Hooked On! : The International Contender Story

In the mid 1960s, the IYRU (now ISAF) instigated a series of sailing trials to select a new performance dinghy to replace the Finn as the Olympic single handed class.

Their search for a new boat would eventually span three series of trials, but would ultimately result in the creation of what is surely the last of the truly classic international dinghies.

The boat finally chosen by the IYRU, the Contender, was an amazing blend of practical form, timeless and graceful design, yet fast enough to thrill the sailors of the day with scintillating performance.

In the 40 years since those foundling days of the Contender, the class has developed into a sophisticated dinghy that offers top quality racing around the globe.

In Hooked On, David Henshall charts the progress of the boat through those four decades, telling the tale of not only how the boat developed, but of the amazing 'Contender spirit' that exists within the fleet.