Whitbread 30

[ifoxwell]

In looking for my next boat and have come across an add for a Whitbread 30.

Never heard of them but they look like fun.

Can some one fill me in, what are they like.

I'm looking for something for some round the can racing on the Medway, something I can take the family out on and most importantly something i can manage single handed from time to time.

Any good?

 

[alexg]

In looking for my next boat and have come across an add for a Whitbread 30.

Never heard of them but they look like fun.

Can some one fill me in, what are they like.

I'm looking for something for some round the can racing on the Medway, something I can take the family out on and most importantly something i can manage single handed from time to time.

Any good?

The Simon Rogers designed Whitbread 30 was also called the Mount Gay 30. The most famous of which was 'Sticky Fingers'. There are one or two about, including one here in Lymington (which has been extensively modified for twin-handed offshore racing). I owned the slightly smaller Rogers-designed Whitbread 27 (which had a lift keel, water ballast and a stupidly tall rig)

They are pretty bullet-proof boats. They aren't fantastic upwind, but a rocket-ship off the wind. I can't recall whether they are water-ballasted like my 27 was. They would certainly be a good bet for short-handed, but so would a Beneteau Figaro mkI.

I'm not sure whether the one my colleague runs is 'buyable', but if you are in the market, I could have a word with him.

 

[ifoxwell]

At this point in time I'm only considering my options so Id be interested to hear about the boats and to find out what he woudl like for it but I'm not a serious buyer at this stage.

Ian

 

[flaming]

At this point in time I'm only considering my options so Id be interested to hear about the boats and to find out what he woudl like for it but I'm not a serious buyer at this stage.

Ian

PM Doris, I think he used to have one.

 

[Keen_Ed]

The Whitbread 30 / Mount Gay was a box rule for offshore boats. Smaller brother of the Round the world race 60. Several designs built, but the class didn't really take off. Water ballast tanks, like big bro.

 

[Birdseye]

We have one in our IRC fleet sailing off 1.024. The crew is a pretty experienced ex J80 winning crew but the boat is new to them and so far the results are mid fleet. My impression, and its no more than that, is that the boat is a longer distance passage racer rather than a really fast round the cans type.

If you PM me your phone number I will ask one of the joint owners if he is happy to chat to you.

 

[mrming]

I crewed on one for a bit. Fantastic fun, a handful at times, and not competitive at all round the cans.

 

[Adamastor]

The original Sticky Fingers is available for sale here in SA. She's got a handicap like a blind man in a wheelchair, and goes like a squeezed olive-pip! I raced against her in another MG30 and Sticky Fingers gave the whole fleet a comprehensive sailing-lesson, holding her own against some hot 40' boats!

 

[Boo2]

I crewed on one for a bit. Fantastic fun, a handful at times, and not competitive at all round the cans.

So what 30' boats are competitive around the cans these days ? </Idle curiosity>

Boo2

 

[mrming]

So what 30' boats are competitive around the cans these days ? </Idle curiosity>

Boo2

A J/92 would be my pick. Or a J/97 if you don't like money and want to get rid of a lot of it. Depends where you're racing and what the class bands are like of course.

 

[Judders]

Not sure the J92 is that good a bet on IRC. Jeronimo does rather well but I put that down to the owners being quite good.

 

[Racecruiser]

So what 30' boats are competitive around the cans these days ? </Idle curiosity>

Boo2

Well we are pretty happy with our Elan 295 (at 9.2m just over 30 ft with endorsed rating of 0.923) and we win races in JOG if we manage to keep the Laser 28s, Impalas and a few others far enough behind. Shooting Star won her IRC class in the RTI a few years ago and that was enough for me to track one down! Here's one (not ours) on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELAN-295-Sailing-Yacht-/321826122957?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

[Judders]

I have to concur, Raffles is getting harder and harder to beat.

That said, it's a very different beast to the Whitbread. Much more cruisy and that's probably why it rates so well. It fits neatly into IRC which encourages that sort of thing.

 

[Racecruiser]

I have to concur, Raffles is getting harder and harder to beat.

That said, it's a very different beast to the Whitbread. Much more cruisy and that's probably why it rates so well. It fits neatly into IRC which encourages that sort of thing.

Thanks for the compliment Judders! Agree an Elan 295 is a different boat to a Whitbread 30 - May Contain Nuts a Whitbread 30 is currently doing the Fastnet 2-handed I was reliably informed last weekend while on a boozy overnighter in Bembridge. Well you can't race all the time - nosing out of Bembridge with the depth down to 0.1m was interesting although we knew we were a touch early on the rising tide.

Just looked your profile - which Impala are you?

 

[doris]

Having been away I have just seen this thread.
I owned a Stephen Jones Mount Gay 30, ne Whitbread 30. Originally called Wildwood she became Hot Doris and is still about on the East Coast.
Bullet proof but you had to pay attention, fastest we had her at was about 22 kts, having been sitting on the plane at 20. She had 300 litres/kilos of water ballast which made her completely uncompetitive
under IRC and it was not feasible to change this but wow, what a blast she was to sail.
Brilliant boat.

 

[Judders]

Just looked your profile - which Impala are you?

Magic. The bright red one.

 

[bignick]

Well we are pretty happy with our Elan 295 (at 9.2m just over 30 ft with endorsed rating of 0.923) and we win races in JOG if we manage to keep the Laser 28s, Impalas and a few others far enough behind. Shooting Star won her IRC class in the RTI a few years ago and that was enough for me to track one down! Here's one (not ours) on Ebay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ELAN-295-Sailing-Yacht-/321826122957?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

I'm pretty sure that is Shooting Star.

 

[Racecruiser]

Magic. The bright red one.

Aha - shout out coming when we see you next!

 

[Racecruiser]

I'm pretty sure that is Shooting Star.

Just googled the sail no and it is Shooting Star - changed hands after her RTI winning days but still should be a well sorted boat.

 

[Judders]

Aha - shout out coming when we see you next!

The start of the JOG Cowes-Poole race I should think.

Doubtless we'll both be banging left as usual. I seem to recall that last time (2013 - we missed last year) we popped out of the forts about a mile ahead, just you, Xara and us (so we're very happy bunnies on handicap) then as you got around Bembridge Ledge fifty yards in front of us the wind died and we ended up bobbing around whilst the rest of the fleet caught up, only for it to fill in again as soon as they arrived.