Design and Construction
The LS30's hull is wood composite, cold-molded rather than traditional planked, with decks of 3mm ply over Corecell foam or Nidacore. The hull itself shows a V-ed forefoot with the deadrise forward fairing out by Station 4; from there to the transom the bottom is very flat with a tight turn to the bilge at the stern, and there is no hollow in the design waterline forward. The sheer is very flat with about 2.5 inches of spring. Beneath the waterline the high-aspect foils are a forged-steel strut carrying a lead torpedo bulb, paired with a spade rudder, while the keel is a T-type combining a carbon fiber fin with a lead bulb. At 4,073 pounds displacement with 1,625 pounds of ballast and a 6-foot draft, the boat carries a D/L of 116 and an L/B of 4.00 on its narrow 7-foot 6-inch beam — a lean, purposeful section for a 30-footer narrow 7-foot 6-inch beam.
Rig and Handling
The rig is thoroughly modern: a Seldén high-performance carbon-fiber mast with double spreaders and 30 degrees of sweep, and no standing backstay. The mainsail is a square-topped, fat-head sail of 341.75 square feet, and the 105-percent headsail adds 44.78 square feet; the jib furler sits below the deck. An asymmetric spinnaker of considerable size sets on a fixed short sprit, rigged high enough above the hounds to jibe without trouble, and all running rigging is led to clutches and winches on the cabintop, with jib sheeting tracks sharing the halyard winches port and starboard of the companionway. Test sailors found the boat tacks easily through 80 to 85 degrees and carries an ultra-responsive helm, while the off-the-wind groove is wide and easy and the boat felt well balanced under main and kite. Under nearly 1,100 square feet of sail the hull surfed effortlessly, and the foils emit a pleasant buzzing sound starting at about 11 knots. Testers called it a challenging, grin-inducing boat to sail under any conditions, and in flat water with 8–12 knots of breeze it will be hard to catch on a racecourse — a reputation borne out by its record as a fast and effective PHRF racer designed to be at its best in light to moderate air.
Accommodations
Belowdecks the interior is Spartan, true to its legs-in sportboat brief. Two long settee berths can accommodate a brace of reasonably tall sailors, and there is a compartment for an optional head, but no running water and stowage is limited. On deck the spacious cockpit can easily seat four or five adults, with low seatbacks extending aft to where the helmsman sits and centerline foot bensons to help crew stay up to weather when the boat heels. Two generous cockpit lockers provide what exterior stowage the design allows. The open transom, plumb bow, and race-ready deck layout complete the purposeful picture.
Known Issues
Two ergonomic shortcomings surfaced in testing. The structural box around the keel is immediately below the companionway, where it gets in the way, and the only quibble with the helm was a poorly situated tiller extension. Neither is structural, but both affect movement below and command at the tiller.
Refits and Ownership
Ownership of an LS30 means living with a boat built as a teaching exercise rather than a production line item. The Nanni 10-horsepower inboard auxiliary shown on the drawings and a 6.5-gallon fuel capacity suit day racing and short coastal hops more than cruising. Because each hull is the work of a student team under Dalzell's direction, condition will track the care of that specific build rather than a repeatable factory standard.
The Verdict
The Landing School 30 is a narrowly focused sportboat that trades creature comfort for a cold-molded hull, carbon rig, and genuinely quick hull form built by the next generation of boatbuilders. It is a demanding, rewarding daysailer and club racer, not a cruiser.
Pros
- Cold-molded wood composite construction built by students under professional direction
- Modern carbon-fiber rig with fat-head main and deck-led running rigging
- Fast and effective PHRF racer in light to moderate air
- Wide off-the-wind groove and easy tacking through 80–85 degrees
Cons
- Spartan interior with no running water and limited stowage
- Keel structural box obstructs the companionway
- Poorly situated tiller extension
- Restricted build rate limits one-design class development
