c and c 30 sailboat

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

C&C 30 – blistering performance in a manageable package

• Belinda Bird
• July 31, 2015

The C&C 30 strikes a good balance between performance and handling, believes Matthew Sheahan. She’s a fast ride, but without the jitters

All photos: Ocean Images

Today, going like the clappers downwind is easy; anyone can do it. But there are two basic approaches: there is eye-watering, fixed-grin, backside-twitchingly quick, with the boat balanced on a knife edge, and there’s clocking the same numbers without the jitters.

In the latter case the boat knows where to go and encourages you to follow by gradually loading the helm as if starting a friendly arm wrestle. Push her too far and you’ll still end up on your ear, but at least you will have had plenty of warning.

Developing a balance between performance and handling has been a tough nut to crack. How do you produce slender, high-lift foils with minimal drag without creating a lifting surface that operates like the flick of a switch? Such binary hydrodynamic behaviour has taxed modern yacht designers for years, but the lessons learned aboard the big boys’ VO70s, mini maxis and TP52s, among others, have been filtering down into the smaller size ranges.

Then there’s the issue of deck layouts and control line systems. Again, the big guns have led the way with innovative details and devices to help crews change gear from the weather rail as they hike over the guardwires.

But not everything that has filtered down has been appropriate. Just as the complexity and power of a modern F1 racing car makes it impossible to pull away without stalling for anyone other than a seasoned racing driver, so not all the high technology aboard professionally run grand-prix machines works for the rest of us.

Striking the balance is the key. And that’s where the Mark Mills-designed C&C30 stands out in the new breed of 30ft raceboats.

This is a design that takes the best bits of modern high performance and wraps them up with a deck layout that will look and feel familiar to a wide range of crews, yet launch them onto a new level of performance.

Technology where it’s needed

Throughout the boat it is clear that the strategy has been to employ technology where it makes a difference while keeping things simple elsewhere. The best example is the Hall Spars carbon mast supported by 1×19 Dyform wire rigging with ordinary T-terminals on the top and open-bodied bottlescrews at the bottom.

But there are plenty of other examples, from the simple hanks on the headsails to transverse genoa tracks and control lines fitted and run above decks with rope tidy bags. Even when lines do need to go under the deck to prevent crew from standing on them at crucial times, they do so through recessed channels in the deck, which are covered by easily removable lids.

Down below there’s a similarly practical approach. Sparse though her interior is, with little headroom thanks to the flush deck, she still has basic seating and cushions with the provision for hingeing pipecots, a heads and even a small galley should you wish to take her offshore. She has no mast jack, but she has a simple rigging screw-driven adjustable mast foot to allow you to alter the mast rake.

She’s easier to keep in the groove than others of her ilk

The C&C30 also has very few openings in the deck, a rarity aboard modern raceboats, which can look like pepper pots from the inside. Despite taking several waves over the foredeck on our downhill slide and a few thumps through the chop upwind, she had less than half a bucket of water in the bilges at the end of our test sail, most of which was shipped when a wave came over the bow just before the kite drop and the foredeck hatch was open.

Look a little closer and there are some very neat ideas, among them the non-retractable, but detachable bowsprit. This can be removed when the boat is at rest by untying the bobstay that runs from the bow to the tip of the sprit and back through its centre to emerge below, where it is attached to the main bulkhead. This allows the sprit to be pulled out of its socket and stowed.

Another clever detail is the constrictor lock for the main halyard, which is operated below decks, along with the halyard itself – simple and effective.

On deck the low-friction bullseye fairleads have been set up to allow cross sheeting of the genoa sheets, and the position of the primary winches make this system easy to use from the weather rail.

Overall the deck layout has been well thought out, with everything within easy reach. One particular detail is the ability for the mainsheet trimmer to move behind the helmsman on the downwind leg without having to thread the mainsheet under the tiller – handy when the breeze is up.

Easy to get on with

The C&C30 is a boat that is very easy to get on with so long as you let her talk you through where she wants to go. Unlike the superlight, almost neutral feel of many modern machines, the helm loads up significantly, but smoothly if you stray too far outside the sail trim envelope. As always, whether sailing upwind or down, fighting the helm is a cue to talk to your trimmers, but here the feedback is that bit clearer, which helps you to stay in the groove.

