BoatsOlson 30

Olson 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1978–1984

A featherweight 1,633 kg racer with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and an optional 7 HP BMW diesel

Designed by George Olsen, built by Pacific Boats Inc.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 10 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 10
CoastalBluewater

At 2.44 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.44
LightHeavy

77 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 77
EasygoingPowered-up

26.0 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 26.0
TenderStiff

50% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 50%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

  • Lighter than ~90% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2507 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
50.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
26.0
Displacement / length
77.3
Comfort ratio
10.1
Capsize screening
2.44
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
917
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1978–1984
Units built
250
Designer
George Olsen
Builder
Pacific Boats Inc

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Spirit Yachts 30 (McMILLAN)9.15 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lightweight, narrow-beam fractional sloop from Sean McMillan, designed for modern performance and classic aesthetics
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Beneteau First 3009.05 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited club racing
RM Yachts 8908.90 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA high-performance fractional sloop with a deep bulb keel and dual rudders, optimized for speed and stability
Beneteau First 3109.45 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 9.45-meter fractional sloop with a 1.8-meter fin keel, optimized for a light displacement of 3,199 kilograms
X-Yachts X-959.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Niels Jeppesen-designed IOR half-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and an optional taller rig

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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