When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Contender 35 ST 2011 and the Contender 35 Tournament 2011 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?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Contender 35 ST 2011 at 34,8 ft versus Contender 35 Tournament 2011 at 34,8 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Contender 35 ST 2011 tips the scales at 1 156 lbs — 1 021 lbs more than the Contender 35 Tournament 2011 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.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 1 050 hp for the Contender 35 ST 2011 and 1 050 hp for the Contender 35 Tournament 2011. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup. Both carry nearly identical fuel loads — 4 gal and 4 gal — so range won't be a tiebreaker here.

Both boats are rated for 10 passengers — a good fit for a family of four or five plus guests. Comfort at capacity is another matter; the longer hull typically means more seat options and better weight distribution.