Pearson Yachts 30
Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1971–1981
A prolific Bill Shaw design with over 1,000 built, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and spade rudder
Designed by William H. Shaw.
- LOA
- Beam
- Draft (max)
- Displacement
- Ballast
- Hull type
- Fin w/spade Rudder
See her sail
The Pearson Yachts 30, on the water
The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.
Footage from Lady K Sailing
Is it for you?
Character
Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.
LivelyComfort 24Sea-kindly
CoastalCapsize 1.88Bluewater
LightD/L 238Heavy
EasygoingSA/D 17.4Powered-up
TenderBallast 43%Stiff
A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.
The living fleet
Sailed by the fleet
Where the fleet has filmed this boat.
The record
Full specifications
The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.
Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.8%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.4
Displacement / length
237.7
Comfort ratio
24.3
Capsize screening
1.88
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
849
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1971–1981
Units built
1000
Designer
William H. Shaw
Builder
Pearson Yachts
Boats like this, on the water
More boats like her, on the water
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.
Granada Yachts 319.39 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA masthead sloop with a spade rudder and nearly 46% ballast ratio, designed for stability in a 31-foot hull
Hunter Marine 319.55 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Cortland Steck design featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel, built for coastal cruising between 1983 and 1987
Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
Pearson Yachts 27 (Triton 27)8.23 mSame hull family0.9 m shorterA Doug Peterson-influenced masthead sloop built from US Yachts molds, offering a light-displacement cruiser profile
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.
Pearson Yachts 33A keel-centerboard masthead sloop with a 2.31-metre maximum draft, designed for versatile performance in varied depthsPearson Yachts 32A masthead sloop with a modified stern, offering a 1.68-metre draft and a 40% ballast ratio for stiff performancePearson Yachts 31A William Shaw-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance between 1977 and 1981Pearson Yachts 27A shallow-draft wing-keel masthead sloop designed by William Shaw for accessible cruising in shoal watersPearson Yachts 300A William H. Shaw-designed pilothouse motorsailer sharing the long-keel hull of the Wanderer 30Pearson Yachts 28 (1975-80)With a 45% ballast ratio, this masthead sloop offers a stiff, stable platform for coastal sailing.
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