39 Contender for Sale, Contender 39ST Review and Buyer's Guide

The 39 Contender's place in tournament history

If you are looking at a 39 Contender for sale, you are looking at one of the most decorated tournament center consoles ever built. Contender Boats was founded in South Florida in 1984 and now celebrates more than 40 years of building semi-custom sportfishing boats. The brand's reputation was made on the sailfish, kingfish and offshore tournament circuits. The 39ST joined the range in 2014 as a new twin-step model, launched at $313,315 with triple Yamaha 300s, and it has been the big-water tournament boat of the line ever since.

The 39ST is built for teams that want to reach the fish first and keep fishing when the weather turns. Sport Fishing called it a serious fishing boat with the capacity, performance and ability to excel, and Contender itself describes it as a rocket ship on the water. Both are fair. With triple Yamaha 425s the boat has run past 72 mph, and it carries 500 gallons of fuel for long runs.

Contender recently redesigned the console, hardtop and leaning post of the 39ST, keeping the proven hull while updating the helm and ergonomics for today's electronics and joystick systems.

Two steps, 24.5 degrees and a narrow 10-foot-10 beam

The 39ST's hull is a twin-step deep-V with a beam of just 10 feet 10 inches, narrow for a 39-footer. Contender lists 24.5 degrees of deadrise. The narrow beam and steps reduce drag and help the boat run fast and efficiently, and the sharp entry slices through head seas.

The trade-off is roll at rest. A narrow boat rolls more on the drift than wider rivals, and a gyro is the usual fix on boats that spend long hours drifting. Stepped hulls also require an attentive driver; trim and throttle need care in following seas and hard turns, though experienced tournament captains value the responsiveness.

The deck is level, and the gunwales are about 25 inches high all around according to Sport Fishing's 39FA test, providing secure footing when fighting fish. Sport Fishing lists the 39ST at about 15,400 lb with power, a figure Salt Water Sportsman described as loaded when the boat launched.

Outboard packages, triple F350 to XTO 425 and beyond

The 39ST is rated for up to 1,600 hp today, up from 1,400 hp when it launched. The 2014 launch boats ran triple Yamaha 300s, later boats moved to triple F350s, and recent boats tested by Sport Fishing carry triple Yamaha XTO Offshore 425s. Sport Fishing also reported that a 39ST with triple F350s could run 72 mph, and that rigs with quad Mercury Verados or twin Seven Marine 557 supercharged V8s could reach about 75 mph.

In Sport Fishing's 2023 test, triple XF425s pushed the 39ST to 72.7 mph at 6,000 rpm, burning 113.8 gallons per hour, or 0.64 mpg. At 3,500 rpm it ran 36.6 mph at 0.98 mpg. The test showed a maximum range of 450 miles at that economical cruise based on 90 percent of fuel capacity.

The 2026 test with XTO 425s recorded 45.5 mph at 4,000 rpm and a maximum range of 432 miles with a 10 percent reserve, carrying 250 gallons of fuel, a tower and an optional upper station.

The redesigned console, hardtop and leaning post

The latest 39ST adds a redesigned sport console with a wraparound windshield and room for twin Garmin displays. A portside console entry door opens to a compartment with a toilet. Triple SV-style helm seats provide support on long runs, and an optional hardtop carries additional rod holders.

Livorsi Model 950 trim tabs are standard, and Yamaha Helm Master with autopilot and full joystick maneuverability is on the option list, along with 50 or 100 gallons of extra fuel capacity. These updates make the boat more comfortable and easier to handle, without changing the hull that made the 39 successful.

Box space for a kingfish weigh-in, the fishing layout

The 39ST's fishing layout is designed for tournaments. A 260-gallon forward fish box and a 145-gallon secondary forward box or dry storage handle large catches. Dual 105-gallon in-deck aft fish boxes sit port and starboard, and dual 40-gallon transom livewells with 1,500 gallon per hour pumps each keep live bait healthy.

Dual forward under-deck rod lockers, a cockpit coaming bolster and oversized bilge access add practicality. The transom has a dive platform and door. Contender offers extensive customization, so tournament teams can tailor rod storage, livewells and electronics to their fishing.

39ST versus 39FA, pick your cabin

Contender builds the 39FA on the same platform. The FA, for fisharound, arrived as a new model in 2016 and adds a step-down cabin with 6 feet 5 inches of headroom, a queen berth, a galley with stove, microwave and drawer refrigerator and freezer, an enclosed head with a stand-up shower, a flat-screen TV and air conditioning. It carries 460 gallons of fuel and 52 gallons of water.

Sport Fishing's 2017 test of the 39FA with triple F350s recorded 68.2 mph at the top and 44 mph at 4,000 rpm on 40 gallons per hour, or 1.1 mpg. The 39FA appeals to owners who want a family-friendly boat for overnight trips, while the 39ST is the pure fishing machine. If your priority is tournament fishing, choose the ST; if you plan to spend nights aboard, the FA makes sense.

Speed, fuel burn and what 500 gallons buys you

At the 2023 test's economical cruise of 36.6 mph and 0.98 mpg, the 39ST burns about 37 gallons per hour, and 450 usable gallons take it roughly 440 miles. The 2026 test's range figure implies about 0.96 mpg at 45.5 mph, so a fast tournament cruise costs surprisingly little extra. Run flat out at 72.7 mph and the burn climbs to 113.8 gallons per hour, which empties the tank in about four hours.

For practical purposes, that means a 39ST can run 100 miles to the fish at 45 mph, troll or slow-troll for six hours, and return with a healthy reserve. That capability, combined with the speed to beat the field to a weigh-in, is why the boat is so popular with tournament teams.

Annual running costs include triple outboard service at several thousand dollars per engine, insurance for a fast, high-value boat, storage on a lift or in dry stack, and electronics upgrades. A realistic budget sits between about $35,000 and $75,000 a year excluding fuel and depreciation.

Shopping for a 39 Contender for sale

Used 39ST prices range from about $180,000 for early triple 300 or F350 boats with high-hour engines to roughly $850,000 for nearly new XTO boats with the redesigned console. Older boats are good value if they have been repowered, but price the repower honestly: three new 425 hp outboards with rigging cost a large fraction of what an early hull is worth.

Tournament history cuts both ways. A boat that has fished the SKA trail or South Florida sailfish series for several seasons has probably been maintained by a professional captain, but it has also been run hard, often at high rpm in rough water. Ask for engine hours, service invoices and any record of hull or bracket repairs. Privately owned boats tend to have lower hours and older electronics.

Mid-generation boats from about 2017 to 2022 hit the best balance of price and features for most buyers. Look for a tower if you troll for billfish, a gyro if your crew is prone to seasickness on the drift, and a recent electronics package if you plan to fish tournaments seriously.