A new arrival into Royal Cork Yacht Club this season is an Olson 30, a vintage American design writes Bob Bateman. Afloat.ie understands it's the only one of its type in Europe and will be new competition at the top of class two in June's ICRA National Championships. The 'lightweight flyer' is skippered by RCYC's Kieran Collins.
The Olson 30 was designed by George Olson of Santa Cruz, California around 1978. Olson was a surfer and surfboard shaper who decided to design a 30' ultra light displacement boat.
Approximately 250 boats were built by Pacific Boats and Ericson Yachts. The Olson 30 was introduced into a crowded market of ultralight boats constructed in the Santa Cruz area, including Ron Moore's Moore 24 and Bill Lee's Santa Cruz 27.