open 30 class sailboat

The Olson 30: Ultra Light, Ultra Fast

The complete book of sailboat buying, volume ii, june, 1987.

by  Editors of the Practical Sailor

The first project for Pacific Boats was the Olson 30, which was put into production in 1978. Over 200 of these 3600-pound ULDBs were sold, and the builder claims they have gathered in sufficient numbers to support one-design racing in Seattle, the Great Lakes, Annapolis, Texas, and Long Island Sound, as well as several spots in California. Pacific Boats was a small firm that built only the Olson 30 and the Olson 40, both to quality standards.

CONSTRUCTION

Some people wonder how the ULDB can be built so light and still be seaworthy offshore. The answer lies in the fact that a light boat is subjected to much lighter loads than a heavy boat when pounding through a sea (there is tremendous saving in weight with a stripped-out interior). And perhaps more importantly, ULDB builders have construction standards that are well above average for production sailboats. The ULDB builders say that their close proximity to each other in Santa Cruz, combined with their open sharing of technology, has enabled them to achieve these high standards. The Olson 30 is no exception. The hull and deck are fiberglass, vacuumbagged over a balsa core. The process of vacuum-bagging insures maximum saturation of the laminate and core with a minimum of resin, making the hull light and stiff. The builder claims that -they have so refined the construction of the Olson 30 that each finished hull weighs within 10 pounds of the standard. The deck of the Olson does not have plywood inserts in place of the balsa where winches are mounted, instead relying on external backing plates for strength.

The hull to deck joint is an inward turned, overlapping flange, glued with a rigid compound called Reid’s adhesive, and mechanically fastened with closely spaced bolts through a slotted aluminum toerail. This provides a strong, protected joint, seaworthy-enough for sailing offshore. The aluminum toerail provides a convenient location for outboard sheet leads, but is painful for those sitting on the rail.

The Olson 30’s 1800-pound keel is deep (5′ 1″ draft) and less than five inches thick. Narrow, bolted-on keels need extra athwartship support. The Olson 30 accomplishes this with nine six-inch bolts, and one ten-inch bolt (to which the lifting eye is attached). The lead keel is faired·with polyester putty and then completely wrapped with fiberglass to seal the putty from the marine environment.

Too many builders neglect sealing autobody putty-faired keels, and too many boat owners then find the putty peeling off at a later date. The Olson’s finished keel is painted, and, on the boats we’ve seen, remarkably fair. The keel-stepped, single-spreader, tapered mast is cleanly rigged with 5/32-inch Navtec rod rigging and internal tangs. The mast section is large enough for peace of mind in heavy air. The halyards exit the mast at well-spaced intervals, to avoid creating a weak spot. The chainplates are securely attached to half-bulkheads of I-inch plywood. In addition, a tie-rod attaches the deck to the mast, tensioned by a turnbuckle. While this arrangement should provide adequate strength, we would prefer both a tie-rod and a full bulkhead that spans the width of the cabin to absorb the compressive loads that rig tension puts on the deck.

The rudder’s construction is labor-intensive but strong. Urethane foam is hand shaped to templates, then glued to a two-inch diameter solid fiberglass rudder post. The builder prefers fiberglass because it has more “memory” than aluminum or steel. Stainless steel straps are wrapped around the rudder and mechanically fastened to the post. Then the whole rudder assembly is faired, fiberglassed, and painted.

PERFORMANCE

Handling Under Sail

For those of you who agonize over whether your PHRF rating is fair, consider the ratings of ULDBs. The Santa Cruz 50 rates 0; that’s right, zero. The 67-foot Merlin has rated as low as minus 60. The Olson 30 rates anywhere from 90 to 114, depending on the local handicapper. Olson 30 owners tell us that the boat will sail to a PHRF rating of 96, but she will almost never sail to her astronomical lOR rating of 32 (the lOR heavily penalizes ULDBs). ULDBs are fast. They are apt to be on the tender side, and sail with a quick, “jerky” motion through waves. Instead of punching through waves, they ride over them. Owners tell us that they do far less cruising and far more racing than they had expected to do when they bought the boat. They say it’s more fun to race because the boat is so lively.

Like most ULDBs, the Olson 30 races best at the extremes of wind conditions-under 10 knots and over 20 knots. Although her masthead rig may appear short, it is more than powerful enough for her displacement. Owners tell us that she accelerates so quickly you can almost tack at will – a real tactical advantage in light air. In winds under 10 knots, they say she sails above her PHRF rating, both upwind and downwind. In moderate breezes it’s a different story. Once the wind gets much above 10 knots, it’s time to change down to the #2 genoa. In 15 knots, especially if the seas are choppy, it’s very difficult for the Olson 30 to save her time on boats of conventional displacement, according to three-time national champ Kevin Connally. The Olson 30 is always faster downwind, but even with a crew of 5 or 6, she just can’t hang in there upwind. In winds above 20 knots, the Olson 30 still has her problems upwind. But when she turns the weather mark the magic begins. As soon as she has enough wind to surf or plane, the Olson 30 can make up for all she looses upwind, and more. The builder claims that she has pegged speedometers at 25 knots in the big swells and strong westerlies off the coast of California. That is, of course, if the crew can keep her 1800-pound keel under her 761-square foot spinnaker. The key to competitiveness in a strong breeze is the ability of the crew. Top crews say that because she is so quick to respond, they have fewer problems handling her in heavy air. However, an inexperienced crew which cannot react quickly enough, can have big problems. “The handicappers say she can fly downwind, so they give us a low (PHRF) rating. But they don’t understand that we have sail slow, just to stay in control,” complained the crew of one new owner.

Like any higher performance class of sailboat, the Olson 30 attracts competent sailors. Hence, the boat is pushed to a higher level of overall performance, and the PHRF rating reflects this. An inexperienced sailor must realize that he may have a tougher time making her sail to this inflated rating than a boat that is less “hot.”

The two most common mistakes that new Olson 30 owners make are pinching upwind and allowing the boat to heel excessively. ULDBs cannot be sailed at the 30 degrees of heel to which many sailors of conventional boats are accustomed. To keep her flat, you must be quick to shorten sail, move the sheet leads outboard, and get more crew weight on the rail. You can’t afford to have a person sitting to leeward trimming the genoa in a 12-knot breeze. To keep her thin keel from stalling upwind, owners tell us it’s important to keep the sheets eased and the boat footing.

Being masthead-rigged, the Olson 30 needs a larger sail inventory than a fractionally rigged boat. Class rules allow one mainsail, six headsails (jibs and spinnakers) and a 75-percent storm jib. Owners who do mostly handicap racing tell us they often carry more than six headsails.

Handling Under Power

Only a few of the Olson 30s sold were equipped with inboard power. This is because the extra weight of the inboard and the drag of the propeller, strut and shaft are a real disadvantage when racing against the majority of Olson 30s, which are equipped with outboard motors. The Olson 30 is just barely light enough to be pushed by a four to five horsepower outboard. It takes a 7.5 horse outboard to push the Olson 30 at 6.5 knots in a flat calm. The Olson’s raked transom requires an extra long outboard bracket, which puts the engine throttle and shift out of reach for anyone much less than 6 feet tall: “A real pain,” said one owner. Storage is a problem, too. Even if you could get the outboard through the stern lazarette’s small hatch, you wouldn’t want to race with the extra weight so far aft. As a result, most owners end up storing the outboard on the cabin sole. The inboard was an optional, 154-pound, 7-horsepower, BMW diesel. Unlike most boats, the Olson 30 will probably never return the investment in an inboard when the boat is sold. It detracts from the boat’s primary purpose-­racing.

Without an inboard, owners have a problem charging the battery. Owners who race with extensive electronics have to take the battery ashore after every race for recharging. If the Olson 30 weren’t such a joy to sail in light air, and so maneuverable in tight places, the lack of inboard power would be a serious enough drawback to turn away more sailors than it does.

Deck Layout

In most respects, the Olson 30 is a good sea boat. Although the cockpit is 6-1/2 feet long, the wide seats and narrow floor result in a relatively small cockpit volume, so little sea water can collect in the cockpit if the boat is pooped or knocked down. However, foot room is restricted, while the width of the seats makes it awkward to brace your legs on the leeward seat. The seats themselves

There are gutters to drain water off the leeward seat. The long mainsheet traveler is mounted across the cockpit. The Olson 30’s single companionway dropboard is latchable from inside the cabin, a real necessity in a storm offshore. A man-overboard pole tube in the stern is standard equipment. Teak toerails on the cockpit combing and on the forward part of the cabin house provide good footing, and there are handholds on the after part of the cabin house. The tapered aluminum stanchions are set into sockets molded into the deck and glassed to the inside of the hull, a strong, clean, leak-proof system. However, the stanchions are not glued or mechanically fastened into the sockets. If pulled upwards with great force they can be pulled out. We feel this is a safety hazard. Tight lifelines would help prevent this from happening, but most racing crews tend to leave them slightly loose so they can lean further outboard when hanging over the rail upwind. If the stanchions were fastened into the sockets with bolts or screws they would undoubtedly leak. A leakproof solution to this problem should be devised and made available to Olson 30 owners. The cockpit has two drains of adequate diameter. The bilge pump, a Guzzler 500, is mounted in the cockpit. As is common on most boats, the stern lazarette is not sealed off from the rest of the interior. If the boat were pooped or knocked down with the lazarette open, water could rush below through the lazarette relatively unrestricted. As the Olson 30 has a shallow sump, there is little place for water to go except above the cabin sole. A “paint-roller” type non-skid is molded into the Olson 30’s deck It provides excellent traction, but it is more difficult to keep clean than conventional patterned non-skid.

The Olson 30 is well laid out with hardware of reasonable, but not exceptional, quality. All halyards and pole controls lead to the cockpit through Easylock 1 clutch stoppers. The Easylocks are barely big enough to hold the halyards; they slip an inch under heavy loads. Older Olsons were equipped with Howard Rope Clutches. The Howards had’ a history of breaking (although the manufacturer has now corrected the problem). The primary winches, Barient 22s, are also barely adequate. Some owners we talked to had replaced them with more powerful models. Schaefer headsail track cars are standard equipment. One owner complained that he had to replace them with Merrimans because the Schaefers kept slipping.

Leading the vang to either rail and leading the reefing lines aft is also recommended. The mast partner is snug, leaving no space for mast blocks. The mast step is movable to adjust the prebend of the spar. The partner has a lip, over which a neoprene collar fits. The collar is hose-clamped to the mast. This should make a watertight mast boot. However, on the boat we sailed, the bail to which the boom vang attached obstructed the collar, causing water to collect and drain into the cabin.

The yolked backstay is adjustable from either quarter of the stem, one side being a 2:1 gross adjustment and the other side being an 8:1 fine tune. A Headfoil II is standard equipment. There is a babystay led to a track with a 6:1purchase for easy adjustment. The track is tied to the thin plywood of the forward V -berth with a wire and a turnbuckle. On the boat we sailed, the padeye to which the babystay tie rod is attached was seen to be tearing out from the V-berth.

