History

There are so many classes today, that it is hard to imagine a time when the choice of dinghy for a single handed sailor wanting to race internationally consisted of the International Canoe, the Finn or the OK.

To choose their new class, the IYRU held a set of trials at Weymouth in the autumn of 1965. The International Canoe was there, despite having been told in advance that even if it were to win the Trial Series, that it would not be selected.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, an Australian Skiff designer and sailor had also picked up on the IYRU search for a new dinghy. Away from the European influences that had resulted in boats such as the Trapez and Unit, Bob Miller instead drew on his skiff background to produce a boat that became known as ‘Miller’s Missile’.

To help the Contender along, through the difficult early days, a Launch Committee was formed from the ‘movers and shakers’ of the day to see the Contender through the process of getting builders and National Associations formed.

La Baule was hot, sunny and with light winds. This suited some of the competitors, but not those boats with a high wetted area. The Contender looked very racy; very light and with an incredibly low freeboard, and showed flashes of form when the wind did briefly arrive.

In 1970, the first World Championships were held at Hayling Island, an event won by ‘wild man’ Dick Jobbins.
Dick was destined not to stay on in the class and for the next few years, it was the Australian sailor, Peter Hollis, who was the man to beat on the International circuit.

The Europeans at Hayling were won by one of the sailors from the early days of the class, Joachim Harpprecht, who beat a newcomer to the class, Keith Paul, in one of the few weeks of light airs. Then, in 1978, to end the decade, the class headed off to the sun at Lake Garda, an event that became famous for the emergence of Tony Smith as the new man to beat at the front of the fleet.

With the Contender now very much an established international class, many of the names and personalities who had been so much a part of the scene in the early years, now moved aside.

For 1981, yet another new venue beckoned, Toronto. This time the front of the fleet was dominated by a battle between Newlands and Smith, that was finally decided in favour of Newlands, as he ‘did a Pitman’ in taking three consecutive titles.

By now the fleets at the top events were reaching that magical three figure mark, a milestone that was passed when 114 competitors turned up for the Garda Worlds. This time it was Australian Barry Watson who would be the man to beat, ahead of Keith Paul who was busy showing that he could still handle the breezy conditions in his old age! Third place went to the leading German boat, as Joachim Rosler confirmed his status as a front runner in the fleet.

“Come up and see my hi-fi”! At the end of the week, the weather at Struer improved enough to let Keith Paul sneak into third place – and the prize of a Bang & Olufsen hi-fi system.
Liz Andrews, who sailed well in conditions that many found really difficult, has just said “but you’re old enough to be my father!”
(Photo courtesy of Jim and Dee Mackonochie)
After the warmth and sunshine of Garda, Struer, the Class’s first visit to Danish waters for a Worlds, was wet, windy, windier, wetter, windier still and then it rained even harder. The campsites flooded; sailors were forced into trying to ‘pull’ girls so as to get a dry and warm bed (their intentions were of course completely honourable), yet none of this seemed to bother Watson, who dominated the first 6 races. Tony Smith was the best of the rest, with Keith Paul third. Spare a thought for poor Greg Lamb, who wiped out at high speed and broke his leg. It really was that sort of week!

This second phase of the Contender history ended with the Class back in the US, at Santa Cruz YC (home of Gil Woolley).

But still no key to the Olympic door for the Contender!

The third decade of the Contender started with the fleet back in Europe (just) as they travelled north to the Swedish town of Hamburgsund.

This time Sicily! The event looked like being another Brit benefit, until, on the last day, Andrea Bonezzi came from behind to take the title, watched by his friends and family.

Away from Stuart and his interest in Ovis Aries, the news was of the new kid on the block, the RS 600. Whatever the attractions of this new boat, nothing could match the Contender scene as the fleet headed off to Austria and the spectacular location of Attersee.

In 1997 the wonderful city of Sydney was alive with Olympic fever as the preparations for the Games went into overdrive. But first there was the little matter of the Contender World Championships to hold, when for once the famed harbour breeze failed to blow.

The following year the fleet chose another exotic island location for their championships. Sardinia is famous for hosting the glamorous Swan Gold Cup; however the glitzy lifestyle of the Costa Smerelda didn’t extend as far as the noisy and stony campsite where most of the fleet were based.

The end of the millennium, the ‘Millennium Bug’ and yet more politicking from ISAF. They already had two top International singlehanders, soon they would add to this list the Joachim Harpprecht designed ‘Musto Performance Skiff’ – which would be the final nail in the coffin of the Contender's Olympic aspirations.

Back in Europe, Graham Scott won the Hellerup Europeans and must have looked the firm favourite for when the Worlds came to Plymouth, his ‘home base’. It looked even better for Graham when early on, Bonezzi found a hole in the wind.

There was no lack of wind at Fremantle, where the famed ‘Fremantle Doctor’ blew with its usual ferocity. The heavy weather stars were very much in evidence, with Brits Simon Mussell and Tim Holden mixing it with Tim Hill, Marcus Hamilton and Jan Von der Bank.

The International Contender class now has fleets in more than twelve countries throughout the world. There are over 2400 Contenders built in various parts of the world, with 148 boats built in the last five years.