BoatsElite 30

Elite 30

Fractional Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1984–1990

A Philippe Briand-designed fractional sloop and 1983 International 1/2 Ton Cup winner built for competitive performance

Designed by Philippe Briand, built by Kirie.

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 14 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 14
CoastalBluewater

At 2.42 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.42
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 170
EasygoingPowered-up

20.5 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 20.5
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

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

  • Lighter than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2631 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
41.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
20.5
Displacement / length
170.4
Comfort ratio
14.0
Capsize screening
2.42
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
955
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1984–1990
Units built
300
Designer
Philippe Briand
Builder
Kirie

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.

X-Yachts X-959.24 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Niels Jeppesen-designed IOR half-tonner with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio and an optional taller rig
Every boat has its own story11:07from SEILmagasinet
Bavaria Yachts 3009.55 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 9.55-metre fractional sloop from 1989, featuring a deep 1.65-metre fin keel and bulb for efficient coastal sailing
Sailed around the world in a Bavaria 300:05from SEILmagasinet
Spirit Yachts 30 (McMILLAN)9.15 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA lightweight, narrow-beam fractional sloop from Sean McMillan, designed for modern performance and classic aesthetics
Thomas Nilsson talks with Øyvind and Morten Knudsen4:39from SEILmagasinet
Beneteau 319.65 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop balancing a modern fin-and-bulb hull with a comfortable, stable cruising interior
Sailboats at Every Budget: What You Get for $10K, $100K, $500K & $1M9:36from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Singlehanding Through Uncharted Atolls on My Grinde 27'2:07from Wind Hippie Sailing
Beneteau First 3109.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 9.45-meter fractional sloop with a 1.8-meter fin keel, optimized for a light displacement of 3,199 kilograms
The first woman to complete Cape Town-Rio solo | #SAL #40925:17from Hashtag Sal

The family

Boats like this

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

Elite 30SA 1984 masthead sloop with a high 19.39 SA/displacement ratio, designed for responsive performance on a fin keelElite 29A Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Feeling 850, offered in various rig and keel setupsElite 32A Philippe H. Harle design marketed as the Feeling 920, offering both fractional and masthead rig optionsElite 324A Philippe Harle-designed masthead sloop that served as the foundation for the Feeling 960Elite 25A Joubert-Nivelt fractional sloop designed for performance with a fin keel and transom-hung rudderElite 364A 1988 masthead sloop with a 41% ballast ratio, designed for a balance of stability and performance

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Elite 30

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