There is a port in the deck directly over the lifting eye in the bilge. This makes for quick and easy drysailing. The Olson 30, however, is not easily trailered; her 3600 pounds is too much for all but the largest cars, and her 9.3-foot beam requires a special trailering permit.

The Olson 30 is cramped belowdecks. Her low deckhouse and substantial sheer may make her one of the sexiest-looking production boats on the water, but the price is headroom of only four feet, five inches. There is not even enough headroom for comfortable stooping. Moving about below is a real grind for an average-sized person. To offset the confinement of the interior, the builder has done everything possible to make it light and airy. In addition to the Lexan forward hatch and cabin house windows, the companionway hatch also has a Lexan insert. The inside of the hull is smooth sanded and finished with white gelcoat. There are no full-height bulkheads dividing the cabin. All the furniture is built of lightweight, light-colored, 3/8″ Scandanavian, seven-ply plywood.

The joinerwork is above average and all of the bulkhead and furniture tabbing is extremely neat. There isn’t much to the Olson 30’s interior, but what there is has been done with commendable craftmanship. The cabin sole is narrow, and with the lack of headroom, the woodwork is susceptible to being dinged and scratched from equipment like outboard motors. Once the finish on the wood is broken, it quickly absorbs water, which collects in the shallow bilge. ‘

The Olson 30 is not a comfortable cruiser. Even after you’ve taken all the racing sails ashore, the belowdecks is barely habitable. To save weight the quarterberths are made of thin cushions sewn to vinyl and hung from pipes.These pipe berths are comfortable, but the cushions are not easily removed. Should they get wet it’s likely they would stay wet for some time. Two seabags are hung on sail tracks above the quarter berths, which should help to insure that some clothes stay dry.

Just forward of each quarterberth is a small uncushioned seat locker. Behind each seat is a small portable ice cooler. In one seat locker is the stove, an Origo 3000, which slides up and out of the locker on tracks. The Ongo is a top-of-theline unpressurized alcohol stove, but to operate it the cook must kneel on the cabin sole. To work at the navigation station, which is in front of the starboard seat, you must sit sideways. In front of the port seat is the lavette, with a hand water pump and a removable, shallow, drainless sink. Drainless sinks eliminate the need for a through-hull fitting-a good idea-but they should be deep, not shallow.

Although there are curtains which can be drawn across the V-berth, we think human dignity deserves an enclosed head, especially on a 30’ boat. The V-berth is large and easy to climb into, but there are no shelves above it or a storage locker in the empty bow. In short, if you plan to cruise for more than a weekend, you’d better like roughing it.

CONCLUSIONS

A completely equipped Olson 30 ran about $35,000. Today, a used one will cost from $24,000 to $28,000 ( note – this was written in 1987, prices are lower in 2015 ). What do you get for this? You get a boat that’s well built, seaworthy, and reasonably well laid out. You get a boat that, in light air, will sail as fast as boats costing nearly twice as much. Downwind in heavy air, you have a creature that will blow your mind and leave everything (except a bigger ULDB) in your wake. If you spend all of your sailing time racing in a PHRF fleet in an area where light or heavy air dominates, the Olson 30 will probably give you more pleasure for your dollar than almost anything afloat.

However, if you race in moderate air or enjoy more than an occasional short cruise, you are likely to be very disappointed. Before you consider the Olson 30, you must realistically evaluate your abilities as a sailor. There’s nothing worse, after finding out that you can’t race a boat to her potential, than realizing that she is of little use for any other aspect of our sport.

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• Sailboat Reviews

This speedster is as specialized as it gets; mind-blowing performance, but almost no living space.

The Olson 30 is of a breed of sailboats born in Santa Cruz, California called the ULDB , an acronym for ultra light displacement boat. ULDBs are big dinghies—long on the waterline, short on the interior, narrow on the beam, and very light on both the displacement and the price tag. ULDBs attract a different kind of sailor—the type for whom performance means everything.

For some yachting traditionalists, the arrival of ULDB has been a hard pill to swallow. Part of this is simple resentment of a ULDB’s ability to sail boat for-boat with a racer-cruiser up to 15′ longer (and a whole lot more expensive). Part of it is the realization that, to sail a ULDB might mean having to learn a whole new set of sailing skills. Part of it is a reaction to the near-manic enthusiasts of Santa Cruz, where nearly 100 ULDBs race for pure fun—without the help of race committees, protest committees, or handicaps (in Santa Cruz, IOR is a dirty word). And part of the traditionalists’ resentment is their gut feeling that ULDBs aren’t real yachts.

In 1970, Californian George Olson tried an experiment and created the first ULDB. He thought if he took a boat with the same displacement and sail area as a Cal 20, but made it longer and narrower, it might go faster. The boat he built was called Grendel and it did go faster than a Cal 20, much faster than anyone had expected. The plug for Grendel was later widened by Santa Cruz boatbuilder Ran Moors, and used to make the mold for the Moore 24, a now-popular ULDB one-design.

In the meantime, George Olson had joined up with another Santa Cruz builder by the name of Bill Lee, and together they designed and built the Santa Cruz 27. Olson also helped Lee build his 1977 Transpac winner Merlin, a 67′, 20,000 pound monster of a ULDB (she was subsequently legislated out of theTranspac race). Then Olson and several other of Lee’s employees started their own boatbuilding firm (in Santa Cruz, of course) called Pacific Boats. The first project for Pacific Boats was the Olson 30, which was put into production in 1978. Pacific Boats later became Olson/Ericson, and produced a 25 and a 40. The latest incarnation of the 30 is called the 911.

Construction

Some people wonder how ULDBs can be built so light, yet still be seaworthy offshore. The answer is three-fold: first, a light boat is subjected to lighter loads, when pounding through a heavy sea, than a boat of greater displacement. Second, there is a tremendous saving in weight with a stripped-out interior. Third, as a whole, ULDB builders have construction standards that are well above average for production sailboats. The ULDB builders say that their close proximity to each other in Santa Cruz combined with an open sharing of technology has enabled them to achieve these standards.

The Olson 30 is no exception. The hull and deck are fiberglass vacuum-bagged over a balsa core. The process of vacuum-bagging insures maximum saturation of the laminate and core with a minimum of resin, making the hull light and stiff. The builder claims that they have so refined the construction of the Olson 30 that each finished hull weighs within 10 pounds of the standard. The deck of the Olson does not have plywood inserts in place of the balsa where winches are mounted, instead relying on external backing plates for strength.

The hull-to-deck joint is an inward turned overlapping flange, glued with a rigid compound called Reid’s adhesive, and mechanically fastened with closely spaced bolts through a slotted aluminum toerail. This provides a strong, protected joint, seaworthy enough for sailing offshore. We would prefer a semi-rigid adhesive, however, because it is less likely to fracture and cause a leak in the event of a hard collision. The aluminum toerail provides a convenient location for outboard sheet leads, but is painful to those sitting on the rail.

The Olson 30’s 1,800 pound keel is deep (5.1′ draft) and less than 5″ thick. Narrow, bolted-on keels need extra athwartships support. The Olson 30 accomplishes this with nine 5/8″ bolts and one 1″ bolt (to which the lifting eye is attached). The lead keel is faired with auto body putty and then completely wrapped with fiberglass to seal the putty from the marine environment. Too many builders neglect sealing auto body putty-faired keels, and too many boat owners then find the putty peeling off at a later date. The Olson’s finished keel is painted, and, on the boats we have seen, remarkably fair.

The keel-stepped, single-spreader, tapered mast is cleanly rigged with 5/32″ Navtec rod rigging and internal tangs. The mast section is big enough for peace of mind in heavy air. The halyards exit the mast at well-spaced intervals, so as not to create a weak spot.The shroud chainplates are securely attached to half-bulkheads of 1″ plywood. In addition, a tie rod attaches the deck to the mast, tensioned by a turnbuckle. While this arrangement should provide adequate strength, we would prefer both a tie rod and a full bulkhead that spans the width of the cabin so as to absorb the compressive loads that the tension of the rig puts on the deck.

The rudder’s construction is labor intensive, but strong. Urethane foam is hand shaped to templates, then glued to a 4″ thick solid fiberglass rudder post. The builder prefers fiberglass because it has more “memory” than aluminum or steel. Stainless steel straps are wrapped around the rudder and mechanically fastened to the post. Then the whole assembly is faired, fiberglassed, and painted.

Handling Under Sail

For those of you who agonize over whether your PHRF rating is fair, consider the ratings of ULDBs. The Santa Cruz 50 rates 0; that’s right— zero . The 67′ Merlin has rated as low as minus 60. The Olson 30 rates anywhere from 90 to 114, depending on the local handicapper. Olson 30 owners tell us that the boat will sail to a PHRF rating of 96, but she will almost never sail to her astronomical IOR rating of 32′ (the IOR heavily penalizes ULDBs).

ULDBs are fast. They are apt to be on the tender side, and sail with a quick, “jerky” motion through waves. Instead of punching through a wave, they ride over it. You may get to where you are going fast, but with the motion of the boat and the Spartan interior you won’t get there in comfort. Olson 30 owners tell us that they do far less cruising and far more racing that they had expected to do when they bought the boat. They say it’s more fun to race because the boat is so lively.

Like most ULDBs the Olson 30 races best at the extremes of wind conditions—under 10 knots and over 20 knots. Although her masthead rig may appear short, it is more than powerful enough for her displacement. Owners tell us that she accelerates so quickly you can almost tack at will—a real tactical advantage in light air. In winds under 10 knots they say she sails above her PHRF rating both upwind and downwind.

In moderate breezes it’s a different story. Once the wind gets much above 10 knots, it’s time to change down to the #2 genoa. In 15 knots, especially if the seas are choppy, it’s very difficult for the Olson 30 to save her time on boats of conventional displacement, according to three-time national champ Kevin Connally. The Olson 30 is always faster downwind, but even with a crew of 5 or 6, she just cannot hang in there upwind.

In winds above 20 knots, the Olson 30 still has her problems upwind, but when she turns the weather mark the magic begins. As soon as she has enough wind to either surf or plane, the Olson 30 can make up for all she loses upwind, and more. The builder claims that she has pegged speedometers at 25 knots in the big swells and strong westerlies off the coast of California. That is, if the crew can keep her 1800 pound keel under her 761 sq. ft. spinnaker.

The key to competitiveness in a strong breeze is the ability of the crew. Top crews say that, because she is so quick to respond, they have fewer problems handling her in heavy air than a heavier, conventional boat. However, an inexperienced crew which cannot react fast enough can have big problems. “The handicappers say she can fly downwind, so they give us a low rating (PHRF), but they don’t understand that we have to sail slow just to stay in control,” complained the crew of one new owner.

