The initiative for a new offshore regatta class comes from the UNCL (Union Nationale pour la Course au Large), the national association of offshore sailors in France. In order to provide broad international support for the project, the organisation has sought and found solidarity with its association colleagues from the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) in England and the Storm Trysail Club in America. All three organisations ultimately contributed equally to the development of Class 30, the new one-design regatta class.
The triumvirate organised a design competition for the development. 27 projects from nine countries were then submitted, scrutinised and subjected to an extensive selection process. The project from the VPLP office in France was ultimately awarded the contract. The small ocean-going racers are to be built under the supervision of the composite specialists from Multiplast in Vannes.
The Class 30 concept is based on a relatively simple GRP construction with a fixed keel, double rudder blades, aluminium rig and an extendable bowsprit for the gennaker. As the UNCL has recently announced, the Class 30 will be available in two versions: as a club version with simple equipment and reduced on-board technology and as a significantly better equipped version under the name Class 30 One Design. The design has also just been provisionally categorised as CE design category A4, i.e. seaworthy with a crew of four. This apparently applies to both versions, Club and One Design. This means that the Class 30 boats can also take part in the big ocean classics, such as the Rolex Fastnet Race.
The UNCL has also already defined the prices. The Club version of the Class 30 will cost 94,500 euros net, while 132,500 euros will be charged for the One Design version. The prices are net prices plus VAT. This means that the project can obviously not be realised for the basic price originally defined by the initiators. A maximum price of 80,000 euros net was set as the basis for the design competition in 2021. That was before the war in Ukraine and the increasing difficulties with supply chains. A lot has changed since then.
The new Class 30 is now intended to close the gap between the Mini 6.50 and Class 40 ocean racing classes. The initiative to create an international standardised class aims to offer ambitious young sailors an affordable yet attractive platform to enter the sport of ocean racing. According to the international project initiators, the aim is to create a pool of young, committed and highly trained offshore specialists, a reservoir for neo-professionals on their way into the Class 40 or Imoca Open 60 regatta series, for example.
The mould sets in which the hulls and decks of the Class 30 boats will be laminated are apparently currently being built. The ambitious schedule envisages the first ships being delivered by the end of 2022. After that, a new boat is to be completed every week. According to the latest information, 25 orders have apparently already been placed. And there are already concrete plans for an initial, extensive regatta programme in 2023, with the Class 30 set to be a standard class at no fewer than 16 regatta events, including the Fastnet Race and various single-handed and double-handed regattas. The Class 30 boats are also intended to revitalise the idea of the former "Tour de France a Voile". The stage race around France is set to take place again for the first time in 2024.
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Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
