BoatsExpress 30 (Killing)

Express 30 (Killing)

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1981

A 1981 masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, balancing a 42% ballast ratio for stiff performance

Designed by Steve Killing, built by Goman Boat.

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 moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

1.99 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.99
LightHeavy

249 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 249
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 18.6
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.6
Displacement / length
248.9
Comfort ratio
22.6
Capsize screening
1.99
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
875
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1981
Designer
Steve Killing
Builder
Goman Boat, Express Yachting

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 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
C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing
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
Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising
Newport 30-19.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe original 1968 production run of this masthead sloop, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for coastal sailing
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

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

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

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue