Design and Construction
The Farr influence is visible in the Noelex 30, yet the hull carries softer, more rounded sections than the usual Farr designs, and it was drawn without any rule in mind — aimed at club fleet and performance handicap racing rather than IOR. The retractable dagger-style keel carries the boat's lead ballast, which adds up to a ballast ratio of around 31 percent. The solid fiberglass hull and deck are paired with an electrically operated hydraulic keel ram, and footsteps are moulded into the transom for boarding. The lifting keel gives a minimum draft of 1.71 feet and a maximum of 6.3 feet, a range that defines the boat's ramp-and-race flexibility.
Rig and Handling
On the water the Noelex 30 is right at home in close-quarter harbour racing thanks to a small self-tacking headsail — the same set as used on the smaller Noelex 25, its clew board sheeted 2:1 to a raised single-beam track across the trunk cabin-top. The long-footed mainsail comes standard with a traveller and control lines running the width of the cockpit seats, while a tapered Baverstock mast and swept-back spreaders let mainsheet pressure bend the top of the mast easily, and an adjustable backstay is fitted. Reviewers for the Noelex Yacht Association of Australia rate her as one of the fastest 30-foot yachts around, capable of planing downwind in strong winds at 15 knots, and the hull's freedom from rule-driven compromise explains much of that pace.
Accommodations
Thanks to the extra-wide beam the Noelex 30 is much roomier than any other maxi trailer sailer and most production keelboats of this size, with standing headroom through the main cabin, toilet compartment, and Vee berth cabin. The forecabin has twin Vee berths convertible to a double, lit by a smoked perspex hatch, while a walk-in toilet compartment alongside the centrecase is lined in timber with a leak grate board, wash basin, and vanity unit. Below, an L-shaped dinette to port converts to a double once the mahogany table is removed, with a settee berth opposite and a port quarter berth completing sleep space for up to six adults. A food locker slides out from the companionway stair structure, holding two deep fibreglass-lined containers for weeks of cruising, and a hinged navigator's table swings up under the deckhead with chart storage. The interior uses fibreglass furniture mouldings for the galley and bunks, a moulded headliner, and Frontrunner fabric on hull sides and centrecase.
Equipment and Cockpit
The cockpit features moulded seats with high backrests for security and spray protection, and the tiller lifts clear to open up space when moored. Forward, a useful anchor locker with double doors carries two big bronze cleats and a worthwhile bow roller. The control buttons for the keel lift sit down alongside the casing in the cabin, a placement testers noted while operating the hydraulic ram.
The Verdict
The Noelex 30 is a genuinely fast, beamy trailerable design that trades some side-deck ease for interior volume and racing bite. Farr's hand shaped a rule-free hull that planes downwind and self-tacks through harbour courses, while the cabin rivals larger keelboats for living space.
Pros
- One of the fastest 30-footers afloat, with documented 15-knot downwind planing
- Roomy maxi-trailer-sailer interior with standing headroom and berths for six
- Self-tacking jib and easily bent mast make short-handed racing practical
- Trailerable behind a large SUV or pickup thanks to modest dry weight
Cons
- Side decks found a bit narrow for easy foredeck access
- Keel-lift controls located low in the cabin rather than at the helm
