Ross 930 Buyer's Guide
The Ross 930 is a 30.5 ft one-design cruiser-racer designed by Murray Ross and launched as a prototype in New Zealand in 1982, with over 50 built and a small number imported into the US in the mid-80s. On the used market you are shopping a fractional-sloop monohull of 4,840 lb displacement, 9.25 ft beam, and 5.5 ft draft, originally powered by an outboard in a well. Several of the US-imported boats now reside in the Pacific Northwest region.
Layouts on the Used Market
The stock interior carries fitted berths for five, a two-burner stove, a sink galley, and a head — the berth count is a class requirement, so even race-prepared boats keep the accommodation intact. The standard power is an outboard mounted in a well that class rules forbid removing for racing; a minority of hulls were completed with small inboard diesel engines instead, and that difference defines the two propulsion layouts you will meet.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Modified boats on the market may carry a bow prod (sometimes articulating) and gennakers for downwind speed, a masthead spinnaker halyard to hoist masthead sails, heavier and deeper keels to control the larger rig, and increasingly a carbon fibre mast. For a buyer, a masthead halyard and prod mean the boat can fly modern asymmetrics; the deeper keel adds heavy-weather upwind grip but changes the rated draft. Confirm which upgrades a specific listing actually has before comparing it to a stock 930.
What to Inspect
Check the engine configuration first: the standard boat uses an outboard in a well that must not be removed for racing, while a few hulls were built with small inboard diesels — verify which one is in the boat and whether the well or engine beds show unused mounting evidence. On modified examples, inspect the prod and articulating hardware for fatigue at the pivot, confirm the masthead halyard sheave and exit box are clean, and examine the deeper keel joint and ballast for signs of prior grounding or repair. Carbon masts should be checked for delamination at the gooseneck and hounds.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Several Ross 930s now reside in the Pacific Northwest region.
- Confirm outboard-well vs inboard-diesel on the specific hull
- Inspect modified keel joint and prod pivot for damage
- Verify masthead halyard and gennaker gear are serviceable
- Check carbon mast for delamination if fitted