- Contender (dinghy)
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Current Specifications 
A Contender on reach
Class SymbolCrew 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 (180 lb) Mainsail area 10.8 m2 (116 sq ft) 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.
Contents
Background
"Single-handed" means sailed by only one person. The boat has a trapeze which allows the sailor to use his 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.
Continental Championships
European championship
External links
- International Contender Association
- International Sailing Federation Contender Microsite
- International Sailing Federation
Current Olympic Classes ISAF Centreboard classes Int. 14 • 29er • 29erXX • 420 • 505 • B14 • Byte • Cadet • Contender • Enterprise • Europe • Flying Dutchman • Flying_Junior • Laser • Laser Radial • Laser 2 • Laser 4.7 • Laser Vago • Lightning • Mirror • Musto Performance Skiff • OK Dinghy • O'pen BIC • Optimist • RS500 • RS Tera • RS Feva • Snipe • Splash • Sunfish • Tasar • Topper • Vaurien • Zoom 8ISAF Keelboat classes ISAF Yacht Classes ISAF Multihull Classes ISAF Windsurfer Classes Formula Experience • Formula Windsurfing • Funboard • RS:X • Mistral One Design Class • Raceboard • Speed Windsurfing • Techno 293ISAF Kiteboarding Classes International Kiteboarding AssociationISAF Classic Classes GP14 • IOD • SharkInternational Radio Sailing Association Classes 10 rater • A Class • Marblehead • One MetreFormer ISAF Classes 6.5 Metre • 7 Metre • 8 Metre • 8.5 Metre • 9 Metre • 10 Metre • 11 Metre One Design • Aloha • Buzz • C Class Cat • Division I Sailboard - Flatboard • Division II Sailboard - Displacement • Division III Sailboard - Tandem • Farr 45 • Open 50 • ORMA 60 • • Windglider • Lechner • Mistral Junior • ISO • Syndey 40 • X-99Sailing 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 8Dinghies under 15 ft 10ft Skiff • 12 foot dinghy • 125 ("One-twenty-five") • 12ft Skiff • 13ft skiff • 29er • 29erXX skiff • 3000 • 405 ("Four-oh-five") • 420 • Access Liberty • Adventuress • ASC • Astus 14.1 • Australian Sharpie • B14 • Banshee • Beetle Cat • Bermuda Fitted Dinghy • Blaze • Blue Jay • Bosun • British Moth • Butterfly • Buzz • Byte • Cadet • Cherokee • Cherub • C-Lark • Comet • Coypu • Dabchick • Daring • Dart • Enterprise • Escape • Europe • Envy • Extra • 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 2000 • 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 Tera • RS Q'Ba • RS Feva • 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 • Woodpussy • Zeddie • ZephyrDinghies under 20 ft 16ft Skiff • 18 foot dinghy • 18ft Skiff • 470 • 49er • 505 • Albacore • Beaufort • Invitation • Buccaneer 18 • Comet • Contender • Corsair • Day Sailer • Fireball • Flying Dutchman • Flying Scot • French National Monotype 1924 • Hornet • Interlake • International Canoe • Jacksnipe • Javelin (UK, NL & DE) • Jersey Skiff • Jollyboat (UK) • Jolly Boat • JY15 • Laser 4000 • Laser Bahia • Laser Stratos • Lelievlet • Lightning • 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 • Texas Tornado • 12m2 Sharpie • Thistle • Topper Topaz Omega • Vanguard 15 • Wayfarer • Windmill • Windy • Winkle Brig • X boat • Y flyerDinghies 20 ft or over Categories:- Dinghies
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