Perry Design Review: Henderson 30

The Henderson 30 has a very sexy hull shape with a lot of shape change, which is what I think makes a hull shape exciting. A hollow entry and V-ed forward sections fair into an arced midsection with no deadrise. Then the arc turns into a flat-bottomed section with a hard turn to the bilge, firming up as it goes aft. The near-vertical transom shows flared and flat topsides. The D/L is 80.43.

The Henderson 30.

This looks like a very fast boat. The Henderson 30 falls into the sport boat category. I think this means it is designed primarily for round-the-buoys racing, but it could sleep the crew in a pinch. I'm not sure why they even bother with a galley.

The fixed keel is a very deep fin-and-bulb arrangement, giving the 30 a draft of 7 feet. The rudder has an exceptionally high aspect ratio and is constructed in such a way that it can be raised and lowered in addition to slightly changing the sweep angle. This way helm feel can be adjusted to suit different conditions.

The rig of the Henderson 30 features an articulating, retractable bowsprit and a carbon fiber mast. By articulating the bowsprit you can sail lower than you would with a fixed sprit by about 5 degrees. The SA/D is 30.67. (Do you remember when an SA/D of 20 was considered high-powered?) The 30 carries a huge masthead asymmetrical chute that can add 1,247 square feet to the off-the-wind sail area. Imagine the acceleration when the chute goes up.

On deck the 30 is all business and is laid out in the same style as the Farr 40. All efforts were made to keep the crew weight in the middle of the boat. The short bridgedeck hides an ingenious retractable outboard motor system, leaving a clean and flush bottom. Mainsheet and traveler controls are at the helmsman's fingertips. With such a big cockpit, this looks like an exceptionally comfortable boat for the crew. High-performance boats are getting easier to sail as deck layouts and sail-handling systems are refined to the point where they are all starting to look alike. There seems to be little pioneering left to do in the area of deck layouts.

This is a well designed and refined boat that is proving itself a consistent winner in the most competitive of fleets, including the one at Key West Race Week. The Henderson 30 is a very attractive boat that should strike fear into the heart of the competition.

Attractive, exciting racer with refined design.

Boat Specifications

LOA	30'10";
LWL	28'9";
Beam	9'10";
Draft	7';
Displacement	3,850 lbs.;
Ballast	1,750 lbs.;
Sail Area	471 sq. ft.;
SA/D	30.67;
D/L	80.43;
L/B	3.13;
Auxiliary	9.9-horsepower outboard (contained retractable).