Like any higher performance class of sailboat, the Olson 30 attracts competent sailors. Hence, the boat is pushed to a higher level of overall performance, and the PHRF rating reflects this. An inexperienced sailor must realize that he may have a tougher time making her sail to this inflated rating than a boat that is less “hot.” The two most common mistakes that new Olson 30 owners make are pinching upwind and allowing the boat to heel excessively. ULDBs cannot be sailed at the 30 degrees of heel to which many sailors of conventional boats are accustomed. To keep her flat you must be quick to shorten sail, move the sheet leads outboard, and get more crew weight on the rail. You can’t afford to have a person sitting to leeward trimming the genoa in a 12-knot breeze. To keep her thin keel from stalling upwind, owners tell us it’s important to keep the sheets eased and the boat footing.

Being masthead-rigged, the Olson 30 needs a larger sail inventory than a fractionally rigged boat. Class rules allow one mainsail, six headsails (jibs and spinnakers) and a 75% storm jib. Owners who do mostly handicap racing tell us they often carry more than six headsails.

Handling Under Power

Only a few of the Olson 30s sold to date have been equipped with inboard power. This is because the extra weight of the inboard and the drag of the propeller, strut and shaft are a real disadvantage when racing against the majority of Olson 30s, which are equipped with outboard engines. The Olson 30 is just barely light enough to be pushed by a 4-5 hp outboard, which is the largest outboard that even the most healthy sailor should be hefting over a transom. It takes a 7.5 hp. outboard to push the Olson 30 at 6.5 knots in a flat calm. The Olson’s raked transom requires an extra long outboard bracket, which puts the engine throttle and shift out of reach for anyone much less than 6′ tall: “A real pain in the ass,” said one owner. Storage is a problem, too. Even if you could get the outboard through the stern lazarette’s small hatch, you wouldn’t want to race with the extra weight so far aft. So most owners end up storing the outboard on the cabin sole.

The inboard, a 154 pound, 7 hp BMW diesel, was a $4,500 option. Unlike most boats, the Olson 30 will probably not return the investment in an inboard when you sell the boat, because it detracts from the boat’s primary purpose—racing.

Without an inboard there’s a problem charging the battery. Owners who race with extensive electronics have to take the battery ashore after every race for recharging. If the Olson 30 weren’t such a joy to sail in light air, and so maneuverable in tight places, the lack of inboard power would be a serious enough drawback to turn away more sailors than it does.

Deck Layout

In most respects, the Olson 30 is a good sea boat. Although the cockpit is 6 1/2′ long, the wide seats and narrow floor result in a relatively small cockpit volume, so that little sea water can collect in the cockpit if the boat is pooped or knocked down. However, foot room is restricted, while the width of the seats makes it awkward to brace your legs on the leeward seat. The seats themselves are comfortable because they are angled up and the seatbacks are angled back. There are gutters to drain water off the leeward seat. The long mainsheet traveler is mounted across the cockpit—good for racing but not so good for cruising.

The Olson 30’s single companionway drop board is latchable from inside the cabin, a real necessity in a storm offshore. A man overboard pole tube in the stern is standard equipment. Teak toerails on the cockpit coaming and on the forward part of the cabin house provide good footing, and there are handholds on the aft part of the cabin house.

The tapered aluminum stanchions are set into sockets molded into the deck and glassed to the inside of the hull, a strong, clean, leak-proof system. However, the stanchions are not glued or mechanically fastened into the sockets. If pulled upwards with great force they can be pulled out. We feel this is a safety hazard. Tight lifelines would help prevent this from happening, but most racing crews tend to leave them slightly loose so as to be able to lean farther outboard when hanging over the rail upwind. If the stanchions were fastened into the sockets with bolts or screws they would undoubtedly leak. A leakproof solution to this problem should be devised and made available to Olson 30 owners.

The cockpit has two drains of adequate diameter.

The bilge pump, a Guzzler 500, is mounted in the cockpit. The Guzzler is an easily operated, high capacity pump. However, its seeming fragility worries us. As is common on most boats, the stern lazarette is not sealed off from the rest of the interior. If the boat were pooped or knocked down with the lazarette open, water could rush below through the lazarette relatively unrestricted. As the Olson 30 has a shallow sump, there is little place for water to go except above the cabin sole.

A “paint-roller” type non-skid is molded into the Olson 30’s deck. It provides excellent traction, but it is more difficult to keep clean than conventional patterned non-skid.

The Olson 30 is well laid out with hardware of reasonable, but not exceptional, quality. All halyards and pole controls lead to the cockpit though Easylock I clutch stoppers. The Easylocks are barely big enough to hold the halyards; they slip an inch under heavy loads. Older Olsons were equipped with Howard Rope Clutches.

The primary winches, Barient 22s, are also barely adequate. Some owners we talked to had replaced them with more powerful models. Schaefer headsail track cars are  tandard equipment. One owner complained that he had to replace them with Merrimans because the Schaefers kept slipping. Leading the vang to either rail and leading the reefs aft is also recommended. The mast partner is snug, leaving no space for mast blocks. The mast step is movable to adjust the prebend of the spar. The partner has a lip, over which a neoprene collar fits. The collar is hoseclamped to the mast. This should make a watertight mast boot. However, on the boat we sailed, the bail to which the boom vang attached obstructed the collar, causing water to collect and pour into the cabin.

The yoked backstay is adjustable from either quarter of the stern, one side being a 2-to-1 gross adjustment and the other side being an 8-to-1 fine tune. A Headfoil II is standard equipment. There is a babystay led to a ball-bearing track with a 4-to-1 purchase for easy adjustment. The track is tied to the thin plywood of the forward V-berth with a wire and turnbuckle. On the boat we sailed, the pad eye to which the babystay tie rod is attached was tearing out of the V-berth.

There is a port in the deck directly over the lifting eye in the bilge. This makes for quick and easy drysailing. The Olson 30, however, is not easily trailered; her 3600 pounds is too much for all but the largest cars, and her 9.3′ beam requires a special trailering permit.

The Olson 30 is cramped belowdecks. Her low freeboard, short cabin house and substantial sheer may make her the sexiest-looking production boat on the water, but the price is headroom of only 4′ 5″. There is not even enough headroom for comfortable stooping; moving about below is a real chore.

To offset the confinement of the interior, the builder has done all that is possible to make it light and airy. In addition to the lexan forward hatch and cabin house windows, the companionway hatch also has a lexan insert. The inside of the hull is smoothly sanded and finished with white gelcoat. There are no full height bulkheads dividing up the cabin. All of the furniture is built of lightweight, light-colored, 3/8″ thick Scandinavian plywood of seven veneers.

The joinerwork is above average and all of the bulkhead and furniture tabbing is extremely neat. There isn’t much to the Olson 30’s interior, but what there is has been done with commendable craftsmanship. The interior wood is fragile, though. There are several unsupported panels of the 3/8″ plywood; if someone were to fall against them with much force it’s likely they would fracture. The cabin sole is narrow, and with the lack of headroom the woodwork is especially susceptible to being dinged and scratched from equipment like outboard engines. Once the finish on the wood is broken, it quickly absorbs water, which collects in the shallow bilge.

The Olson 30 is not a comfortable cruiser. Even after you’ve taken all the racing sails ashore, the belowdecks is barely habitable. To save weight the quarterberths are made of thin cushions sewn to vinyl and hung from pipes. These pipe berths are comfortable, but the cushions are not easily removed. Should they get wet it’s likely they would stay wet for quite a while. Two seabags are hung on sail tracks above the quarter berths, which should help to insure that some clothes always stay dry.

Just forward of each quarterberth is a small uncushioned seat locker. Behind each seat is a small portable ice cooler. In one seat locker is the stove, an Origo 3000 which slides up and out of the locker on tracks. The Origo is a top-of-the-line unpressurized alcohol stove, but to operate it the cook must kneel on the cabin sole. To work at the navigation station, which is in front of the starboard seat, you must sit sideways. In front of the port seat is the lavette, with a hand water pump and a removable, shallow drainless sink. Drainless sinks eliminate the need for a through-hull fitting, a good idea; but they should be deep, not shallow.

The portable head is mounted under the forward V-berth, which we think is totally unsuitable for a sailboat. Who wants a smelly toilet under his pillow? Although there are curtains which can be drawn across the V-berth, we think human dignity deserves an enclosed head, especially on a 30′ boat. The Vberth is large and easy to climb into, but there are no shelves above it nor a storage locker in the empty bow. In short, if you plan to cruise for more than a weekend you had better like roughing it.

Conclusions

For 30-footers, the price of an Olson 30 is cheap; but for boats of similar displacement, it’s damned expensive.

What do you get for the money? You get a boat that is well-built, seaworthy, and reasonably well laid out. You get a boat that, in light air, will sail as fast as boats costing nearly twice as much. Downwind in heavy air, you have a creature that will blow your mind and leave everything shy of a bigger ULDB in your wake. If you spend all of your sailing time racing in a PHRF fleet in an area where light or heavy air dominates, the Olson 30 will probably give you more pleasure for your dollar than almost anything afloat.

However if you race often in moderate air or enjoy more than a very occasional short cruise, you are likely to be very disappointed. Before you consider the Olson 30, you must realistically evaluate your abilities as a sailor. There’s nothing worse than, after finding out that you can’t race a boat to her potential, knowing that she is of little use for the other aspects of our sport.

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• Reference ID 599
• Builder Open
• Location Netherlands
• Engine type Single
• L.O.A. (mtr) 9.14
• Beam (mtr) 4.04
• Draft (mtr) 2.5
• Displacement (Kg) 1545
• Material Fiberglass / Composite
• Engine Torqeedo 2 x cruise

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Yacht description.

Canting keel Open 30 in good condition.

Owner mainly used her for fun fast sailing and a few clubregatta´s. She has been stored inside since 2016.

Owners comments:

We set up the boat for only day racing now, but the amount of space compared to the Mini 6.50 has much more possibilities. Bunks can be made in the aft part, middle section as nav station and kitchen and front section for storage and sails for example.

Regarding performance of the yacht she is a boat with an electrical canting system that is super easy to operate and a new developed main to perform better upwind.

TWA     30 deg                TWS      8-10 knots                      Boatspeed         7 knots

TWA     140 deg              TWS      15-20 knots                    Boatspeed         10-16 knots

With the new main the rating is more optimized and has better performance upwind, especially with more breeze. Boat is more in balanced so the boatspeed is more consistent.

Downwind we have a bigger gennaker than the old one so the boat can easily plane. With the extended (retractable) bowsprit we can move the gennaker 3 meters from the forestay, so the gennaker has always space for power. You even can think of a staysail for better performance.

Also with the new extended rudders you will have always control of the boat in any breeze. The balance with the sailplan and appendage configuration is much approved.

