Nicholson 30 MKI

BoatsNicholson 30 MKI

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 20 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 20

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.02

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 198

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 19.4

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

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

19.4

Displacement / length

197.9

Comfort ratio

20.3

Capsize screening

2.02

Hull speed

6.8 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

889

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/transom hung rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1972

Units built

63

Designer

Camper, Nicholson, Raymond Wall

Builder

Robert Ives, Camper, Nicholson Ltd, Nicholsons

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.

Pearson Yachts 28-28.67 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA William Shaw-designed masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, built as a modern successor to the original Pearson

Acorn to Arabella - Journey of a Wooden Boat - Bonus Content: The Good, The Bad and The Bronze0:04 from Acorn To Arabella

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 30i8.99 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a balanced, modern hull form.

How We Live Working on a Boat in Madeira 🌊 + Responses to Subscribers10:13 from Piratas Aderiva

C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing

Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11 from Sailing Into Oblivion

Com-Pac Yachts 27/29.02 mSame hull family0.2 m longerAn evolution of the original 27-foot hull, this masthead sloop features increased sail area for improved performance

Com-Pac Sailboats - Everything You Need to Know4:40 from Practical Sailor

Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations

Sailing Savvy: How to Build a Winning Team with Jon Sverre Høiden12:45 from SEILmagasinet

Comfort 309.09 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Swedish-built masthead sloop based on the Joker S30, featuring a fin keel with a skeg-mounted rudder

Johanna Brämersson and Sigurd Tengs - On an endless honeymoon0:39 from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

Nicholson 30 MKIIA Raymond Wall-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio for spirited performance Nicholson 31A Folkboat-inspired long-distance cruiser by Raymond Wall, designed for stability and single-handed passage making Nicholson 32A long-running production classic with a 55% ballast ratio, built over two decades for steady offshore passage making Nicholson 26A heavy-displacement long-keeler with a high comfort ratio, built by Nicholson for steady, stable cruising

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 Nicholson 30 MKI

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