irwin citation 30 sailboat review

Sailboat Review of the Irwin 30 Competition

The Irwin 30 Competition is a racing boat , built with an oversized rig and a long keel but still has a surprising amount of comfort.  She is designed to race first and double as a daysailer.

Hull Type: Fin with rudder on skeg Rigging Type: Masthead Sloop LOA: 30.00 ft / 9.14 m LWL: 26.92 ft / 8.21 m Beam: 10.17 ft / 3.10 m S.A. (reported): 474.00 ft2 / 44.04 m2 Draft (max): 5.33 ft / 1.62 m Displacement: 10,000 lb / 4,536 kg Ballast: 4,600 lb / 2,087 kg S.A./Disp.: 16.39 Bal./Disp.: 46.00 Disp./Len.: 228.84 Construction: FG First Built: 1972 Builder: Irwin Yachts (USA) Designer: Ted Irwin

We Reviewed the Argo:

• My Irwin 30 Competition, the Argo , is fitted with a tall rig, deep keel, Atomic 4 engine and till steering.  I have a stack pack for the main, self-tailing winches, GPS Chartplotter, backlit gimbaled compass and more.
• The galley is equipped with a 2 burner alcohol stove, sink, icebox, 120-volt fridge and plenty of storage.  I soon hope to upgrade it with a 3 burner gimbaled propane stove with oven.
• The salon is simple but functional with a fold-out table that can feed 6 people.  The 2 salon benches double as single beds with plenty of storage under and behind them.
• The head is equipped with a flushing toilet and sink. The bad news is that the 2-gallon gray water tank cannot be pumped out.  It must be disconnected in the salon and hand-carried to a disposal site. 
• The v-berth is big enough for 1 person comfortably and 2 people if you really like each other.  There is storage space in a few drawers and cubbies.  There is a hanging closet beside the head and v-berth.
• The quarter berth is big enough for one person to sleep or a big storage area if not used as a bed.
• This boat sails smooth and very fast. She is balanced very well and is easy to control. It turns on a dime and the Atomic 4 is more than enough power to get you out of any bind you find yourself in.

Overall I give this ship 2 thumbs up!

Ships Captain The Dread Pirate Dave

David is the Editor in Chief of Postcards From the Edge. I was born on a cold November morning on the showy plains of Colorado. Like my father, before me, I am an American Nomad.

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Review of Irwin Citation 30

Basic specs., sailing characteristics.

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.0 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Irwin Citation 30 is about 170 kg/cm, alternatively 956 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 170 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 956 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Irwin Citation 30 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

Irwin 30 Citation

The Irwin 30 Citation is a popular sailboat model that was first introduced by the Irwin Yachts company in 1978. With a length overall of 30 feet and a beam of 10 feet, the Irwin 30 Citation is a moderately sized sailboat that can comfortably accommodate a small family or a group of friends for day sailing or weekend cruising. The boat has a spacious cockpit and a well-designed interior with a full galley, a dinette, a private head, and two double berths, providing plenty of space for onboard living and entertaining.

The Irwin 30 Citation is a popular choice for coastal cruising and offshore sailing, thanks to its sturdy construction and reliable performance. The boat's fiberglass hull is solid and well-built, with a moderate fin keel and a spade rudder that provide excellent stability and maneuverability. The sail plan includes a roller-furling jib and a mainsail with lazy jacks, which make it easy to handle the sails single-handedly. With a reliable diesel engine and a fuel capacity of 18 gallons, the Irwin 30 Citation can cover a range of 300 miles under power, making it a versatile and capable sailboat for both short and long-distance sailing adventures.

LOA: 30.00 ft LWL: 26.92 ft Beam: 10.00 ft Draft: 5.30 ft Displacement: 10400.00 lbs Ballast: 4300.00 lbs Hull type: Fin with rudder on skeg Hull construction: FG Rigging type: Masthead Sloop

Irwin 30 Citation for sale in the last 12 months

Looks like this is a boat rarely offered for sale - we could not find any listings in the last 12 months. Please come back and check at a later time or add this boat to your list to be notified if one is available for purchase.