Bermudian sloop

• Retractable gennakerpole ca. 2 m long carbon with iron core. 
• Dyneema lines
• Selden carbon mast with 2 double spreaders (total length 13,747 mm)-2008
• Boom Selden carbon-2008
• Pbo rigging Powerlite -2008
• mainsail, used 1 season, 2018. Very light and provided with ov-resistant material in combination with carbon fibres.  Ullman Fiberpath membrane, Carbon/Twaron Black strings, film to film.
• spare 3d mainsail 2014, used for 4 seasons
• High Aspect Jib, 24 m2 in Membrane Black Technora with Internal Taffeta, Van Vliet Sails 2017,in excellent condition
• gennaker Van Vliet, excellent condition, suitable for downwind races. Medium
• code zero for light weather, spinnaker cloth material
• code zero high tec taffetta/carbon
• storm jib North Sails

Accommodations

No sleeping accommodation, a real day sailor, but can be installed

Deck and Cockpit

• all blocks Harken and Ronstan.
• tiller steering with extension Spinlock
• 2 new batteries of 130 Ah.
• 2 electo motors Torqeedo 2 x cruise, boatspeed approx. 4 knots for 4 to 5 hours.
• electric winch for canting keel
• ISAF OSR compliant lifelines fitted

Electronics and Navigational Gear

• Raymarine 8000 autopilot with remote control (very accurate)
• plotter Simrad
• B&G displays
• waterproof ICOM IC -M411 VHF radio.
• electrically operated canting keel, to be operated from the cockpit
• bulb keel 500 kg
• st steel anchor 
• new rudders
• mainsailcover
• cradle (optional)

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Contact Details

• Name Site Broker | Racing-Yachts.com
• Email [email protected]
• Phone 1234567
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The VG-Open30

Project Detail

In December 2007 Moondance Yachts in Cape Town, South Africa splashed their first Van Gorkom designed production Open30 named “OverProof,” a high performance one-off racer. See our report on OverProof sailing the Cape to Bahia Race .

The next boat off the line has a cat-rig and a canting keel . The driving force for this innovative arrangement was a need to simplify the handling of the boat without a reduction in performance (read more).

Meanwhile, the first VG-Open30 is on the water in Australia ( see pictures ). The owner is an experienced offshore racer and intends to campaign his boat in short-handed and single-handed Pacific Ocean events.

The 30 footer has always been a popular and practical racer, particularly with amateur boat builders. To capitalize on this and bring more affordable boats into the market, Van Gorkom Yacht Design have entered the Open30 arena with an exciting new 30 footer developed as a do-it-yourself (and a few good friends) kit-plan-package. This comprehensive package makes it possible for the sailor/amateur boat builder to construct a high performance one-off racer for a fraction of what a custom design would cost.

As with all VGYD’s designs, the underlying theme of the VG-Open30 has been one of meticulous consideration to the sailing criteria of the boat. VGYD is predicting a great performance out of this boat with the VPPs indicating a speed of 19 knots in 25 knots of wind at 120 degrees true wind angle. At about 14 knots of true wind speed, the VG-Open30 will start breaking loose and the boat should start planing by 17 to 18 knots of wind at an estimated boat speed of between 16 and 20 knots. She has a sailing displacement/length ratio of 128 and a sail area/displacement ratio of 34 upwind and a massive downwind SA/DSPL ratio of 82.

The fractional rig is carbon fiber with 20 degree swept-back spreaders and carries non-overlapping jibs, reachers and generous asymmetric spinnakers.  Due to the highly roached/square top main there is no backstay to hang up on. The rig incorporates a user-friendly runner/check stay system to compensate for the fore and aft loads from headsails.

The deck arrangement has been well thought out to create the perfect working platform for a high performance one-off racer. All the halyards and control lines have been lead back to the cockpit to banks of neatly organized jammers. The deck-mounted, carbon fiber bow sprit is both retractable and can articulate. The mainsheet traveler is on a curved track bridging the aft end of the cockpit. The aft end of the cabin house forms a protective cowl that a sailor can shelter behind in rough conditions.

The VG-Open30’s deep fin keel and dolphin-bulb configuration generates plenty of powerful righting moment. The foils used on the keel are our state-of-the-art, high-lift, laminar flow sections. The twin, kick-up rudders have the same high-lift sections with elliptical trailing edges, which maximize efficiency and minimizes drag. This keel and rudder combination contributes to a remarkably well balanced boat, needing only a flex of the fingers to steer her through the chop.

The interior ergonomics of an offshore racing machine play an important role in the boat’s overall success by providing a functional and relatively comfortable environment for the crew. The VG-Open30 has a swing berth port and starboard, a sit-down navigation station with a curved seating surface to port, ample stowage volume, and a water tight bulkhead. The auxiliary engine is an inboard Yanmar 9.5 hp diesel with Saildrive.

Although this boat will be sailed shorthanded, a full range of dynamic stability is still available using the water ballast tanks. The system operates via an electric pump with a hand pump backup. The flow controls are located in the cockpit, providing quick and convenient access. The total capacity of the port and starboard wing tanks is 264 gallons (507 liters), or the weight of 6½ crew members per side.

VGYD is selling the basic VG-Open30 kit-plan-package for US$4500. See Kit Plans for details.

See OverProof in action!

Cat rigged version

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2022 Boat of the Year: Best Offshore Racer

• By Dave Reed
• December 17, 2021

Sailing World Magazine’s annual Boat of the Year tests are conducted in Annapolis, Maryland, following the US Sailboat Show. With independent judges exhaustively inspecting the boats on land and putting them through their paces on the water, this year’s fleet of new performance-sailing boats spanned from small dinghies to high-tech bluewater catamarans. Here’s the best of the best from our 2022 Boat of the Year nominees »

As interest in doublehanded offshore racing piqued with the expectations it would be an Olympic sailing discipline in 2024, so too did the development and production of several purpose-built 30-footers. Dehler Yachts, Germany’s big production boatbuilder, jumped into the action with its own 30-footer, and as we’d expect of a Judel/Vrolijk and Co.-designed race boat, this one is an all-business shorthanded racing machine jam-packed with cool features found on grand‑prix boats twice its size.

“You can tell they started with a blank slate because the boat is so well-integrated with the design and construction—from bow to stern,” Greg Stewart says. “It hits its design purpose spot on. It’s a complete small offshore one-design, and it’s obvious there was a lot of development required to get things so right.”

Prototypes and mock-ups after mock-ups were required, Dehler says, to efficiently accommodate a lot of boat handling and living in such a compact craft. Virtually every rope on the boat spills into the cockpit, which is the way of life in shorthanded sailing, where everything happens at the back of the boat. Vigilance with line keeping, therefore, is paramount. That and carefully executed and planned maneuvers. In full-tilt conditions, there will be a lot going on in the cockpit, Stewart says, but everything’s easily at hand.

“All the control-line leads are well thought out,” he adds, pointing to the smooth-operating traveler controls and the individual gross and fine-tuned mainsheet flip cleats mounted on the cockpit floor.

Powlison’s first impression at the dock was that the boat would be challenging to manage, but “once we went sailing, it all was logical. Yes, there’s a lot of line management, but once you’re disciplined to do that, the boat is much easier to sail than it looks.”

With the trio of judges and the owner piled on board during the test sail, it was immediately obvious that two is company and three is definitely a crowd. “It’s also not the type of boat where you’ll want to spontaneously invite an inexperienced crew [to go race],” Powlison says. “You will really need to know what you’re doing, but once you do get comfortable with everything, it will be a really easy boat to sail well.”

Ben Corson, the Annapolis-based owner of our test boat, had spent the better part of a year racing with his female partner and tinkering with the boat, and consequently, the boat is meticulously prepared, race-ready and offshore-compliant. There’s no mistaking what’s what and where—labels pasted throughout the boat identify halyards, sail and ballast controls, safety gear and even the electronics manuals.

As a tightly controlled one-design class with ratified rules, owners like Corson can’t do much to the boat as it is, but there’s not much—if anything—an owner would need to change anyway. Everything on the boat, the judges agreed, works as it should. Adjustable backstays, for example, lead forward to clutches mounted on the cockpit wall, which allows the backstays to be kept taut or released without having to worry about loading to a winch during a maneuver. With the turn of a locking nut on the tiller arm, the steering system can be adjusted to change rudder toe-in on either side. The traveler track runs nearly the full width of the wide transom, opening up a wide range of adjustability for the 361-square-foot mainsail, and as a bonus, small removable reaching struts open up headsail sheeting angles. Stainless-steel foot braces are easy to deploy and stow, and allow the skipper to lock into a comfortable position over the angled coaming, with great visibility over the bow.

When the boat is powered up and leaning on the chine, Allen says, the sensation is exceptional: “This delivered the best sailing experience of all of the boats we tested. It was easy to tack and jibe, it tracked great, it’s easy to get to the sail controls, and we had no problems whatsoever with wiping out—and we tried hard a few times.”

With Allen on the tiller and Powlison managing the sheets as they started upwind into a 15-knot breeze, Stewart hit the chamfered rail. “My first impression from the rail was how high I was and how it was charging upwind—like a big boat. I couldn’t feel the chop, I didn’t get wet, it didn’t skid out at all. I was also amazed at how solid it felt; there wasn’t one bit of pounding, creaking or anything.”

Eventually, Stewart came off the rail and they filled the ballast tank instead—to the equivalent of 400-plus pounds of rail meat. Allen says the gravity-fed water-ballast system took about five minutes to top off, roughly 30 seconds to transfer during a tack, and less than a minute to drain.

“Once we added the water ballast, the boat just powered forward,” Powlison says. “You can really feel the difference when the boat sits on the chine and just tracks straight ahead.”

Impressed as they were with the Dehler 30’s upwind pace, when they set the big red A2 spinnaker (1,076 square feet) and took off down the bay, they had no doubts about the boat’s downwind potential. They only used three of the five class-sail inventory on board, which includes an A2, an A5, a spinnaker staysail and a Code Zero, and if they had more time and distance, they would have certainly piled on more sail area.

“I could see going with the A5, the J3 and the staysail, and maybe a reefed main in a big breeze,” Allen says. “That would be fun—and wicked fast.”

Lightweight and strong is, of course, the holy grail of every race boat, and here too Dehler delivers with what the judges say is an immaculate cored-hull laminate and good detail in the finish work throughout the boat. Dehler was also keen to leave out extraneous weight from the interior to get the boat to weigh in at just over 6,000 pounds. Without any floorboards (there’s thin foam padding glued to the inner hull skin instead), they’re able to get 6 feet of standing headroom at the companionway (which has a sliding hatch hood on rails) and plenty of sitting headroom forward of the mast and into the V-berth.

To achieve a higher level of the camper-sailor experience, comfortable V-berth cushions and removable mesh hull liners are standard, as is a folding centerline table, rounded wooden bench seats, and backrests that double as pipe berths. With storage cubbies scattered about the boat, a marine toilet with a graywater tank, a two-burner stove and two quarter berths, this little race rocket is definitely a legit weekender too. Lithium-ion batteries and a 9.9 diesel with a retractable Stealth Drive shaft that pulls up flush with the hull will get you where you need to go and keep the electronics suite powered up just fine.

