1 (trapeze)
LOA	4,870 mm (192 in)
Beam	1,500 mm (59 in)
Draft	1,447 mm (57.0 in)
Hull weight	83 kg (183 lb)
Mainsail area	10.8 m² (116 sq ft)
D-PN	90.1^[1]
RYA PN	976^[2]

The International Contender is a single-handed high performance sailing dinghy, designed by Bob Miller, latterly known as Ben Lexcen, (Australia) in 1967 as a possible successor to the Finn dinghy for Olympic competition.

The Contender is recognized as an International Class by the International Sailing Federation, the governing body of sail boat racing, which administers the class rules.

Background

"Single-handed" means sailed by only one person. The boat has a trapeze which allows the sailor to use their weight more effectively. The design of the boat does not favour sailors within a narrow or extreme size or weight range, past champions have ranged from 60 kg to more than 90 kg. While physical fitness, agility and strength are advantageous, good technical sailing skills and experience can count for more.

Sailors wishing to master the Contender must learn how to trapeze and steer the boat at the same time, and how to move about the boat while keeping it level. As part of race tuning, the Contender mast is commonly raked well aft, which results in restricted space between the boom and deck. Tacking consequently requires technique and practice to avoid getting stuck under the boom. Sailing the boat level at all times (except in very light winds) is fastest and reduces capsizes, which can happen fast if the boom dips into the water. There is a trade-off between raking the mast far aft and keeping the kicker (boom vang) tight at all times (which is faster) and the higher probability of capsizing due to this less forgiving set up. Unlike older and heavier dinghy designs, the Contender requires the centerboard to be lowered at least somewhat to avoid quick capsizes when reaching and running in a breeze.

Events

World Championships

World Championships held in Europe are typically contested by between 100 and 150 competitors.

List of World Championships

Continental Championships

European championship

References

↑ "Centerboard Classes". US Sailing. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
↑ "Portsmouth Number List 2015". Royal Yachting Association. Retrieved 26 February 2015.

External links

Classes of the International Sailing Federation

Current Olympic classes	470 49er 49er FX Finn Laser Laser Radial RS:X Nacra 17

ISAF centreboard classes	29er 420 505 B14 Byte Cadet Contender Enterprise Europe Fireball Flying Dutchman Flying Junior GP14 Int. 14 Laser 2 Laser 4.7 Lightning Mirror Moth Musto Performance Skiff O'pen BIC OK Dinghy Optimist RS Feva RS Tera RS100 RS500 Snipe Splash Sunfish Tasar Topper Vaurien Zoom 8

ISAF keelboat classes	12 mR 2.4 mR 5.5 m 6 mR 8 mR Dragon Etchells Flying 15 Hansa 2.3 Hansa 303 Hansa Liberty H-boat J/22 J/24 J/70 J/80 Melges 20 Melges 24 Melges 32 Micro Platu 25 RC44 SB20 Shark 24 Soling Sonar Star Tempest Yngling

ISAF yacht classes	Class40 Farr 30 (Mumm 30) Farr 40 IMOCA 60 J/111 Maxi 72 Soto 40 Swan 45 Swan 60 TP 52 X-35 X-41

ISAF multihull classes	A-Class Dart 18 Formula 16 Formula 18 Hobie 14 Hobie 16 Hobie Dragoon Hobie Tiger Hobie Wildcat Nacra Infusion SL 16 Topcat K1 Tornado Viper F16

ISAF windsurfer classes	Formula Experience Formula Windsurfing Funboard Kona Mistral Raceboard RS:One Speed Windsurfing Techno 293

ISAF kiteboarding classes	International Kiteboarding Association

International Radio Sailing Association classes	10 rater A Class Marblehead One Metre

Former ISAF classes	11:Metre One Design 29erXX Aloha Buzz C-Class Division I Division II Division III Elliott 6m Farr 45 Farr Maxi One Design Hobie 17 Hobie 18 IOD ISO Laser Vago Lechner A-390 Mistral Junior Mumm 36 Nacra F18 Open 50 ORMA 60 Sydney 40 Ultimate 20 Windglider X-99

Sailing dinghy, Sharpie and Skiff classes

Dinghies under 10 ft	Frog Cape Cod Frosty El Toro Fatty Knees Fly Holdfast Trainer Manly Junior Minto Naples Sabot O'pen BIC Optimist P Class Pelican Puddle Duck Racer Sabot Starling Tadpole Topper Topaz Taz Turnabout Zoom 8

Dinghies under 15 ft	10ft Skiff 12 foot dinghy 125 ("One-twenty-five") 12ft Skiff 13ft skiff 29er 29erXX skiff 2000 3000 405 ("Four-oh-five") 420 Access Liberty Adventuress ASC Astus 14.1 Australian Sharpie B14 Banshee Beetle Cat Beneteau Wizz Bermuda Fitted Dinghy Blaze Blue Jay Bonito Bosun British Moth Butterfly Buzz Byte Cadet Cherokee Cherub C-Lark CL 14 Comet Coypu Dabchick Daring Dart Enterprise Escape Europe Envy Extra Farr 3.7 Finn Firefly Flying Ant Flying Eleven Flying Junior Force 5 GP14 Graduate Gull Heron Idle-along IDRA14 International Twelve International 14 Javelin (NZ) Javelin (US) Jet 14 Jollyboat (NZ) Lark Laser Standard Laser 2 Laser 3000 Laser 4.7 Laser 5000 Laser Funboat Laser Pico Laser Radial Laser Vago Laser Vortex Lido 14 Marlin Merlin Rocket MG14 Miracle Mirror Moth Musto Performance Skiff National 12 NS14 OK Dinghy O'pen BIC Otter Pacer Pegasus Penguin Phantom RS Feva RS Q'Ba RS Tera RS Vareo RS100 RS200 RS300 RS400 RS500 RS600 RS700 RS800 Sabre Scorpion Snark Snowbird (sailboat) Solo Spiral Splash Streaker Sunburst Sunfish Tinker Star Traveller Tinker Traveller Tasar Topper Topper Topaz Topper Topaz Magno Topper Topaz Vibe Topper Topaz Xenon Twinkles 10 & 12 Vagabond Vaurien Wanderer Weta Woodpussy Zeddie Zephyr

Dinghies under 20 ft	16ft Skiff 18 foot dinghy 18ft Skiff 470 49er 505 Albacore Beaufort Invitation Buccaneer CL 16 Comet Contender Corsair Day Sailer Fireball Flying Dutchman Flying Scot French National Monotype 1924 Hornet Interlake International Canoe Jacksnipe Javelin (Europe) Jersey Skiff Jollyboat (UK) Jolly Boat JY15 Laser 4000 Laser Bahia Laser Stratos Lelievlet Lightning M 16 Mirror 16 Mutineer 15 O-Jolle Osprey Payne-Mortlock sailing canoe Pirate Precision 15 RS K6 RS Vision RS700 RS800 Salcombe Yawl Sea Bright Sea Scout Standard Boat (BP18) Snipe Spanker Texas Tornado 12m² Sharpie Thistle Topper Topaz Omega Vanguard 15 Wayfarer Windmill Windy Winkle Brig X boat Y flyer

Dinghies 20 ft or over	Highlander M 20 Norfolk Punt

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