Both Alex and Peggy laugh when sharing their dilemma. ‘We haven’t quite made the decision yet,’ they declare, despite a strong suggestion that T-shirts and shorts will sway the call. ‘But increasingly we like that idea! It might be Maderia and the Canaries through to February or March and then afterwards back into the Mediterranean.’

The joy in their freedom to choose is infectious. ‘When we signed for our new boat back in September 2022, we had no clue we’d be doing this right now,’ says Alex.

‘I had planned to stop my work only in December 2024, to then go sailing, but suddenly the opportunity came to quit earlier, at the end of June, which was just seven days before we took delivery of our Meerlust. Such perfect timing!’

Hooked on the contest

Within six weeks the couple accomplished a shakedown cruise to Norway’s Stavanger and southern fjords, a return to Medemblik for snagging and prepping for the start of the unexpected cruise, meanwhile also moving home from Düsseldorf to Heinsberg, and even getting married!

Handling the large yacht was surprisingly easy thanks to the systems on board

‘I did underestimate the challenge, though it all came together,’ laughs Alex. ‘It was an interesting time.’ ‘And so now it’s our honeymoon, a long one,’ jests Peggy of this suddenly conceived long cruise. The couple have both sailed since childhood, cruising intermittently through adulthood, with Alex taking over his parent’s Nauticat 35 in 2013 for weekending and family holidaying.

‘People think of Nauticat as motor sailors,’ says Alex, ‘but they also had a pure sailing line. The 35 was one of these and we made the most of this, though limited by time, making trips to Normandy and Brittany, the Baltic and up to Norway.

‘I spent every free minute I had during my work-life sailing. Technically she was good as I refurbished her, but she was 30 years old and thoughts turned gradually to a new boat. Through 2013-16 I was living and working in Amsterdam where I got to know Arjen Conijn [CEO of Contest Yachts], and he invited me for a test sail and then I was hooked on Contest!

I really liked the style, the quality of build. I was really attracted but it took me some years, as to be honest I didn’t have time then to keep and sail such a big boat.

The couple had taken Meerlust, a Contest 50CS on a shakedown cruise to Norway

‘Since 2014 I was at every Düsseldorf show, looking around, seeing Contest introduce the sisterships 50CS and 49CS, which for us was the perfect size. And we went for the 50, not 49, because of the big aft cabin.’

During the couple’s personalisation of Meerlust, the optional wide transom window in the aft suite became an ‘essential’, having fallen in love with this during an Open Day at the shipyard.

‘Among these, stepping up from 35 to 50ft, I thought wouldn’t it be ideal to have the stern thruster as well as bow?’ Alex says. ‘With our old and smaller boat I had issues getting into harbour in sidewinds and so forth. But Arjen said, honestly, you don’t need it. And he was right.’

Performing to an audience

The point was quickly and publicly proven one late Saturday night arrival in a packed Stavanger harbour during that first shakedown cruise. ‘We were directed right into the outdoor party area, to a tiny spot on the main pier in front of the restaurant. No kidding, we had an audience of a thousand people in various bars and restaurants watching us, enjoying how nice the Contest looks, of course, but critically how we were mooring!

We had just half a metre front and back, but it was perfect. This boat handles so easily. And after three months with every second day a new harbour, I feel so safe and comfortable mooring with just a bow thruster. Here in Lagos, we had just centimetres to spare, it’s so easy.’

They stopped in Lanzarote before heading across the Atlantic

Performance and handling have also impressed. ‘17.1 knots, top speed,’ beams Peggy as she relives a downwind stretch on that Stavanger voyage. ‘Surfing down a wave, obviously, but we averaged around 11 knots the whole way!’

‘I mean the speed of this boat is unbelievable,’ Alex enthuses, ‘and everything was steered by the autopilot. I didn’t expect this, to be honest. I mean, you feel the power of the ocean, of nature; I felt we were flying, yet with an absolute sense of security. If you come from a more traditional cruiser as we have, all this innovation is a real step change.

‘I had heard that high freeboards like this impact upwind sailing, but coming into Lagos the last few miles yesterday, we were sailing higher than 30 degrees to wind, and so comfortable.

With this pushbutton sailing, taking the sail in and out is so easy and safe. You don’t have to run around on the foredeck with waves crashing over you. You just push a button back in the cockpit and it’s done, right.’

Mooring was straightforward, even with a large audience looking on

Effortless cruising

‘Meerlust is fast in light winds as well, and even if motoring, from time to time when a breeze comes you just pop out the sails and go, or if not furl back in. We get so many sailing chances. Without these systems you’d not even try, it would be too much effort!

‘As we followed the production of the boat through its year-and-half build, we were like maybe this boat is too big for us, how could we ever handle it,’ says Peggy. ‘But it’s not an issue at all.’

So, back to the choice of Med or Madeira? The backdrop of clear blue skies seemed most likely to dictate direction. This was the couple’s first full day of sun in all the 44 days so far down to Lagos, and it clearly delighted after the monotony of early autumn’s dreary weather… and our bet was on Peggy and Alex chasing that sunshine out to the Atlantic isles.

They did and are now back in the Med cruising leisurely towards Greece!

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