Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig
Description
The Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig is a refined iteration of the classic American racer-cruiser sailboat designed by C. William Lapworth. Produced by Jensen Marine/Cal Boats (under Bangor Punta) from 1978 to 1980, approximately 50 hulls were built for the MK III overall, with the tall rig variant being a subset optimized for enhanced light-air performance and upwind ability through a taller mast and increased sail area (adding ~61 ft² over standard). It features a wider beam than earlier marks for improved stability, a fin keel with spade rudder for agile handling, and hand-laid fiberglass construction for durability. This model excels in coastal racing, family cruising, or short offshore legs, with a reputation for speed in 10–20 knots and a dry, balanced ride.
Construction Details
| Designer | C. William Lapworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jensen Marine (USA) |
| Length | 39.000 ft |
| LOA | 39.000 ft |
| LWL | 32.080 ft |
| Beam | 12.000 ft |
| Displacement | 19000 lb |
| Ballast | 7000 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.750 ft |
| Year Built | 1978 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 54 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.67 ft |
| p | 48 ft |
| e | 13.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 ft | 16.67 ft | 48 ft | 13.75 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.2 ft - (14996 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.47 ft - (15078 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 340.18 ft² |
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Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110.08 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.35 ft - (5593 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.96 ° |
| Area | * 440.3 ft² |
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Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - GENOA
| Luff | * 53.69 ft - (16365 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 26.81 ft - (8172 mm) |
| Leech | * 50.61 ft - (15426 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.02 ° |
| Area | * 671.11 ft² |
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Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - GENOA
| Luff | 52.5 ft - (16002 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 24.25 ft - (7391 mm) |
| Leech | 49 ft - (14935 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135.09 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.52 ft - (6864 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.59 ° |
| Area | * 591.27 ft² |
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Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 54 ft - (16459 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
| Leech | 51 ft - (15545 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1134 ft² |
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Cal 39 MK III Tall Rig - STORMJIB
| Luff | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 12.75 ft - (3886 mm) |
| Leech | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 57.35 % |
| Length Perp | * 9.56 ft - (2914 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 24.26 ° |
| Area | * 124.31 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.