The boat belongs to a clear developmental line. It refined the Lancer 30 Mark II, which came from the same molds as the C&C 30. The Mark III was later developed into the Lancer 30 Mark IV.
Design and Construction
C&C Design drew the Lancer 30-3 as a fiberglass monohull with wood trim and a fixed fin keel. The hull is 29.50 feet overall, with a 24.00-foot waterline and a 10.00-foot beam. Carrying that beam on a relatively short waterline gives the boat a moderate displacement-to-length character suited more to settled cruising than all-out racing.
The boat displaces 8,200 pounds and carries 3,000 pounds of ballast, giving it a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 36.59. That places a substantial lead shoe low in the hull. The standard keel draws 5.20 feet, which keeps the boat manageable in shallow coastal waters. The hull’s moderate displacement-to-length character also suits settled cruising rather than all-out racing. Hull speed is 6.57 knots.
Rig and Handling
The Lancer 30-3 has a masthead sloop configuration and a Bermuda rig. Its foretriangle measures 35.00 feet high and 12.90 feet at the base. The mainsail has a 29.00-foot luff and a 9.80-foot foot.
These dimensions produce a mainsail area of 142.10 square feet and a jib/genoa area of 225.75 square feet, for a total sail area of 367.85 square feet. The masthead configuration and generous genoa area relative to the main point to a boat tuned for easy reaching and downwind sailing under a conventional cruising rig, rather than fractional, high-aspect performance.
Verdict
The Lancer 30-3 is a modest, C&C-derived cruiser. It inherited a proven hull lineage from the C&C 30 through the Lancer 30 Mark II molds, then carried that development forward into the Mark IV. Built in the United States for recreational cruising, it is a straightforward fiberglass masthead sloop with a sensible ballast ratio and a practical fin keel.
Available documentation provides little detail about accommodations, onboard systems, or known service issues. Any judgment therefore rests mainly on the boat’s documented design pedigree and specifications.
Pros
- Directly developed from the C&C 30 molds through the Lancer 30 Mark II
- Substantial 3,000 lb ballast in an 8,200 lb displacement cruiser
- Conventional masthead sloop rig with ample genoa area
Cons
- Limited documented detail about accommodations and onboard systems
- Now out of production, with no stated production-span endpoint beyond its 1979 introduction
