Pointer 30

This sleek and sporty weekend-sailer from the Netherlands has plenty of appeal for the coastal sailor, as Theo Stocker found

- Theo Stocker

Yachts of 30ft or under are exciting - something about their (relatively) diminutive size makes them reminiscent of childhood adventures.

They're also intriguing from a design point of view. The challenges of fitting cockpit, cabin and berths into a confined space mean there is often more variation among the 'pocket cruisers' of this world than among boats that are not so dimensionally challenged. Go big, and they all start to look the same to the small-boat enthusiast.

Conversely, the small boats launched or planned in the last year or two, such as the Bente 28, Swallow Yachts 32, the GT 325, or the Sunbeam 29.1 and 32.1, are all so different as to be hard to compare.

The truth is that this size of boat sits somewhere between a fully offshore-capable cruiser and an inland or coastal day-sailer or, in the case of the Pointer 30, a classy 'weekender'. This appellation has been pilfered from the motorboat world to denote a cruising boat intended to be fun to sail with your mates, pleasant to be aboard, and comfortable enough for a night or two.

The question is, does such a boat fall between two stools, lugging around a load of half-usable accommodation while sacrificing the sailing ability of a more honest luxury day-sailer?

Well, when I first clapped eyes on the Pointer 30, I was immediately taken with her low topsides, sleek coachroof and understated design-there's not a fat bow or full-hull chine anywhere in sight. It was clear to me that this was the kind of boat I'd enjoy sailing. While her standard draught is a mere 1.25m (4ft 1in), built for the shallow waters of the Dutch inland seas, her narrow waterline, fine entry bow and hefty 40% ballast ratio promise to stand up to a generous spread of canvas.

Add in twin rudders with tiller steering (a single canting wheel is an option, as on our test boat) and a displacement of under two and a half tonnes, and this starts to look like quite a sporty little boat.