The Dehler 30 was a strong contender for Boat of the Year, but the judges couldn’t dismiss the boat’s biggest limitation: It will get hammered by most rating systems, which makes it a one-trick one-design offshore-racing pony. It is, however, an outstanding design for keen shorthanded sailors looking for a race-ready platform for just over $240,000. If—or when—international class racing ever becomes a real thing, the offshore sailing world will be a better place.

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World’s coolest yachts: Open 50

• Helen Fretter
• January 31, 2022

We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. Ocean racer Nick Moloney nominates the Open 50.

“I’d been intrigued by solo or short-handed sailing since the early days of the BOC Challenge (Around Alone 5 Oceans) and was blown away by the wide beam Finot-Conq designs that began to push the parameters of form stability with incredibly wide beams,” recalls  Nick Moloney, as he nominates his favourite Open 50.

“In the build up to our 1997-98 Whitbread Round the World Race, we were constructing our yacht Toshiba in Newport, which is also where the Open 50 Cray Valley was also coming to life for Jean-Pierre (JP) Mouligne and his campaign towards the 1998 Around Alone Race. I snuck away from the sail loft the day that Cray Valley first went in the water and watched  from a distance. I remember saying to myself ‘I’d give anything to sail that beautiful boat’.

Nick Moloney winning division in the 2002 Route du Rhum aboard the Open 50 Ashfield Healthcare Photos: DPPI/Offshore Challenges

“Roll forward to 2002, and Offshore Challenges entered two boats in the Route du Rhum . Ellen MacArthur would race her beloved Kingfisher Open 60 and Mark Turner sourced an Open 50 for my campaign. I could not believe it when Mark revealed to me what my boat would be. I immediately knew that something special would come of this relationship.

“Both Ellen and I won our respective divisions in style, in a storm-torn event that also saw me set a new course record on the Open 50, then called Ashfield Healthcare . My memories of sailing solo on this boat, at speeds in excess of 20 knots are some that I will never forget.

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“That boat went on to have a further decorated life with some fabulous sailors such as Conrad Humphreys, Paul Larsen and Michael Perham, not forgetting that JP won the 1998 Around Alone, the race that she was ultimately designed and built for.

I believe that some boats have huge hearts. This is one of the biggest hearted boats I have ever sailed on.”

Open 50 Stats rating:

Top speed: 30+ knots LOA: 15.24m Launched: 1996 Berths: 2 Price: £2,000,000 Adrenalin factor: 85%

Nick Moloney

Nick Moloney is most famous for solo ocean racing, including the 2004 Vendée Globe . He has competed in the Whitbread Round the World Race, two America’s Cups, and set a crewed non-stop around the world Jules Verne Trophy record aboard Orange in 2002. He was also the first person to windsurf across the Bass Strait. Follow his adventures at nickmoloney.com

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Congratulations to Debby Grimm and team Hot Chocolate for winning the 43rd Annual Bikini Cup Regatta in Pensacola, FL.

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Demystifying yacht classification A, B, C, D

N.B. For your information, a more recent article was published on 24 Oct 2022 on the same subject, click here for direct access.

Demystifying yacht classification :  Class A, B, C and D

Since 1998, CE certification is required for all recreational boats entering or being sold in Europe obliging boat manufacturers to respect certain building and security standards.  Therefore, yachts ( boats ) are classified into four categories depending on their aptitude to confront navigational conditions taking into account both force of the wind and height of the waves.  The categories are not to limit the area and distance of navigation (that is defined by security equipement onboard) but  to  sensitize the owner and/or captain of the boats capacities to navigate in complete security.

Let us start with the Beaufort Scale.   A scale for classifying the force of the wind ranging from 0 (calm) to 12 (hurricane).   It was devised by an admiral in the British Navy, Francis Beaufort, to uniform the description of the effect of different winds at sea.

There is a direct link between the Beaufort scale and boat classification.   For discussion purposes, we will use only the 6, 7 and 8 forces.

A Class A yacht ( boat ) is a vessel that is built to navigate the open ocean and surpass a force 8 on the Beaufort scale and surpass waves higher that 4 meters.   These yachts are constructed to be self sufficient in hostile seas.

A Class B yacht ( boat ) is a vessel built to navigate on the offshore waters (200 miles and less) and can substain UP TO force 8 and waves UP TO 4 meters.

A Class C boat is a vessel built to navigate inshore such as lakes, rivers, bays and close to the shore and can sustain UP TO force 6 and waves UP TO 2 meters.

A Class D boat is built for protected or sheltered waters such as canals, rivers, small lakes and sustain a force 4 and waves UP TO .3 meters (less that 1 ft).

With this said, you can understand that the Class A yacht ( boat ) respects a rigorous building code more so than a Class B and so forth.    But regardless of the class, it is strongly discouraged to navigate in a force 7 for the reasons of safety and comfort as « pleasure » should always be on the agenda.  Always consult the weather forecast prior to leaving any port and check hourly the weather situation.

Classification is very important and should be on your question list before purchasing any boat or yacht.

Classification rules are developed to assess the structural strength and integrity of the essential parts of the hull, the reliability and function of the propulsion, steering systems, power generation and all the other features installed on board which contribute to guarantee the main essential services of yacht.

Also for a class A, the portholes will be more resistant against a sustained wave, the drains to evacuate the water more abundant and of good size, the joints of the hull more hermetic, in short everything is in place to prevent water from s’ infiltrate on board.

By way of information, let us quote for example all the Ferretti yachts (60 to 96 feet), Pershing (60 to 115), the Riva (44 to 122) are all of class A just like the Magellano range at Azimut including also the 66 Flybridge.

Ferretti yachts (500, 550, 670 fly and over), Pershing (7X and over), Azimut Yachts (62, 64, 66, 68 Fly and over, the Sport Series 7X and over, all Magellano) are Class A.  There are also other classifications such as RINA and American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd, Lloyd Register, that are more precise regulations and we will cover this later in another article.

Below is the graph of the Beaufort Scale along with photos.

Do not hesitate to contact us for any additional information, team Ita Yachts Canada is at your disposal.

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THE O'PEN BIC

FOR FUN, RECREATION, AND RACING

THE O'PEN SKIFF 

The O’pen Skiff celebrated its 10th birthday in 2016, along with the production of its 8,000th boat. Designed specifically for juniors, the little dinghy has blown a big breath of fresh air through our sailing world, close to the new-generation skiff concept, very fast and very simple. 100% open, self-bailing, rapid and responsive, with an up-to-date versatile rig, the O’pen Skiff offers kids a machine that delivers maximum fun while helping them learn the skills and reflexes to enjoy racing on current, high-performance equipment. Hundreds of sailing clubs around the world have opted for the O’pen BIC, for a new, fun way of teaching sailing to appeal to youngsters attracted to new sail sports.

Melges Performance Sailboats is an O’pen Skiff dealer.

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Oceanis 30.1

Oceanis 34.1, oceanis 37.1, oceanis 40.1, oceanis 46.1, oceanis 51.1.

• Oceanis Yacht 54
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• Description
• Key Features

Specifications

The Oceanis 30.1 is easy to sail, yet  lively to helm  and promises new  experiences and thrills . This robust, smart little cruiser is small enough to trail, opening up endless possibilities for lake and river sailing, as well as  coastal sailing  and high sea adventures.

NAVAL ARCHITECT : Finot - Conq

INTERIOR and DECK DESIGNS : Nauta Design

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Exterior design

With a stemhead, hard-chine hull, well-proportioned sides and coachroof, the Oceanis 30.1 artfully resembles a small yacht.

The Finot-Conq plan has met the double challenge of power and simple navigation. With her slender bow, optimized weight, and square-top mainsail, she performs well in all points of sail.

For beginners or for short-handed sailing, the self-tacking jib and the single winch make her easy to handle. For performance, the Oceanis 30.1 has a large overlapping genoa, a furling code zero and an asymmetric spinnaker. Aft, a step affords access to the sea and can be supplemented by a small lifting platform.  

Interior design

With a few extra inches won in strategic places, the Oceanis 30.1 differs from other boats thanks to a headspace of 6.5 ft in all the areas inside where it is comfortable to stand.

The two sizable double cabins each have berths running lengthwise and an open entryway making them feel particularly spacious. The two benches in the salon provide an additional place for two extra berths.

The large shower room is divided into a marine toilet on one side and shower and washbasin on the other. At the foot of the gently sloping companionway, the L-shaped galley has top and bottom storage, a 20 US Gal refrigerator and a real oven under the gas hob stove top.

FOR EVERYONE

With unbeatable living space for its size and a focus on simplicity of use, the smallest model of the cruising range is nevertheless stylish and fast, with a highly competitive, ready-to-sail price. 

TRAILERABLE

With an overall size of under 30 X 10 ft and a weight of 8,000 lbs, the Oceanis 30.1 can be trailered by road, without the issues of an extra-wide load. With the lifting keel and rotating tabernacle mast version, the cruiser can sail along canals and rivers to its sailing grounds. 

CHOICE OF HELM

On the Oceanis 30.1, sailors get to choose between a tiller with twin rudders for anyone seeking a few thrills or from the world of dinghy sailing, or twin steering wheels for anyone who prefers space and comfort!  

FUNCTIONAL COCKPIT

The double steering wheel layout results in a wonderfully big cockpit. On either side of the large fold-away table are two large benches, which comfortably seat up to six guests.

Oceanis 30.1 Electric

Silent, comfortable and emission free, the new Oceanis 30.1e now has an all-electric propulsion system that offers a unique boating experience.

With engine power equal to 14 HP, the Torqeedo engine has a range of up to 6 hours at 4 knots.

Equipped With SEANAPPS

The easiest way to keep your boat safe and ready to cruise anytime.

The new Seanapps  app is the ultimate solution to help you indulge your passion for boating. With the touch of your finger, you can easily connect, monitor and order services for your boat – from routine maintenance, to requesting a wash or fuel or having us complete a repair.

The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

Length Overall

Beam overall

Light displacement

Air Draft Max

Fuel Capacity

Water Capacity

Max. engine power

Cabin Number

CE Certification

B6 / C8 / D10

Polar diagrams

Documents produced by Finot-Conq Architectes

Drifting keel

Deep draught keel - genoa

Deep draught keel - Foc autovireur

Short draught keel - foc autovireur

There are 3 ballasts available, so you can sail in your configuration of choice.

