In the UK there is currently only one builder, Bob Hoare Sailboats in Poole (the other long established UK builder, Rondar Raceboats, stopped building Contenders in 2002).  The BHS boats were formerly built by Wavelength/Ridge, but the moulds were bought by BHS when Ian Ridge retired. There are a variety of construction options: all glass, all wood, or composite.

When buying secondhand the most common builder will be Rondar, but you will also come across composite boats built by Tony Smith or by Ian Ridge (post GBR-415).

All wood boats were also built in the UK by Graham Edwards, but all recent all-wood boats in the UK were built by Italy's Vito Bonezzi.

In performance terms there is little to choose between any of the methods of construction - in recent years, the world championship has been won by all glass boats from Rondar and Wavelength (now Bob Hoare Sailboats), and all wood Bonezzi boats.

Composite boats are also always in the running - the 2002 Europeans were won by Graham Scott in a BHS composite - so the choice is largely down to the owner, balancing aesthetics with maintenance.