Cal 48
Description
The Cal 48 is a classic American bluewater cruising sloop designed by C. William Lapworth. Built by Jensen Marine (Cal Yachts) from 1966 to 1970, approximately 13 hulls were produced. It features a moderate-displacement fin keel with spade rudder for responsive handling and tracking, solid hand-laid fiberglass construction (balsa-cored deck on later examples), and a masthead sloop rig suited to coastal racing, family cruising, or short offshore passages. Renowned for its speed (SA/D of 19.5), seaworthiness in 15–25 knots, and spacious layout for the era, it's a capable performer with a balanced, dry ride.
Construction Details
| Designer | C. William Lapworth |
|---|---|
| Builder | Jensen Marine (USA) |
| Length | 47.500 ft |
| LOA | 47.750 ft |
| LWL | 35.000 ft |
| Beam | 12.000 ft |
| Displacement | 25000 lb |
| Ballast | 10000 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1966 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 55 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 19 ft |
| p | 48.16 ft |
| e | 21.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 ft | 19 ft | 48.16 ft | 21.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Cal 48 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 48.16 ft - (14679 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.5 ft - (6553 mm) |
| Leech | * 51.83 ft - (15798 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 52.05 ft - (15865 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 529.06 ft² |
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Cal 48 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 46.55 ft - (14188 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.51 ft - (7775 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.9 ft - (12162 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.85 ft - (6660 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 508.57 ft² |
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Cal 48 - GENOA
| Luff | 55.28 ft - (16849 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 30.97 ft - (9440 mm) |
| Leech | * 51.72 ft - (15764 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.5 ft - (8687 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.98 ° |
| Area | * 787.73 ft² |
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Cal 48 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 55.28 ft - (16849 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 34.2 ft - (10424 mm) |
| Foot | * 34.2 ft - (10424 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1607 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.