Shallow draft

Performance draft (hydraulic swing keel)

• Large benches seating six guests, with a fold away table
• Tiller or twin steering wheels on twin rudders
• Tilting mast
• Square-top mainsail
• Raymarine Electronic Pack
• EC certification: B6 / C8 / D10 (10 passengers aboard)

2 CABINS & 2 HEADS

• L-shaped fitted galley: fridge, sink, two-ring hob, oven, storage and worktop
• Lounge bench seats that convert to extra berths
• Master cabin with double berth at the bow
• Aft cabin with twin berths
• Shower room, with shower compartment and marine toilet
• Gently sloping companionway (4 steps)

HARKEN HARDWARE

Press Reviews

Cruising world.

Cruising World Judges named the BENETEAU Oceanis 30.1 the Best Performance Cruiser for 2020.   Read more

NorthWest Yachting

Boat Review - Everyone is talking about the 2020 Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 and for good reason—she’s an awesome boat! 

SAIL Magazine

Winner of the “small cruiser” category in SAIL magazine’s  2020 Best Boats contest. Read More

SAILING TODAY

"Easy Start" more in the April 2020 issue

All Oceanis News

Seizing the Moment: Uncover Exceptional Value in BENETEAU Ownership

Current market conditions offer unprecedented opportunities to purchase a BENETEAU at discounted prices, with faster delivery times, and potential long-term financial benefits.

Nautic boat show 2022 : Spotlight on remarkable sustainable innovations at BENETEAU

BENETEAU has decided to follow the path of innovation to reduce the environmental impact of sailing. Practical yet ground-breaking innovations that were visible on the First 44e and the Oceanis 30.1e sailing yachts world premiered at the Nautic Boat Show in Paris.

New Oceanis 30.1

Small, yet oh so big !

Customer Care

Buying a BENETEAU doesn’t have to be a daunting task. We have teams of experts to guide you through the entire process – everything from sea trials, financing, and customization to after-sale commissioning, service, and maintenance. We are proud to have one of the largest, most highly-regarded dealer networks in the world. We’re ready to provide you with the assistance and expertise needed to launch you and your BENETEAU on a lifetime of happy, rewarding, and memorable voyages.

Other models in the range

10.77 m / 35’4’’

3.57 m / 11’9’’

11.93 m / 39’2’’

3.92 m / 12’10’’

12.87 m / 42’3’’

4.18 m / 13’9’’

14.6 m / 47’11’’

4.5 m / 14’9’’

15.94 m / 52’4’’

4.8 m / 15’9’’

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© Jean-Marie LIOT / LinkedOut

Founded in 1991 and recognised by World Sailing (International Sailing Federation) since 1998, the ‘International Monohull Open Class Association’ manages the class of 60-foot (18.28 metres) Open monohulls. IMOCA defines the rules guaranteeing sporting equity by developing the innovation and safety of the boats.

The aim of the class is to develop the fleet of monohulls and offer its skippers an attractive and coherent sports programme . It contributes to the internationalisation of offshore racing and combines the notions of competition, innovation, human adventure and safety on a day-to-day basis. Central to IMOCA’s concerns as it evolves is how to constantly respect the environment better . Renewable energies are not merely viewed as a resource, but also a key element in terms of performance.

In 2018, the Class inaugurated the IMOCA GLOBE SERIES : its four-year championship now including the two 'star' round-the-world races, the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race . The races are part of the skippers' qualification for the Vendée Globe. At the end of each season, the skipper or duo with the most points is crowned annual IMOCA Champion(s) . Before each Vendée Globe, the skipper with the most points accumulated over the year will be crowned IMOCA Champion and the great favorite for the solo round the world race.

TECHNICAL & SPORT

• Definition and arbitration of the IMOCA measurement rules
• Cooperation with Race Managements for drafting Notice of Race documents
• Any action is carried out with a view to the safety of sailors and their boat as well as for equity in sport

STRATegic & event-driven 

• Management of the race schedule and the IMOCA Globe Series championship
• Definition of a long-term vision for the Class and its sailors
• Stimulation of all its various protagonists to build an ever more collective and virtuous system
• Organisation of the New York-Vendée-Les Sables d'Olonne transatlantic race every four years, which the Class owns
• Creation in 2020 of the Vendée-Arctique-Les Sables d'Olonne race

REPResentative

• Giving sailors a voice with race organisers, national and international bodies and joint service providers.

PROMOTIONal & COMMUNICATION

• Developing IMOCA's voice and image through a strong and inspiring identity
• Communicate and promote the Class: its skippers, its boats, its races and the commitments made for an ever more sustainable performance.
• Bringing IMOCA outside of France
• Pooling communication tools and operations
• Animate the community of sponsors and increase the commercial offer of the Class
• Manage the communication of IMOCA-licensed events

ANTOINE MERMOD

MURIEL LAMY

ADMINISTRATION

RENÉ BOULAIRE

CHIEF MEASURER

NOÉMIE PROVOST

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE & LCA

THOMAS JULLIEN

MANU GUEDON

MEASURER & SAFETY

IMOGEN DINHAM-PRICE

SUSTAINABILITY

CLAIRE VAYER

SAMUEL VALVERDE

ACV & SUSTAINABILITY

MARIE LAUNAY

COMMUNICATION

VICTORINE HAMON

LOGISTIC & COM

Antoine MERMOD, IMOCA Class president Benjamin DUTREUX, skipper de GUYOT environnement-Water Family Violette DORANGE, skipper de DeVenir David SINEAU, Team manager d'Initiatives-Coeur Damien SEGUIN, skipper de Groupe APICIL Boris HERRMANN, skipper de Team Malizia Thomas RUYANT, skipper de VULNERABLE Philippe LAOT, directeur technique de V and B-Monbana-Mayenne

SPORT COMMITTEE

 Thomas RUYANT, skipper of VULNERABLE, board member and sport committee representative Arnaud BOISSIERES, skipper of La Mie Câline, board member and sport committee representative Louis BURTON, skipper of Bureau Vallée Jérémie BEYOU, skipper of Charal Fabrice AMEDEO, skipper of Nexans-Wewise Romain ATTANASIO, skipper of Fortinet-Best Western Manuel COUSIN, skipper of Coup de Pouce Samantha DAVIES, skipper of Initiatives-cœur Isabelle JOSCHKE, skipper of MACSF Philippe LE GROS, team V and B-Monbana-Mayenne Giancarlo PEDOTE, skipper of Prysmian Group Nicolas TROUSSEL, skipper Hubert LEMONNIER, race director of the Vendée Globe Francis LEGOFF, race director Christophe GAUMONT, FFV

CLASS RULES COMMITTEE

Daniel ANDRIEU Simon FORBES Philippe PALLU DE LA BARRIERE

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

Antoine MERMOD, IMOCA Class president René BOULAIRE, IMOCA Class chief measurer Noémie PROVOST, technical committee coordinator at IMOCA Thomas JULLIEN, measurer at IMOCA & each team's technical representative is invited to participate in the technical committee

The IMOCA general meeting has chosen the way forward with a full race programme for the 2021-2025 cy…

The IMOCA Class meeting marking the end of the summer holidays was held on Thursday 27th August using virtual technology. This meeting enabled the members of the Class to carry out an early appraisal of what has happened…

11th Hour boat build details finally revealed

11th Hour Racing Team is one step closer in our ambition to win The Ocean Race 2022-23 with the announcement of the design and build of a brand new IMOCA 60 taking place in Brittany, France.

The Ocean Race reboots with announcement of 10-year plan

The 14th running of the world’s toughest test of a team in sport will start in October 2022 with a Europe Race being considered for summer 2021...

The Ocean Race Europe will promote international sport, the Green Deal, and European spirit

The inaugural edition of The Ocean Race Europe, scheduled to start late in the spring of 2021, will bring international top-flight, competitive ocean racing to up to five European cities.

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20 Best Small Sailboats for the Weekender

• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: May 24, 2024

In order to go cruising, most of us require a sailboat with a head, a galley, and bunks. The boat, likely a 30-footer and more often a 40-footer, will have electronics for navigation and entertainment, refrigeration if the trip is longer than a coastal hop, an engine for light wind, and, depending on our appetites for food and fun, perhaps a genset to power our toys and appliances.

To go sailing , however, all we really need is a hull, mast, rudder, and sail. To experience the pure joy of sheeting in and scooting off across a lake, bay, or even the open ocean, there’s nothing better than a small sailboat – we’re talking sailboats under 25 feet. You can literally reach out and touch the water as it flows past. You instantly feel every puff of breeze and sense every change in trim.

Some of the boats in this list are new designs, others are time-tested models from small sailboat manufacturers, but every one is easy to rig, simple to sail, and looks like a whole lot of fun either for a solo outing on a breezy afternoon or to keep family and friends entertained throughout your entire sailing season. This list is made up of all types of sailboats , and if you’re looking for a list of some of the best small sailboats for beginners, you’ll find exactly that here.

Any one of these popular boats could be labeled as a trailerable sailboat, daysailer, or even a weekender sailboat. And while most would be labeled as a one or two person sailboat, some could comfortably fit three or even four people.

– CHECK THE WEATHER – The weather changes all the time. Always check the forecast and prepare for the worst case. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Marblehead 22 Daysailer

If you have an eye for elegant lines and your heart goes pitter-patter over just the right amount of overhang beneath a counter transom, the Marblehead 22 daysailer, designed by Doug Zurn and built by Samoset Boatworks in Boothbay, Maine, will definitely raise your pulse. Traditional-looking above the waterline and modern beneath, the cold-molded hull sports a deep bulb keel and a Hall Spars carbon-fiber mast with a wishbone rig and square-top main. The 11-foot-9-inch cockpit can seat a crowd, and a small cuddy forward will let you stow your friends’ gear for the day. samosetboatworks.com

Catalina 22 Sport

Many a harbor plays host to an active fleet of Catalina 22s, one of the most popular small sailboats over the years, given its basic amenities and retractable keel, which allows it to be easily trailered. Recently, the company introduced the Catalina 22 Sport, an updated design that can compete with the older 22s. The boat features a retractable lead keel; a cabin that can sleep four, with a forward hatch for ventilation; and a fractional rig with a mainsail and a roller-furling jib. Lifelines, a swim ladder, and an engine are options, as are cloth cushions; vinyl cushions are standard. The large cockpit will seat a crowd or let a mom-and-pop crew stretch out and enjoy their sail. It’s clear why the Catalina 22 is one of the best sailboats under 25 feet. catalinayachts.com

With its large, open-transom cockpit and sloop rig, the Hunter 22 makes a comfortable daysailer for family and friends. But with its cuddy cabin, twin bunks, optional electrical system, opening screened ports, and portable toilet, a parent and child or a couple could comfortably slip away for an overnight or weekend. Add in the optional performance package, which includes an asymmetric spinnaker, a pole, and a mainsheet traveler, and you could be off to the races. The boat features a laminated fiberglass hull and deck, molded-in nonskid, and a hydraulic lifting centerboard. Mount a small outboard on the stern bracket, and you’re set to go. marlow-hunter.com

Not sure whether you want to race, cruise or just go out for an afternoon sail? Since 1958, sailors have been having a ball aboard the Uffa Fox/George O’Day-designed Daysailer. Fox, who in the 1950s was on the cutting edge of planning-dinghy design, collaborated with Fall River, Massachusetts boatbuilder O’Day Corp. to build the 16-foot Daysailer, a boat that features a slippery hull and a small cuddy cabin that covers the boat roughly from the mast forward. Thousands of Daysailers were built by various builders, and they can be found used for quite affordable prices. There are active racing fleets around the US, and new Daysailers are still in production today, built by Cape Cod Ship Building. capecodshipbuilding.com

BayRaider from Swallow Boats

Easy to rig and trailer, the BayRaider from England’s Swallow Yachts is a relative newcomer to the small-boat market in the United States. Nearly all of its 19 feet 9 inches is open cockpit, though a spray hood can be added to keep the forward sections dry. The BayRaider is ketch-rigged with a gunter-style mainmast. The topmast and mizzen are both carbon-fiber, which is an option for the mainmast as well. The BayRaider can be sailed with a dry hull in lighter conditions or with 300 pounds of water ballast to increase its stability. With the centerboard and hinged rudder raised, the boat can maneuver in even the thinnest water.

