BoatsFreedom Yachts 30

Freedom Yachts 30

Frac. Sloop (Free standing) · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1986

A 1986 performance cruiser featuring a 41% ballast ratio and a stern-extended design later marketed as the 32-2

Designed by Gary Mull, built by Tillotson Pearson Inc.

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

See her sail

The Freedom Yachts 30, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Into Oblivion

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 beamy beam gives 19 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 19
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.18
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 208
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.7
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 41%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Freedom Yachts 30, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Freedom Yachts 30 is a fractional sloop with a freestanding rig, designed by Gary Mull and built by Tillotson Pearson Inc and Freedom Yachts from 1986. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder, measures 9.1 meters LOA, has a 3.3-meter beam, a 1.7-meter draft, and displaces 3474 kg. In 1988, the model was renamed the Freedom 32 (designated Freedom 32-2) with the addition of a boarding/swimming platform to the stern; a shallow draft version with a 1.4-meter draft was also available. A sailor in Chicago owns a 30-foot Freedom 30 but lacks the confidence to sail it solo.9:29

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
41.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Frac. Sloop (Free standing)
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.7
Displacement / length
208.2
Comfort ratio
18.7
Capsize screening
2.18
Hull speed
6.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
976
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1986
Designer
Gary Mull
Builder
Tillotson Pearson Inc, Freedom 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.

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
Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11from Sailing Into Oblivion
Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
E64: Calibrating my Depth Sounder Underwater and Goodbye Makemo!1:40from Wind Hippie Sailing
Jeanneau Rush 319.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed IOR half-tonner that served as the official boat for the Tour de France à la Voile
⛵ Bad Weather in Las Palmas: This Is How Our Sailboat Trip Is Delayed4:44from Piratas Aderiva
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
Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:53from SEILmagasinet
First 30 E (Beneteau - Berret)9.30 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1981 International 1/2 Ton Cup winner based on the King One design, built as a masthead sloop for competitive racing
Veterans and enthusiasts on half-tonners8:47from SEILmagasinet
Nonsuch 309.24 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot cruiser with a 43% ballast ratio, offering a stable and stiff platform for coastal cruising
The Sailboat With No Wires Holding Up the Mastfrom Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Freedom Yachts 36A Gary Mull-designed cruiser featuring a freestanding fractional rig and a shoal-draft fin keel for easy handlingFreedom Yachts 38An extended 38-foot evolution of the Freedom 36 offering flexible shoal, wing, or deep keel configurationsFreedom Yachts 29A Garry Hoyt-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, built for simple, unstayed performanceFreedom Yachts 32A 1980s performance cruiser featuring a 39% ballast ratio and a simple, unstayed fractional rig for easy handling

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