Top race boats from 30 to 50 feet

In the Irish publication Afloat, Olympian and Sailing Coach Mark Mansfield runs through the options available for an owner looking to buy a new boat for racing in the 30 to 50-foot range and picks his top 15 from the market:

Having sailed in numerous regattas over the last few years, there are clear designs that feature well on the IRC rating system used in Ireland, the UK, France and many other European countries. Some of the 15 that I have selected below are more offshore orientated, some are true cruiser-racers, with nice interiors, and only one is a full-on racing boat.

There are, of course, numerous other designs that are no longer in production, or one-off boats. However, these 15 are yachts that could be purchased now, and in most cases be sailing and racing in Irish waters by the middle of the summer next year.

I have selected the 30 to 50-foot range as that is where the majority of new boats purchased now come from. So here goes, in size order, largest first. The pricing mentioned are the basic prices without Instruments, sails or safety gear.

To view the list… click here.