Bluewater Sailboat Contest 49 CS is the long-awaited first aft cockpit boat to enter the 50-foot market that Contest has serviced so well with centre cockpit yachts for many decades. And she arrives with a bang, as customers who have long admired the approach of the aft cockpit Contest 42CS now have a bigger sister to appreciate. The all-new Contest 49CS is now in production, and as a Contest, it brings new levels of comfort and dependability to the open aft cockpit sector. In terms of the ecology, choices include an all-electric propulsion system, renewable energy sources, and teak deck replacement.
She’s created something fresh, unusual, and still reassuringly consistent with Contest credentials in the Contest 49CS. It’s a natural step up from the aft-cockpit Contest 42CS, and it’s also a new entry into the Contest series for sailors who want their master room forward and family or guest cabins in the back. These cabins are massive, on a scale never seen at this end of the 50ft sector.
Nonetheless, she have a very impressive tender garage, a spacious aft deck, and plenty of storage throughout the cabins, which benefit from the latest design-styling from the Wetzels Brown Partners studio, introducing new super-ergonomic luxury furnishings ranging from the clever sofa and recliner arrangement to joinery detailing including optional ribbed timber bulkheads.
This Bluewater Sailboat wholly new and unique design has not only vast leisure rooms both forward and aft of the well-planned inboard twin helm stations, but also down below extraordinarily spacious mirrored twin aft cabins, as well as a massive master suite forward. It is a new scale of interior design, with a three-cabin layout ideal for safe, high-performance family sailing. It also comes with space for a tender garage and a submerged bathing platform.
The stepped aft cockpit with forward steering positions is a completely unique concept. So much safer, more comfortable, and practical than the standard stripped-down Med-style, in which the driver and wheels are typically forced back into the transom guardrails. There is a safe environment aboard the Contest 49CS for everyone and every activity, from lounging on bean bags on the wide aft deck to excellent captaincy with an unbroken view of the rig and sails all the way through to headsail tell-tales. Sustainability is also evident, with a photovoltaic solar cell array seamlessly integrated into the elegant coachroof and the choice of synthetic, teak-like decking underfoot.
The integrated carbon fibre A-frame front has a hydraulic furler built in for smooth, optimized off-wind sailing. Following the winching and sheeting, everything is immediately available for a short-handed helm or crew, allowing both easy operation and involved, hands-on sailing. As with other Contest yachts, there is a forward leisure cockpit for enjoyment away from the action. Without the use of davits, a tender garage keeps decks clear. This also reduces weight, which improves stability, safety, and, of course, style.
The yard’s first aft cockpit, twin aft cabin sailing boat in the fifty-foot range, and the cabins and general interior layout are wholly novel in style and scale. This is a significant advancement in the design of family and friend cruising. The history of exquisite centre cockpit yachts at this size is rich, especially in this sector
The Contest 49CS meets the family’s demand for more evenly sized cabins with style. Not only in terms of the newest Contest interior styling and outfitting, but also in terms of footprint and headroom. With a wide waterline beam and steep topsides aft, the freshly designed hull provides significantly more interior room and form stability under full sail. A fantastic mix with a variety of possibilities, including a double and twin berths in the extremely tall and open aft staterooms. And when was the last time an aft cockpit design had a two-sided longitudinal corridor Sailboats Galley, This is pure cruising ingenuity at its finest.
The Contest 49CS, Halberg Rassy 50, and Amel 50 are all compromises between interior room and performance, but much bigger ones.
Among these high-quality cruisers, the Contest 49/50CS is not the only overweight boat. Regrettably, it appears to be a significant habit. Amel and Halberg Rassy both chose very beamy hulls with a high or very high freeboard to maximize internal space. These Bluewater Sailboats are designed by very capable NAs, but their sailing potential is constrained by the hull choice, particularly in light wind and upwind sailing.
The HR and Contest will sail better upwind and downwind in medium to stronger winds than the Amel, while in low breezes the Amel should be faster but not faster than the HR variant with a larger SA/D. The Contest has the rigidity to bear a larger sail area, but no version with a maximum sail area has been announced.
The Bluewater Sailboat 49CS configuration is problematic due to a lack of storage under the cockpit and space for technical equipment (generator, water-maker, and so on). There is a large place for a dinghy garage, but it is a semi-wet compartment, not appropriate for this type of equipment, and moreover, if you keep a dinghy there, you will have little room for anything else.
This can be solved by having a single aft cabin on the 49CS that is larger than either of the two, and reserving the balance of the area that the other cabin now occupies for technical equipment.
If you are interested in learning more about the specifications and details of a sailboat, we recommend visiting the page Bluewater Sailboat data by Ocean Wave Sail. This page provides comprehensive information and is an excellent resource for anyone seeking detailed information about 1000+ sailboats.
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