Listing details

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Irwin citation 32

• Thread starter Flyflicker
• Start date Aug 25, 2016
• Brand-Specific Forums

Hey Guys, New to this site. I'm having a hard time finding any feedback on the citation 32. any info would be great. It's a 1987. sailboat data says it has 6ft draft but owner says it's 4.3 are there two draft sizes. Sailing qualities and thanksinfo would be great.  

I delivered a 38 a few months ago, but can't help you with the 32. My principal (and almost only) reservation about the boat was that it had an offset companionway.  

The 32 is not off set. not much talk about these.. Found favorable posts about handling . Found one post about a 34 with 4.3 keel so I guess this info is correct for the 32. Thanks for the reply.  

Have you tried sailboatdata.com for info on measurements, etc.?  

Yes. Said it was a 6 ft draft.No other info. was told it was 4.3  

Sorry, missed that in the original post. Sailboatdata.com will often make it clear if a boat came in two different drafts, but I can't guarantee that it is complete. Don't know if there are any Irwin associations, but you might want to google search for that, and check Facebook for an Irwin group. For just the question of draft, find an experienced, been-around-a-long-time broker and ask him if he knows whether the boat came in two drafts that year. Or, ask the owner if you can be present the next time the hull is cleaned. Drop a sounding line over the side and ask the diver to read off the draft.  

thanks for the response. Ill do that  

Well SF, As far as the Keel is concerned, there is a note at the bottom of the specs page on sailboat data that shows a shoal draft option. My bad. thanks for your help. Just wish I could find some owners comments.  

Glad you found at least part of what you wanted. Now for the (possibly) bad news. Regardless of what the website says the shoal draft is, you need to check it yourself. My shoal draft H31 is supposed to draw 4 feet. While it was on the hard last year, I measured it at about 4' 9". Haven't confirmed that in the water due to visibility issues, but she sits on her lines, so I suspect it is close. Make sure you verify what you draw.  

Flyflicker, I have been spending some time researching the Irwin Citation 31 lately as a 1985 31 recently caught my attention and I stumbled on the 32 as well in the process. It appears the 32 started production in 1986 and went out of production soon afterwards when Irwin went kaput (1987?). Info and sales info can be found here: http://www.irwinyachts.com/ Anyway, the 31 came with a fin of 6', shoal draft of 4', and a shoaldraft/centerboard combo model of 4' board up/8.2' board down. I am not 100% sure (just about 90%) that the differences between the 32 and the 31 are: - the 32 has a new fold down door with a walk-through transom where the 31 did not - the 32 dropped the centerboard keel and kept the shaoldraft and the fin - the 32 adopted the new 2GM20 (18HP) Yanmar (the 31 has the older 2GM (13HP) Other than that as far as I can tell the two boats are identical, same interior layout and appointments, same rig and sail plan, and the sailing performance is similar. I really like the 31 but I am hesitant on the 2GM being enough to move the boat up rivers against the current. The 2GM seems a bit weak for this size boat as a cruiser...maybe a day sailor. The 2GM20 in the 32 is an improvement but the Catalina 30 from this same timeframe has a 27HP 3-cylinder. I hope all this helps!  

thanks a bunch that does help. I guess the fact that it was only made for a couple years is why I can't find very many boat owners. Again for your response  

Pretty sure Good Old Boat had a review of the Irwin 32. A friend had one for sale so I was looking for info on and found the review. Did a search and found they did an Irwin Citation 31 in Jan/Feb 2007 issue. Might that be close enough? You can order back issues.  

Okay thanks Ward. Yeah they're tough I was trying to pull it up but they want me to pay $8 to download the whole magazine lol I appreciate the heads-up  

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