Star Class Honoring the Past, Leading the Future
It is with heavy hearts that we report the passing of Contender Sailcloth founder Guus
Bierman. Guus passed away peacefully on March 2, 2026.
Guus was a passionate sailor and yachtsman, for whom sailing always connected the dots in
life. Equally important, he was an internationally minded pioneer, always alert to any
opportunity and an excellent salesman and businessman. If you had the opportunity to meet
him, you would immediately recognize that this man had “sailcloth in his stomach,” as Guus
would say.
Guus was born on April 11, 1938, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and was introduced to
sailing as a young boy. He began sailing his canoe-class dinghy at the age of nine or ten on
the Nieuwe Meer near Amsterdam. It did not take long before he started crewing in the
Dutch one design class Vrijheid.
After completing his education, Guus began his career as a salesman for Marbon Chemicals
selling ABS plastics to the automotive industry. At the same time, he was actively sailing the
Flying Dutchman, attending international regattas and aiming for the 1964 Olympic Games.
However, he was rejected as he was considered a professional sailor, having found an
opportunity in selling sails.Thanks to his business savvy, this energetic, smart and competitive sailor was recommended
to build the European division of Howe & Bainbridge. Earlier, Guus had placed an
advertisement stating: “Dutch man looking for any opportunity,” which ultimately helped
seal the deal.
In 1972, Guus attended the Olympic Games in Munich as a reserve for the Dutch team in the
Flying Dutchman class, as his crew tragically passed away in a car accident shortly before the
Olympics. He later advanced to the international Star Class, with the Bacardi Cup always
holding a special place in his heart. In 2024, Guus was awarded The President’s Award by the
International Star Class Association.
Exactly 40 years ago, in 1986, Guus made the decision to become independent and founded
Contender Sailcloth in the Netherlands. With his exceptional ability to manage relationships,
he persuaded suppliers and producers to begin manufacturing for Contender Sailcloth. From
that moment on, the company began writing its own chapter in sailing history. Over the past
40 years, Contender Sailcloth expanded internationally, becoming a world leader in the
manufacturing and supply of sailcloth. Among the many milestones achieved, a few stand
out:
1988: During the Olympic Games in Seoul, Contender Sailcloth Polykote styles won 17 out of
18 medals in the Finn, Flying Dutchman, Soling, 470, and Europe classes.
1995: A breakthrough in the spinnaker cloth market came when the New Zealand team used
the lightest urethane-coated Superkote to win the America’s Cup, bringing the Cup to New
Zealand. Over four successful America’s Cup campaigns, Contender dominated the event
with its Superkote range. As a result of these successes, Contender became the world’s
leading manufacturer of nylon and polyester spinnaker fabrics.
1997: Contender Sailcloth USA was established in Fall River, Massachusetts, making
Contender Sailcloth a truly global operation.
Throughout his career, sailing remained Guus’ greatest passion, and he embraced every
opportunity to compete in regattas. Among his fondest memories were competing on Lake
Garda in the Asso 99 class with his international Contender Sailcloth team, winning the
Centomiglia in 2019. In late summer 2025, Guus was awarded honorary membership at
Circolo Vela Torbole and donated his boat to the yacht club, providing aspiring sailors with
the opportunity to develop their skills.
Although truly internationally minded, Guus also deeply loved his home yacht club, the
Koninklijke Watersport Vereniging Loosdrecht (KWVL). He made multiple charitable
donations to the club and supported local regattas. One of his favorite events at KWVL was
the Easy Week, held annually in August, where he continued to compete through 2025.
Guus will be greatly missed by the entire Contender Sailcloth team, his wife Janny Bierman-
Polman, his two children, Aksel, Marleen and her husband Alexander and his three
grandchildren, Laurens, Floris and Hugo.
