We were excited to get the opportunity to design the Longtail 30. The goal of the design was to produce a boat which is easy to handle and comfortable to sail while being very fast for her size. In many ways this boat is an anachronism – very modern and somewhat traditional at the same time. The Longtail combines a wood/epoxy hull and internal structure with carbon/epoxy foam cored deck panels and appendages to produce a boat which is relatively economical and ultra-light. With more than 50% of its weight in a bulb 2.3 meters below the surface this boat has enough stability to sail well upwind without hiking. A self-tacking jib and asymmetrical spinnaker with a skiff style dousing chute makes it feasible to double hand this boat on a buoy racing course.