Design and Construction
The hull is solid fiberglass. With a displacement of roughly 7,600 pounds and a 38 percent ballast ratio, the 30-1 has the proportions of a cruiser-racer rather than a heavy-displacement coastal boat.
Her length-to-beam ratio is 2.79, and her wetted surface is near 290 square feet, placing her among beamy, easily driven hulls. An immersion rate of about 868 pounds per inch means she settles predictably onto her lines as stores and crew come aboard.
Yamaha Marine gave her a fin keel and a skeg-hung rudder. Depending on load, draft ranges from 5.74 to 6.04 feet, leaving her able to enter most marinas.
Rig and Performance
The masthead rig has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 16.2 using the ISO reference sail. With a 135 percent genoa, that figure rises to 19.5. Along with a displacement-length index of 258, this nudges her into the moderate-racer class.
The theoretical hull speed is about 6.5 knots for a displacement hull of this length. A Motion Comfort Ratio of 19.9 suggests a tolerable motion profile for a boat of this size.
The limiting figure for serious bluewater credentials is the capsize screening value of 2.15. Under the usual screening rule, that figure would not be accepted for ocean races.
Verdict
The Yamaha 30-1 is a coherent late-1970s cruiser-racer. She combines solid fiberglass construction with a fin-keel hull that is easy to berth, while the rig provides decent light-air drive with a genoa. She isn’t an ocean racer by the capsize-screening measure, but her comfort and displacement figures make her a sensible boat for coastal and lake sailing.
Pros
- Marina-friendly draft of roughly 5.7 to 6.0 feet, depending on load
- Moderate-racer displacement-length and sail-area ratios
- Solid fiberglass hull with a 38 percent ballast ratio
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.15 excludes her from ocean-race acceptance
