When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Contender 30 Tournament 2011 and the Contender 35 Tournament 2013 are deep vee designs with fiberglass construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?

Size is the most obvious dividing line here. The Contender 35 Tournament 2013 measures 34,8 feet overall (2013), giving it roughly 5,2 additional feet of deck space compared to the Contender 30 Tournament 2011 at 29,7 feet (2011). Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Contender 30 Tournament 2011 tips the scales at 925 lbs — 790 lbs more than the Contender 35 Tournament 2013 at 135 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.

The power gap is worth calling out. Rated to 1 050 hp, the Contender 35 Tournament 2013 has a 450-hp advantage over the Contender 30 Tournament 2011's 600-hp ceiling — enough to notice on acceleration and at cruising speed, particularly with a full passenger load. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Contender 30 Tournament 2011 carries 265 gallons versus 4 gallons in the Contender 35 Tournament 2013. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Contender 35 Tournament 2013 is rated for 10 passengers, while the Contender 30 Tournament 2011 caps at 9. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Contender 35 Tournament 2013 could be the deciding factor.