Elizabethan 30
Born to race the Elizabethan 30 was conceived at a time when the She 31's were dominant in Solent racing. Designed around the racing rules of the day the Elizabethan 30 changed all that. The so called cruising version was very competitive; her sister, the 9 metre with heavier keel and larger rig was faster, but more of a handful. Few 9 metres were built but the 30 has featured in Atlantic, Solent and Club races for many years. In recent times Elizabethan 30's have featured in the top ten of Round the Island Race year after year.
David Thomas's first commercial success was the most popular Elizabethan for good reason, and is still sought after today. Introduced in 1969, production continued to the mid- 1970s. She is a masthead cruiser racer with a moderate fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. She has a high ballast ratio and feels very stiff. She has well balanced handling and good performance, particularly when the wind picks up. The accommodation offers five berths in two cabins with a reasonable heads compartment amidships and adequate cooking facilities. Headroom is unusually good at over 6ft (1 .8m). Build quality is good and Elizabethan 30s tend to hold their value. In the early days of production, a few Elizabethan 9-metres were built These were tuned-up racing versions and had a deeper keel, rod rigging, trim tab and a slightly taller rig. Standard versions ran to three marques so some internal variations will be found.