$28,900, (904) 234-8779, swallowyachts.com

Big fun can come in small packages, especially if your vessel of choice happens to be the 12 ½-foot Beetle Cat. Designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921, the wooden shallow draft sailboat is still in production today in Wareham, Massachusetts at the Beetle Boat Shop. With a draft of just 2 feet, the boat is well-suited for shallow bays, but equally at home in open coastal waters. The single gaff-rigged sail provides plenty of power in light air and can be quickly reefed down to handle a blow. In a word, sailing a Beetle Cat is fun. beetlecat.com

– LEARN THE NAVIGATION RULES – Know the “Rules of the Road” that govern all boat traffic. Be courteous and never assume other boaters can see you. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

West Wight Potter P 19

With berths for four and a workable galley featuring a cooler, a sink, and a stove, West Wight Potter has packed a lot into its 19-foot-long P 19. First launched in 1971, this is a line of boats that’s attracted a true following among trailer-sailors. The P 19′s fully retractable keel means that you can pull up just about anywhere and go exploring. Closed-cell foam fore and aft makes the boat unsinkable, and thanks to its hard chine, the boat is reportedly quite stable under way. westwightpotter.com

NorseBoat 17.5

Designed for rowing and sailing (a motor mount is optional), the Canadian-built NorseBoat 17.5—one of which was spotted by a CW editor making its way through the Northwest Passage with a two-man crew—features an open cockpit, a carbon-fiber mast, and a curved-gaff rig, with an optional furling headsail set on a sprit. The lapstrake hull is fiberglass; the interior is ply and epoxy. The boat comes standard with two rowing stations and one set of 9-foot oars. The boat is designed with positive flotation and offers good load-carrying capacity, which you could put to use if you added the available canvas work and camping tent. NorseBoats offers a smaller sibling, the 12.5, as well; both are available in kit form.

$19,000, (902) 659-2790, norseboat.com

Montgomery 17

Billed as a trailerable pocket cruiser, the Montgomery 17 is a stout-looking sloop designed by Lyle Hess and built out of fiberglass in Ontario, California, by Montgomery Boats. With a keel and centerboard, the boat draws just under 2 feet with the board up and can be easily beached when you’re gunkholing. In the cuddy cabin you’ll find sitting headroom, a pair of bunks, a portable toilet, optional shore and DC power, and an impressive amount of storage space. The deck-stepped mast can be easily raised using a four-part tackle. The builder reports taking his own boat on trips across the Golfo de California and on visits to California’s coastal islands. Montgomery makes 15-foot and 23-foot models, as well. If you’re in search of a small sailboat with a cabin, the Montgomery 17 has to be on your wish list.

With long overhangs and shiny brightwork, the CW Hood 32 is on the larger end of the daysailer spectrum. Designers Chris Hood and Ben Stoddard made a conscious decision to forego a cabin and head in favor of an open cockpit big enough to bring 4 or 5 friends or family out for an afternoon on the water. The CW Hood 32 is sleek and graceful through the water and quick enough to do some racing, but keeps things simple with a self-tacking jib and controls that can be lead back to a single-handed skipper. A top-furling asymmetrical, electric sail drive and Torqeedo outboard are all optional. The CW Hood 32 makes for a great small family sailboat.  cwhoodyachts.com

Sun Cat from Com-Pac

Shallow U.S. East Coast bays and rock-strewn coasts have long been graced by cat boats, whose large, gaff-rigged mainsails proved simple and powerful both on the wind and, better yet, when reaching and running. The 17-foot-4-inch Sun Cat, built by Com-Pac Yachts, updates the classic wooden cat with its fiberglass hull and deck and the easy-to-step Mastender Rigging System, which incorporates a hinged tabernacle to make stepping the mast a one-person job. If you want a personal sailboat ideal for solo sailing, the Sun Can is a great choice. Belowdecks, the twin 6-foot-5-inch berths and many other features and amenities make this cat a willing weekender.

$19,800, (727) 443-4408, com-pacyachts.com

Catalina 16.5

The Catalina 16.5 sits right in the middle of Catalina Yachts’ line of small sailboats, which range from the 12.5 to the 22 Capri and Sport, and it comes in both an easy-to-trailer centerboard model and a shoal-draft fixed-keel configuration. With the fiberglass board up, the 17-foot-2-inch boat draws just 5 inches of water; with the board down, the 4-foot-5-inch draft suggests good windward performance. Hull and deck are hand-laminated fiberglass. The roomy cockpit is self-bailing, and the bow harbors a good-sized storage area with a waterproof hatch. catalinayachts.com

No roundup of best small sailboats (trailerable and fun too) would be complete without a mention of the venerable Hobie 16, which made its debut in Southern California way back in 1969. The company has introduced many other multihulls since, but more than 100,000 of the 16s have been launched, a remarkable figure. The Hobie’s asymmetric fiberglass-and-foam hulls eliminate the need for daggerboards, and with its kick-up rudders, the 16 can be sailed right up to the beach. Its large trampoline offers lots of space to move about or a good place to plant one’s feet when hanging off the double trapezes with a hull flying. The boat comes with a main and a jib; a spinnaker, douse kit, trailer, and beach dolly are optional features. hobiecat.com

Novice sailors or old salts looking for simplicity could both enjoy sailing the Hunter 15. With a fiberglass hull and deck and foam flotation, the boat is sturdily built. The ample freeboard and wide beam provide stability under way, and the heavy-duty rubrail and kick-up rudder mean that you won’t have to worry when the dock looms or the going grows shallow. Both the 15 and its slightly larger 18-foot sibling come standard with roller-furling jibs.

$6,900/$9,500 (boat-show prices for the 15 and 18 includes trailers), (386) 462-3077, marlow-hunter.com

– CHECK THE FIT – Follow these guidelines to make sure your life jacket looks good, stays comfortable and works when you need it. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Super Snark

Under various owners, the Snark brand of sailboats, now built by Meyers Boat Co., has been around since the early 1970s. The Super Snark, at 11 feet, is a simple, easily car-topped daysailer that’s fit out with a lateen rig and sail. Billed as unsinkable, the five boats in the company’s line are built with E.P.S. foam, with the external hull and deck vacuum-formed to the core using an A.B.S. polymer. The Super Snark weighs in at 50 pounds, and with a payload capacity of 310 pounds, the boat can carry two.

$970, (800) 247-6275, meyersboat.com

Norseboat 21.5

Built in Canada, the NorseBoat 21.5 is a rugged looking craft that comes in a couple of configurations: one with an open cockpit and small doghouse, and another with a smaller cockpit and cabin that houses a double berth for two adults and optional quarter berths for the kids. Both carry NorseBoat’s distinctive looking carbon fiber gaff-rigged mast with main and jib (a sprit-set drifter is optional), and come with a ballasted stub keel and centerboard. Because of its lightweight design, the boat can be rowed and is easily trailered.

$36,000 (starting), 902-659-2790, norseboat.com

Flying Scot

Talk about time-tested, the 19-foot Flying Scot has been in production since 1957 and remains a popular design today. Sloop rigged, with a conventional spinnaker for downwind work, the boat is an easily sailed family boat as well as a competitive racer, with over 130 racing fleets across the U.S. Its roomy cockpit can seat six to eight, though the boat is often sailed by a pair or solo. Hull and deck are a fiberglass and balsa core sandwich. With the centerboard up, the boat draws only eight inches. Though intended to be a daysailer, owners have rigged boom tents and berths for overnight trips, and one adventurous Scot sailor cruised his along inland waterways from Philadelphia to New Orleans.

Known primarily for its line of racing dinghys, RS Sailing also builds the 16-foot, 4-inch Venture, which it describes as a cruising and training dinghy. The Venture features a large, self-draining cockpit that will accommodate a family or pack of kids. A furling jib and mainsail with slab reefing come standard with the boat; a gennaker and trapeze kit are options, as is an outboard motor mount and transom swim ladder. The deck and hull are laid up in a fiberglass and Coremat sandwich. The Venture’s designed to be both a good performer under sail, but also stable, making it a good boat for those learning the sport.

$14,900, 203-259-7808, rssailing.com

Topper makes a range of mono- and multihull rotomolded boats, but the model that caught one editor’s eye at Strictly Sail Chicago was the Topaz Taz. At 9 feet, 8 inches LOA and weighing in at 88 pounds, the Taz is not going to take the whole crowd out for the day. But, with the optional mainsail and jib package (main alone is for a single child), the Taz can carry two or three kids or an adult and one child, and would make a fun escape pod when tied behind the big boat and towed to some scenic harbor. The hull features Topper’s Trilam construction, a plastic and foam sandwich that creates a boat that’s stiff, light, and durable, and shouldn’t mind being dragged up on the beach when it’s time for a break.

$2,900 (includes main and jib), 410-286-1960, topazsailboats.com

WindRider WRTango

WRTango, a fast, sturdy, 10-foot trimaran that’s easy to sail, is the newest portable craft from WindRider International. It joins a line that includes the WR16 and WR17 trimarans. The Tango features forward-facing seating, foot-pedal steering, and a low center of gravity that mimics the sensation of sitting in a kayak. It weighs 125 pounds (including the outriggers and carbon-fiber mast), is extremely stable, and has single-sheet sail control. The six-inch draft and kick-up rudder make it great for beaching, while the hull and outriggers are made of rotomolded polyethylene, so it can withstand running into docks and being dragged over rocks.

$3,000, 612-338-2170, windrider.com

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Better Sailing

Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet

Small sailboats are attractive for many reasons, one of them being is that they are not as expensive and out of your budget. They are also great for learning how to sail as they are easily maneuverable. However, sailboats around the 30 feet mark provide the best of both worlds as they are both great and easy for sailing but are also big enough for you to spend a few days onboard for a weekend sailing trip, for example. If you are looking to buy a sailboat that will fit this bill, this list of the best sailboats under 30 feet with the amenities available in a large vessel.

