The project was deliberately created to give students experience with modern construction techniques. A team of five or six students is assigned to each hull. The school planned to build two boats a year, and only two or three LS30s were produced annually. That restricted production makes full one-design class status unlikely.
Design and Construction
The LS30 has a cold-molded wood-composite hull rather than traditional planked construction. Its decks are 3mm plywood over Corecell foam or Nidacore.
The hull has a V-shaped forefoot, with the forward deadrise 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. There is no hollow in the design waterline forward. The sheer is also very flat, with about 2.5 inches of spring.
Below the waterline, the high-aspect foils include a forged-steel strut carrying a lead torpedo bulb and a spade rudder. The T-type keel combines a carbon-fiber fin with a lead bulb.
The boat displaces 4,073 pounds, including 1,625 pounds of ballast, and draws 6 feet. It has a D/L of 116 and an L/B of 4.00. Its narrow 7-foot 6-inch beam gives this 30-footer lean, purposeful proportions.
Rig and Sailing Performance
The rig is thoroughly modern. A Seldén high-performance carbon-fiber mast carries double spreaders swept to 30 degrees, with no standing backstay. The square-topped, fat-head mainsail measures 341.75 square feet, while the 105-percent headsail adds 44.78 square feet. The jib furler is mounted below deck.
A large asymmetric spinnaker sets on a fixed, short sprit. It is rigged high enough above the hounds to jibe without trouble. All running rigging leads to clutches and winches on the cabintop. The jib-sheeting tracks share the halyard winches to port and starboard of the companionway.
Test sailors found that the LS30 tacks easily through 80 to 85 degrees and has an ultra-responsive helm. Off the wind, the groove is wide and easy, and the boat felt well balanced under main and kite. With nearly 1,100 square feet of sail set, the hull surfed effortlessly. At about 11 knots, the foils begin to make a pleasant buzzing sound.
Testers described the LS30 as challenging and grin-inducing to sail under any conditions. In flat water and 8–12 knots of breeze, it will be hard to catch around a racecourse. Its record as a fast and effective PHRF racer supports its reputation, and the design is at its best in light to moderate air.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The spacious cockpit can easily seat four or five adults. Low seatbacks extend aft to the helmsman’s position, while centerline foot bensons help the crew stay up to weather when the boat heels. Two generous cockpit lockers provide the exterior stowage the design allows. An open transom, plumb bow, and race-ready deck layout complete the purposeful arrangement.
Belowdecks, the interior is Spartan, in keeping with the boat’s 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. There is no running water, however, and stowage is limited.
Ergonomic Shortcomings
Testing revealed two ergonomic shortcomings. The structural box around the keel sits immediately below the companionway, where it gets in the way. The only quibble with the helm was a poorly situated tiller extension. Neither issue is structural, but they affect movement below and control at the tiller.
Ownership Considerations
Owning an LS30 means living with a boat built as a teaching exercise rather than as a production-line item. Because each hull is the work of a student team under Dalzell’s direction, its condition will reflect the care taken with that particular build rather than a repeatable factory standard.
The drawings show a Nanni 10-horsepower inboard auxiliary and a 6.5-gallon fuel capacity. That arrangement is better suited to day racing and short coastal hops than to cruising.
The Verdict
The Landing School 30 is a narrowly focused sportboat that trades creature comforts for a cold-molded hull, carbon rig, and genuinely quick hull form built by the next generation of boatbuilders. It is a demanding but 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 a fat-head mainsail and deck-led running rigging
- Fast and effective PHRF racer in light to moderate air
- Wide off-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