She doesn’t have such aggressive chines aft as other boats of her ilk and appears to carry less rocker here too. As a result, she tends not to squat down by the stern and lift her bow when you send her downwind. To get her to accelerate and stay on the plane you still need to press her to get around 5° of heel, but the transition is much smoother than others of this type.

Upwind feedback through the helm was clear and unequivocal

This can feel a little odd at first if you are more used to the bow-up trim of other downhill flyers. It also means you have to plan the gusts a little more carefully to avoid putting the handbrake on as you bear away.

But make no mistake, she’s quick. In 16-18 knots of true breeze we were sliding along at 14-16 knots with ease. Such relatively docile handling will inspire confidence, particularly with those making the transition from heavier, conventional boats to something a little more saucy.

And therein lies what I believe is the key to the C&C30; she’s a modest, manageable and practical package that is capable of a blistering performance.

It is inevitable that she will be compared with the Farr 280, especially as both boats were launched at around the same time. Broadly speaking, they look similar and have little to separate them on the technical spec sheets. With a basic price tag of US$137,390 ex works USA, the C&C30 is slightly more expensive, but in the same ball park.

But the best thing about this boat is that she’s another in the growing band of sporty 30-footers. All want to be tomorrow’s successful one-design, and maybe some of them will be, but in the meantime her arrival adds another model into this growing fleet of sportsboats. Everyone can go quickly downhill, it’s just how you choose to do it that is different. And now there’s even more choice.

The C&C30 takes the best of high-performance design, but with a clever, conventional-seeming deck layout

Vinylester/E Glass/foam core construction throughout. The structural grid includes carbon fibre. A 12hp Volvo inboard diesel engine is standard

A well laid-out cockpit makes the C&C30 easy to get to grips with. I felt the foot rest bars were a little too low to give good support, however

Unbolting the keel plate allows the 2.30m deep fin and bulb keel to be raised by 600mm to make it easier to trail the boat. She can also be lifted on a central point

The bowsprit can be removed easily when moored by detaching the bobstay that runs through the centre of the pole and into the boat. This also helps to prevent lines getting caught under the pole

No mast jack, but a simple rigging screw adjustment to move the mast heel forward and aft to rake the rig

Car control lines run under the deck to make crew movement easier and safer, but do so in covered recesses rather than running through the accommodation.

Specifications

LOA 9.15m/30ft 0in

Beam 3.00m/9ft 10in

Draught 2.30m/7ft 6in

Displacement 1,812kg/3,995lb

Upwind 59.51m 2 /640ft 2

Downwind 152m 2 /1643ft 2

IRC Rating 1.140

Price US$137,390 ex works, ex tax

Designed by Mark Mills

Built by C&C Yachts, Bristol,RI, USA

UK/Europe agent Checkmate Sailing www.checkmatesailing.com

This is an extract from a feature in June Yachting World

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Review Forum
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Opinions about this C&C 30 Mk1

• Add to quote

Hi all, First post here although I have been regularly stalking the forums. I'm a fairly inexperienced but already highly passionate sailor looking to buy my first boat to sail/learn on. I'd be primarily day sailing with my wife (crew) and any friends/family (passengers) who want to come along for the ride on Lake Champlain in VT/NY. We have both taken a limited number of sailing classes here and are going to the BVI this winter to take an extensive week long course at the end of which we will hopefully have an "ASA104 Bareboat crusing" certification. I have found a boat here that I like and seems in decent shape. It's a 1974 C&C 30 mkI, 5foot draft version. ***EDIT: it will not let me post links, you can pull up the listing by googling: "Bruce hill yacht sales" and then sorting by price. It's a 1974 C&C 30mkI for 14,700$ I was wondering what the sailnet community though of this particular boat, the price and things to look for. I inspected the boat in person and although it needs a few things done I am by no means an experienced surveyor. Would obviously get a full professional survey before buying it. It has the original 1974 Atomic 4 gas engine!! Overall I'm looking to spend 16-18k$ on a boat, it could be 14K$ for the boat and 3k$ for upgrades/repairs or 10k$ for the boat and 7k$ in repairs/upgrades... I was wondering if any other boats through this seller seem more appropriate (Bruce Hill in VT, follow the link). I was considering the Tartan 33 for 19K$ ***EDIT: It blocked the link again, google: "Bruce hill yacht sales", sort by price. It's the 1983 Tartan 33 listed at 19,000$ but then would have zero left over to fix things... Any input is appreciated! Pete  