Here are the best sailboats under 30 feet in no particular order.

The Hunter 27 is one of the most popular sailboats under 30 feet and has the numbers to prove it with over 2000 of these boats sold. The Hunter 27 is a series of sailboats, built by Marlow Hunter in Florida, USA, since 1974. Variations of the Hunter 27 are still being produced today. This sailboat is great under sail but is also powered by a 14 HP Yanmar engine. If you are looking for a small, affordable sailboat that can accommodate a couple or a small family for a few days out on the water, then look no further than a Hunter 27. Finally, you can find used Hunter 27 in good condition from the early ’80s for around 10k and newer models from the 2010s’ for up to 50k.

It is a comfortable and speedy sailboat with ample space below the deck. It is open and airy. Named after its designer, Alan Andrews, he is known for creating fast race boats and lights. This is a 28-footer sailboat that is definitely suited for club racing. It has a galley, 6 berths, head, and nav area. This boat is so spacious that you would forget that this is a sailboat under 30 feet. It has a retractable keel, which makes it easy to launch and haul. This ensures it to be a racer as well as a daysailer. Finally, a used Andrews 28 in good condition is going for around $25,000-40,000.

This is a multi-aspect sailboat that tries to bridge a gap between a family, comfortable, safe, and competitive racer. It is done quite well in doing so. This sailboat was able to win the 1970 IOR North America Half-Ton Cup, which proves that it not only has the looks but speed too. Speed is not the only strength of the ranger 26 as it also has a spacious cockpit which is over 7 feet. It has a good balance of cabin height and freeboard, giving it a great profile that hasn’t been sacrificed for standing headroom. Also, the Ranger 26 is one of the largest trailable sailboats. Finally, a used Ranger 26 from the 70s’ in good condition is going for around $10,000-15,000.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

This sailboat is one of the most innovative and unusual boats in the whole bunch. It has a contemporary profile topside and also an inviting floor plan below the deck; this boat is both comfortable and stylish. The Etap uses a double hull construction method that makes the ship almost unsinkable. This sailboat has 6 berths, a nav area, and a galley, but you will not feel crowded in the back. The back area is equipped with many hatches and ports that make extend the space. Finally, a used Etap 28s in good condition is going for around $20,000-60,000 depending on the age of the boat.

>>Also Read: Etap 24i Review

This boat came started its production in the year 1971, and it was an instant success in the local racing scenes. As this is a modest 27-footer, the Newport 27 has a great spacious interior and has over 6 feet of standing headroom. It has 4 berths, nav station, galley, and head. It has all the amenities that you will find in a bigger boat but in a compact package. This boat is quick in light air; however, the tiller steering starts to get out of control once the breeze increases and the weather leads to end your sail early. Finally, a used Newport 27 from the 70s’ or 80s’ in good condition is going for around $6,000-11,000.

Catalina 275 Sport

The Catalina is known for their large cruising boats, but they also have small boats too. The Catalina 275 offers both great performance and an enjoyable sailing experience packed on a 27’6 trailable sailboat. This boat has a hand-laminated fiberglass hull and is extremely versatile. Like most boats that are built by Catalina, this boat has a huge self-bailing cockpit. It also a nice saloon below deck, which transforms into a comfortable v berth. Also, it has a nice galley with a big cooler drawer to pack your essentials for your sailing trip. The standard equipment has a tiller extension and hiking straps. This boat will convince you that you do not need a sailboat over 300 feet to enjoy a nice weekend sailing adventure. A new Catalina 275 starts at around $75,000, and a recent-year used one for around $60,000.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats to Live On

Catalina 22 Capri and Catalina 22 Sport

The Catalina 22 is extremely comfortable, safe at sea, and easier to handle and maintain than any boat in its class. The beautiful deck profile is flat across the stern. It has wider cockpit curves for optimum sailing comfort during and after sailing. These are very popular trailer sailers that are widely used in both ocean sailing and lake sailing, and daysailors swear by both models. The Catalina 22 was first built in 1969, and it is still being produced in the US. The Catalina 22 is one of the most produced boats in its size range and has achieved huge commercial success. Finally, you can purchase a new Catalina 22 starts at around $25,000, but since this model has been around since the 60s’ you can still pick an early-year model up from the 70s’ for as low as $3,000.

Island Packet 27

This is an American-made sailboat first built in the 1980s’. The Island Packet 27   is a recreational keelboat made out of fiberglass, with beautiful teak trim and holly cabin sole plywood. It is a Cutter-rigged sloop, with a spooned raked stem, a vertical transom, a keel-mounted rudder, and a full keel. It has a displacement of 8,000 lb and carries 3,000 lb of ballast. Keep in mind that the Packet 27 is a cruiser and not suitable for racing. The broad beam gives an unusually spacious interior for a sailboat under 30 feet. This boat sails very well, it has a big boat feel to it, it is very solid, and you won’t get thrown around in it; what else do you need? Finally, a used Island Packet 27 in good condition is going for around $30,000-45,000 depending on the age of the boat.

>>Also Read: Best Pocket Cruisers Under 20 Feet

This boat was first introduced in the year 1969; the Balboa 26 continues to dominate in the budget-friendly cruisers. This boat is heavy and sturdy; the boat’s stress points are reinforced. The cockpit can take 4 adults at a time. It is self-bailing, making sure that the sailors remain dry. This beautiful sailboat is only 26 feet. Still, the balboa 26 still has room for a double berth, a freshwater pump, galley with a stove, and an optional V-berth or marine head. It can adjust five people for sleeping, but the ideal number would be two or three. When the Balboa is under sail, it is maneuverable and fast. It will also prove handy in the heavy breeze when the weather helm increases. Finally, a used Balboa 26 from the 70s’ is going for around $3,000-6,000.

Cape Dory 28

The teak accents and sleek lines of the Cape Dory 28 is an eye-catcher; the performance of this boat is also remarkable. This boat comes with almost all the amenities a bigger boat is equipped with. It comes with 2 settees, V-berth, and ahead. This boat is sound, safe, and comfortable while being capable of speed. The Cape Dory 28 is quick in light wind and capable and sturdy in heavy air. This boat deserves its praise when it comes in off the wind. It has a balanced helm and also the ability to cut through chop and still be able to tack easily. Finally, a used Cape Dory 28 in good condition is going for around $20,000 depending on the age of the boat.

Islander Bahama 28

While this remains an eye-catcher, along with the 5-foot-6inch draft and with the 3,300 pounds of ballet, this boat sails swiftly and beautifully while responding quickly to the helm. This boat is inspired by the International Offshore Rule; this boat is unusually wide and offers stability in the breeze without sacrificing the lines and sheer, which makes it attractive. The Bahamas below its deck has plenty of berth and storage space with a galley complete with stove, sink, and icebox. Finally, a used Cape Dory 28 in good condition is going for around $9,000-15,000 depending on the age of the boat.

Contessa 26

This boat was released in the year 1965, and it then and there proved to be a strong, lightweight cruise boat. This boat has been proving itself since its first sail and a great choice for two people. Even though the boat is sturdy, the upwind came sometimes disturbs the direction. This boat does have much standing headroom, but it performs well as a daysailer. Finally, a used Contessa 26 in good condition is going for around $10,000 depending on the age of the boat.

Final Thoughts

Sailboats under 30 feet are great because they are affordable and provide the best of everything. Almost all of them handle great, they are easy to maintain and provide all the necessary amenities for trips up to a few days long. Sailboats under 30 feet are not ideal for passages but make if you are willing to increase your budget and go a little bigger then these are the best small sailboats for circumvention .

Remember, if you are looking for a small sailboat under 30 feet for your summer or weekend sailing expeditions, then any of the above mentioned will do the trick.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Fall 2024: important dates and deadlines for students.

As a student at the University of Iowa in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, please be mindful of these key dates and deadlines for the fall 2024 semester. 

Here are a few tips for staying ahead of important dates: 

• Create a calendar  or planner and mark down all the important dates and deadlines for your semester. 
• Set reminders  for yourself on your phone or computer marking upcoming deadlines. 
• Be aware of your course assignments to avoid the stress of missing a deadline. 
• Talk to your academic advisor  if you have any questions about important dates and deadlines.  

Four key dates and deadlines to keep in mind: 

Census date Monday, Sept. 9, 2024

The census date is the date for enrollment in a certain number of credits to be eligible for some scholarships and financial aid. If you do not meet the census requirement, you may have to pay more tuition or lose financial aid. Be sure to check with student financial aid for more information about your specific situation if you are changing your schedule. 

Tip: Keep track of your credit hours throughout the semester so that you do not accidentally fall below the requirement. 

Add or drop deadlines Several dates

Add/drop deadlines allow you to add or drop classes without penalty. After the first add/drop deadline, you will only be able to drop classes with a W grade, which will not affect your GPA. 

Tip : If your course does not meet for the full semester, the deadlines will vary. Be sure to check your  specific course deadline .

• Last day to drop without a W (full semester-length courses only): Monday, Sept. 9, 2024
• Last day to add without collegiate approval: Monday, Sept. 9, 2024
• Last day to drop (full semester-length courses only): Monday, Nov. 18, 2024
• Last day to withdraw from the entire spring 2024 semester: Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

Winter and spring registration  Nov. 11-Dec. 6.

It’s important to register for next semester’s classes as soon as you are eligible to ensure you get the classes you need for graduation.

Tip : Schedule an appointment with your advisor about a month before registration to plan your schedule. If you get notified about a registration hold, clear it as soon as possible.

• Meet with your academic advisor to be cleared for registration, if necessary 
• Spring 2025 schedule builder open: Monday, Sept. 30, 2024
• Early registration for winter begins: Monday, Nov. 11-Friday, Dec. 6, 2024
• Early registration for spring begins: Monday, Nov. 11-Friday, Dec. 6, 2024

Final exams  Dec. 16-20, 2024

Final exams are held at the end of each semester. They are typically not during your normal course meeting time. Be sure to check your syllabus.

Tip : Start studying for your final exams early! This will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed during finals week.

• Last day of class before final exams: Friday, Dec. 13, 2024
• Final Exam Week: Dec. 16-20, 2024

Other important deadlines

Tip : Start working on your scholarship and graduate school applications early. This will give you plenty of time to gather all of the required materials and proofread your essays.

• Deadline to apply for Fall 2024 graduation: Friday, Oct. 4, 2024
• Midterm reports: Friday, Oct. 25, 2024
• Fall break: Nov. 25-29, 2024
• CLAS Commencement: Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024
• Fall grades posted: Monday, Dec. 30, 2024

In addition to these general university and college deadlines, there are other important dates and deadlines specific to your classes or program of study. Be sure to check your syllabi and keep an eye on your uiowa e-mail.

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