Kirby 30
Description
The Kirby 30 is a Canadian fiberglass racing sailboat (with strong cruiser-racer capabilities) designed by Bruce Kirby (the renowned naval architect famous for the Laser dinghy and many other performance boats). It was first built in 1981 as a follow-on to the Kirby 25, emphasizing clean, aggressive lines without excessive IOR bumps/hollows, fast performance regardless of rating, and a balance of speed and interior comfort (e.g., compared to a J/30's speed with a J/29-like interior). Built by small yards (e.g., Competition Marine or New Orleans Marine influences in some references), it features a fin keel with spade rudder for responsive handling, fractional sloop rig for efficient sail handling, and a reputation for being quick, stable, and fun—often praised as a "pretty little boat" that intimidates competitors in club racing or handicap events. Production was limited (likely dozens of hulls, not a high-volume series), making it a semi-rare classic today.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bruce Kirby |
|---|---|
| Builder | New Orleans Marine |
| Length | 29.670 ft |
| LOA | 29.670 ft |
| LWL | 23.500 ft |
| Beam | 10.250 ft |
| Displacement | 5350 lb |
| Ballast | 2300 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1981 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 34.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 10.60 ft |
| p | 37.25 ft |
| e | 13.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34.50 ft | 10.60 ft | 37.25 ft | 13.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Kirby 30 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 37.25 ft - (11354 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.9 ft - (11857 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 39.18 ft - (11942 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 259.38 ft² |
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Kirby 30 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 28.87 ft - (8800 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.95 ft - (4252 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.23 ft - (7690 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.19 ft - (3716 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 175.98 ft² |
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Kirby 30 - GENOA
| Luff | * 34.29 ft - (10452 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.04 ft - (5194 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.34 ft - (9857 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.9 ft - (4846 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 272.6 ft² |
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Kirby 30 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 34.29 ft - (10452 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.49 ft - (5331 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.55 ft - (9616 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 450 ft² |
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Kirby 30 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 34.29 ft - (10452 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 19.08 ft - (5816 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.08 ft - (5816 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 556 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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