The C&C looks clean enough, and appears to have been looked after. Classic boat (though the listing lists it as a 'full keel', it definitely is a 70s fin & spade) with good habits. Interesting to compare the two T33s.. one at half the price. The presentations pretty much sum up the difference, but much of that is cosmetic so the low price worries me as to what we can't see in the pictures. This would be an 'eyes wide open' situation. Are there keel attachment issues? Is the engine on its last legs? etc etc It's worth mentioning that you might buy the cheaper T33 and have more that the current price of the 'nice one' into it by the time it's truly a going concern. Suck it up and pay now, and sail now.... However that depends on the true difference between the boats, the actual issues, and your ability (or lack thereof) to address them properly. I've always liked the T33, decent interior and cockpit, fractional rig, 'handsome' boat.  

There is a sticky thread on boat inspection: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/boat-review-purchase-forum/48177-boat-inspection-trip-tips.html My first reaction was, he typed an extra zero on that price for a 42 year old boat. The boat does have new sails so add a few thousand, and its clean, another grand. IMHO offer him $5k contingent on a survey. Don't fall in love with the boat.  

Skipper Jer said: There is a sticky thread on boat inspection: [...] My first reaction was, he typed an extra zero on that price for a 42 year old boat. The boat does have new sails so add a few thousand, and its clean, another grand. IMHO offer him $5k contingent on a survey. Don't fall in love with the boat. Click to expand...

Hey, That guy certainly has a bunch of clean boats listed. Personally. I like the '84 C&C 29 mark II: Bruce Hill Yacht Sales, Inc. (Shelburne, VT) Clean, well equipped, good sail inventory, etc. The Tartan looks good too - i have always like those boats and they were on my list back in 2006 when i was looking for a 33-36 boat. They are kind of dark down below but have a great reputation. Don't get hung up on the asking price. Look the boats over and then make an offer you are comfortable with. No, you are not going to get the Tartan 33 for $5K. Maybe $15K. Good luck, Barry  

Regarding the C&C - some things I notice: - Blue painted hull - will get hot, hard to keep looking good, and as a first time boat owner, you will scrape the docks more than once, and have big white scrapes showing. - Cabintop has been reinforced at the bulkheads - check carefully around that portion of cabin top for softness in the core. - Strange reinforcements at bottom of mast - maybe just a C&C thing. - I would say also it is overpriced, but at the same time, they aren't going to take $6000 for it. - None of above means "don't get it" - just stuff I notice that you would want to look at closely in person. But frankly, I like this Tartan 30 better, and it is half the price at $6900, which leaves alot of room in your budget for upgrades: Bruce Hill Yacht Sales, Inc. (Shelburne, VT) Looks to be in similar shape, and they are really sweet sailing boats, and a bit better built than C&C. Awlgrip on the topsides won't easily scrape off, and engine access on these is about as good as you can get. It also has a nice dodger, which will cost around $4000 to add to the C&C.  

Don't worry about the old Atomic 4 engine. If it checks out well at survey, it will probably keep running for a long time. They are quiet, durable, and easy to work on. If any of those boats have been on the market for a while, you may be able to talk them down a bunch. Buying a boat is not like buying a car, or house.  

Barquito said: Don't worry about the old Atomic 4 engine. If it checks out well at survey, it will probably keep running for a long time. They are quiet, durable, and easy to work on. ..... Click to expand...

I like the 84 MkII of the bunch. More Modern looks really clean, T cockpit.  

As sad as it makes me to say, that is NOT a $14K boat. The selling price will never come close to that. Granted the seller has every right to ask whatever he wants, and maybe he will get lucky, and maybe I will win the powerball. The 29 MKII with the Yanmar is not really a better sailing boat but a MUCH better deal (pending survey of course). If you are prepared to pay over 10K then start negotiating on this boat, but this boat IS NOT a 20K boat. If you are ready to pay anything close to the 15K for the 30 then the 29 is your boat. The C&C30MKI is a great boat and a very forgiving boat to cut your teeth on! Find a broker who will show you comparable SELLING prices for the boats you are looking at . I'm a C&C guy, but the market for these types of boats is dying. The good news is they are at the bottom of their deprication and if you get either at the correct price you can't lose much. This broker has some nice boats but some of the prices seem out of touch. YMMV... good luck and keep us posted.  

