Design and Construction
Macalpine-Downie's late-sixties catamaran was built by the British yard Sail Craft Ltd. in fiberglass, and the Mk 2 revision raised both freeboard and bridgedeck clearance over the earlier model while giving the coachroof a lower profile increased bridgedeck clearance. The hulls were put together by lamination, and an aluminum beam spanned the bows to carry the forestay, a structural change that also let the boat present a less prominent cabin trunk and better hatches than the Mk 1. The daggerboards themselves moved from simple sheet metal to thicker, profiled plywood shapes, and a trampoline was fitted between the hulls for crew use forward.
Rig and Handling
The Mk 2 kept a fractional sloop rig but reworked the sail plan for power. The genoa grew to an imposing 200% overlap, while the mainsail lost its roach, a trade that pushed forward-area drive at the cost of a tidier mainsail shape imposing genoa up to 200% overlap. With a pivoting lifting centerboard and a draft that runs from about 1.25 to 1.55 feet depending on load, the boat can be sailed close to a beach, and her low displacement and board-up draft make her a beachable multihull rather than a cruising ballast hull.
Accommodations
Against comparable sail catamarans the 30 Mk II is unusually roomy, a function of the 13.5-foot beam carried on a 30-foot hull with a raised bridgedeck. The trampoline forward and the lower coachroof give the deck a more open feel than the Mk 1, and the increased freeboard adds interior volume without the visual bulk of a taller cabin.
The Verdict
The Iroquois 30 Mk II is a purposeful late-sixties cruiser-racer catamaran that improved the Mk 1 in measurable ways: more bridgedeck clearance, better hatches, a structural bow beam, and a more powerful fractional rig with a huge overlapping genoa. Her light displacement and lifting centerboard make her a beachable, roomy multihull that a few hundred owners have used since 1968.
Pros
- Raised freeboard and bridgedeck clearance over the Mk 1
- Aluminum bow beam carrying the forestay with improved hatches
- Up to 200% overlap genoa on a fractional rig for strong drive
- Pivoting centerboard with 1.25–1.55 ft draft for beaching
- Exceptionally spacious for a 30-foot catamaran
Cons
- Mainsail lost its roach in the Mk 2 redesign
- Daggerboards are plywood, not a molded composite
