Golden Shamrock 30
Description
The Golden Shamrock 30 (also known as Shamrock 30) is a classic Irish-built racer-cruiser designed by renowned naval architect Ron Holland (known for his IOR-influenced designs like the America’s Cup challengers and many successful offshore racers). It was produced by Southcoast Boat Works in Cork, Ireland, starting in 1976, with a limited run of hulls (around a few dozen production boats). The design is directly based on the prototype Silver Shamrock, which won the prestigious 1976 Half Ton Cup, making the Golden Shamrock a production version of a proven offshore racer—fast, stiff, and competitive for its era. This is a masthead sloop with a fin keel, spade rudder, and a relatively light displacement for good performance. It's known for excellent upwind ability (pointing high and tracking well) but can be twitchy or demanding downwind when over pressed (typical of 1970s IOR half-tonners). While capable for coastal/offshore passages (some have crossed oceans), it's more of a spirited club racer or fast cruiser than a heavy bluewater boat—best for experienced sailors who enjoy performance over plush comfort.
Construction Details
| Designer | Ron Holland |
|---|---|
| Builder | Southcoast Boat Works in Cork, Ireland |
| Length | 29.700 ft |
| LOA | 29.680 ft |
| LWL | 24.500 ft |
| Beam | 10.170 ft |
| Displacement | 7055 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.750 ft |
| Year Built | 1976 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.67 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.80 ft |
| p | 32 ft |
| e | 10 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.67 ft | 11.80 ft | 32 ft | 10 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Golden Shamrock 30 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.99 ft - (10055 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 33.19 ft - (10116 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 165.15 ft² |
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Golden Shamrock 30 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31.58 ft - (9626 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.57 ft - (4746 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.52 ft - (8388 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.57 ft - (4136 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.98 ° |
| Area | * 214.24 ft² |
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Golden Shamrock 30 - GENOA
| Luff | * 37.5 ft - (11430 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.01 ft - (5794 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.32 ft - (10766 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.7 ft - (5395 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 331.87 ft² |
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Golden Shamrock 30 - GENOA
| Luff | 36.25 ft - (11049 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17 ft - (5182 mm) |
| Leech | 34.25 ft - (10439 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.93 ft - (4855 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.03 ° |
| Area | * 288.76 ft² |
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Golden Shamrock 30 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 37.5 ft - (11430 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.47 ft - (5934 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.5 ft - (10516 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 548 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.