Thanks all for the amazing replies! From my research so far it seems like the C&C 30 MKI is really the superior sailing vessel. This boat looked very clean despite being 42 years old. The wood around the mast step was slightly "humid" and bowing, some of the deck hardware had to be reseated/resealed and the electrical might need some rewiring to be up to code (is there Code on the water or is that a state by state thing?) but overall it was clear someone had taken great care of this boat. I might be falling in love despite your warning SkipperJer!! The prices are fixed by the seller and the broker just acts as a go between buyer and seller (taking a cut no doubt). From when I saw the boat I think the broker was trying to tell me between the lines that he also thought the price was high but obviously he can't flat out say that. I'm just trying to figure out a decent initial offer so I don't insult the sellers. I'm thinking of offering maybe 9-10K$ pending a real survey of course. What do you guys think?  

About the mast step: This is from an Article by a gentleman named John Boros, found at CnCphotoablum dot com Problem Areas The mast step, the seat or pocket into which the mast sits, was originally made of wood up to hull no.# 651. As it sits in a damp /wet area atop the keel, it has had the tendency of weakening and, therefore, deflecting downward. Models #652 and up came with mast steps made of an aluminum casting which was resistant to this problem. The lacquer on the spars has now had many years of hard weather, not to mention the new UV phenomenon. In many cases, the lacquer is worn off and the aluminum prone to oxidation. Painting the spars is the most popular, aesthetic and cost effective resolution to this problem. Also, if a previous owner has neglected to tighten and seal deck hardware as a requirement of the regular maintenance procedure, the deck balsa core may get wet. It would be prudent for a perspective buyer to ask his surveyor to carefully inspect the deck for water damaged balsa core. When considering the purchase of one of these gems, should the need exist, these repair costs should be factored into the purchase price of the boat. Remember, to survey before you buy is always the safest and best route.  

I have a few questions for the OP, and a general forum question: 1) Why are you looking at 30-foot sailboats? Is it because that's the size that fits your sailing needs or because that's the size that fits you budget, or because of some other reason? I ask because I haven't figured out the appeal for that size boat. IMO, too big and complex for daysailing, too small for fun, comfortable overnights. 2) Why do you care about insulting the seller? Offer what you think the boat is worth to you. If that's not enough for the seller, the worst he can do is say, "No." Then you walk away and look for another boat. Now if you are just dicking around hoping to get a naive or distresed seller, then you are just wasting everybody's time and you should already be ashamed of yourself. 3) General question: Why do boats have so much salon space and so little berth space. For a daysailor or weekender, I would prefer a large cockpit and a nice fornicatorium. I don't go out on a boat to spend time sitting on an uncomfortable bench inside a fiberglass tube. I'm either outdoors or doing bedroom activities.  

I just learned a new word. Thank you.  

The 1974 C&C 30 looks decent enough to me, except for the price might be a bit high, resale on boats with Atomic 4's is not great, although they work fine. I actually think 30' is a great size for a first cruising boat, I wouldn't agree they don't have enough space for cruising, because I lived on my pevious boat, a Grampian 30- year round, before I bought my current boat. Small enough to easily single hand, big enough to spend a couple of comfortable weeks on.  

I sail a 1979 C&C 30 on Lake Champlain. It's a great layout for a couple. The wet maststep is an issue, ours is nice and dry. We paid 11500 USD for a solid boat (with yanmar diesel) that needs rigging upgrades.  

Bruce Hill Yacht Sales, Inc. (Shelburne, VT) Good looking boat. Clean, well cared for. Solid design. If it surveys well it is likely worth 9-10 grand in today's market. If you really like it, go for it, but be firm in your resolve to keep price target low. There is a glut of decent older boats on the market so you should expect a good deal. Boat is a luxury item that you can afford to be picky about.  

Well after a survey and some negotiations back and forth the boat is ours for 9,000$. Now getting some of the minor issues fixed and trying to be patient until the spring! Thanks all for the input and comic relief.  

Congratulations ! Keep us posted on the repairs/upgrades.  

• ?            
• 174.2K members

Top Contributors this Month

Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts.

• Sailboat Guide

C&C 30-2

C&C 30-2 is a 29 ′ 11 ″ / 9.1 m monohull sailboat designed by Robert Ball and C&C Design and built by C&C Yachts starting in 1988.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

WING KEEL version: Draft: 4.50’/1.37m Displacement: 8500 lbs./3856 kgs.

Embed this page on your own website by copying and pasting this code.

• About Sailboat Guide

©2024 Sea Time Tech, LLC

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.