BoatsAlbin Marine Ballad 30

Albin Marine Ballad 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1971–1982

A former IOR half-tonner with a 27-year production run that remains a staple of Scandinavian coastal cruising

Designed by Rolf Magnusson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Albin Marine Ballad 30, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

2.01 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

280 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 280
EasygoingPowered-up

16.1 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

47% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 47%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Albin Marine Ballad 30, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Albin Marine Ballad 30 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Rolf Magnusson, built from 1971 to 1982 by Albin Marine, and later by other Swedish yards until 1998.8:33 This 9.1-meter sailboat, with a 3.0-meter beam and 1.6-meter draft, features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg and displaces 3300 kg. It was one of Scandinavia's most popular sailing yachts of its size, evolving from the JOKER S30 design.8:20 The Ballad 30 was designed to IOR 1/2 ton rules. Auxiliary power options included various Volvo Penta engines, ranging from 10 hp to 18 hp.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
47.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
279.9
Comfort ratio
21.9
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
785
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1971–1982
Units built
1500
Designer
Rolf Magnusson
Builder
Albin Marine, Shipman Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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Dufour Arpege 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA record-breaking production of over 1500 units, this MORC-compliant racer-cruiser defined a new standard for the 30-foot class
From plastic to WORK OF ART 🔥 Dufour Arpege door restoration (BEFORE vs AFTER)0:23from NAUTICPIOLI
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
Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:00from SEILmagasinet
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
My Engine is Broken Again Jury Rigging a Fix in a Small Island WindHippieSailing E670:58from Wind Hippie Sailing
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
A little bonus episode14:04from Sailing Magic Carpet
Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32from Hashtag Sal
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
Perfect $20,000 Sailboat (Catalina 30 Refit on a Budget) - Ep 358 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Albin Marine 79A Rolf Magnusson-designed masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for balanced coastal cruisingAlbin Marine 57A Rolf Magnusson-designed fractional sloop with a swing keel, built for light-displacement performance in shoal waterAlberg 30A classic Carl Alberg long-keeled masthead sloop built for over two decades, offering a stable and comfortable motionAlbin Marine Singoalla 34A Per Brohall-designed masthead sloop intended as a larger, more spacious successor to the iconic Vega 27

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