Contender 32 LS

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While running Contender’s 32 LS, my inclinometer showed that the boat was riding at an average of 3 degrees. I was using hardly any positive trim on the twin Yamaha 300 hp outboards to keep the boat at that positive angle and carry the bow.

This is important because, during the test, we had only two people on board with no additional gear. That means that, once the 32 LS is loaded with gear and crew, you can still use the outboards’ positive trim to get the bow out of the water and maintain the efficiency that comes with the boat’s twin-step bottom design.

Naval architect John Cosker of Mystic Powerboats fame designed the twin-step deep-V for the 32 LS. The first step is right under the center console with the second one not quite four feet aft. What’s interesting is the strake configuration. There are two on each side of the hull forward of the first step. Abaft the step is a single strake per side, but it’s placed in the middle of the keel to the chine panels. On the aftmost running surface, Cosker used no strakes. He said the steps provide enough lift — strakes aft would produce too much — and the lack of strakes feeds cleaner water to the propellers. To ensure that the boat retains good rough-water ride quality, the forward sections of the bottom are convex in shape from chine to keel. This helps reduce slamming.