C&C 30: Pushing the Limits

“Goin’ back to my roots, yeah…” That classic early ’80s dance tune is the song running though my head as I look at the exciting new C&C 30, a thoroughbred race boat from the USWatercraft team in Newport, RI.

Can C&C make a comeback in the racing arena , with the new C&C 30? Signs point to "Yes."

With this new 30-footer, C&C is going back to George Cuthbertson and George Cassian’s original design roots of providing high performance sailing in an affordable package. C&C was one of the pioneers in developing boats with lightweight composite sandwich construction, and many wins on the racecourse followed. But since then, the brand has been more associated with racer/cruiser models, such as the company’s successful 33-footer, as well as its 101, 110, and 115 series.

Randy Borges, president of USWatercraft, is leading the charge to restore this racing-oriented direction for the C&C brand. Borges grew up in Youngstown, OH, looking across the lake at the C&C yard. This sparked a fire in his blood for sailboat racing. He currently builds J/Boats, Mumm 30s, and Farr 40s, and after envisioning an opportunity in the 30-foot size range to do something cool, he teamed up with Mark Mills to come up with a new design from C&C.

Built to International Sailing Federation Category A standards for offshore racing, this hull can be buttoned up and operated safely when the weather goes sideways. And with a displacement of nearly 4,000 pounds, she is about 500 pounds heavier than her nearest competitor, the Farr 280.

The new C&C 30 blasts away on a downwind leg.

Designed to be the next generation of racing craft after the Mumm 30 and Melges 32 one-design boats, which are now a bit long in the tooth, C&C took a “keep it simple” approach. The company decided to incorporate the latest design trends, including a flush deck and large open cockpit; a bowsprit for ease of downwind boat handling; and an efficient and powerful square-top mainsail.

This setup does demand split backstays lead to stern winches for adjustment, which at first glance looks overcomplicated. But the system aims to be more powerful and easier to trim than standard block-and-tackle setup. In light air with the swept-back spreaders, the backstays should be a non-issue. Overall sail area upwind is 640 square feet and downwind is a whopping 1643 square feet with the huge asymmetric spinnaker.

A shot of the cockpit on the C&C 30. Mote the winches situated aft for backstay adjustment.

A shot of the cockpit on the C&C 30. Note the winches situated aft for backstay adjustment.

Another requirement in this design was to include a reliable inboard that started at the push of a button. So the C&C 30 has a two-cylinder Volvo diesel with Gori race prop that can move her along at speeds up to eight knots.

This boat also saves the hassle of finding a large crew. The C&C 30 can be raced with five to six people (total weight 1,100 pounds) because of a stable hull design and torpedo bulb keel with more than 1,500 pounds of ballast. Fewer people means less cost and fewer telephone calls the night before a race. It has high freeboard, giving it a bigger boat feel and more clearance above the water for crew on the rail.

The interior is all about keeping it light. Two settee berths are standard along with a chemical head. Two optional pipe berths can be installed along with sink and stove for overnight racing.

The interior of the C&C 30 is pretty sparse, but good enough for basic overnighting.

Construction of the C&C 30 consists of a fiberglass hull and deck, a carbon-reinforced, one-piece structural grid, and a carbon fiber keel and rudder. The keel can retract upward into the cabin for lower height during transport. All spars are made of carbon fiber, except for the boom.

Specifications
Length	30.01'
Beam	9.84'
Draft	7.5'
Sail Area	640.6 sq. ft.
Displacement	3,995 lbs
Fuel capacity	6.5 gal.
Water capacity	N/A

Target buyers for this boat are people interested in one-design racing, or longer distance races such as the Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, races to Mackinac, Ida Lewis Distance Race, etc. Pricing for the C&C 30 starts at $124,900 for the base boat.

Cuthbertson and Cassian would be proud. And while we may not see the likes of 300-plus boats, as with the Mumm 30, I for one hope this becomes a well-recognized one-design class.

If you are interested in seeing one, C&C 30s will be competing in various regattas including Key West and Charleston Race Week, and they will also be at the Chicago Boat Show. Order now and you could get hull number 20, which is due to be completed by April.

For more information, visit C&C Yachts.