Pearson 24
Description
The Pearson 24 is a compact, trailerable fiberglass cruiser designed by William H. "Bill" Shaw for Pearson Yachts, produced from 1967 to 1969 as a masthead sloop emphasizing family day sailing, light racing, and occasional overnights with a fixed fin keel for stability and a modified long keel hull for forgiving handling. Featuring a spooned raked stem, raised counter transom, and modest freeboard inspired by Shaw's earlier work, it offers sleeping for four in a cozy interior with 4 ft 9 in headroom, powered by a small outboard motor, and was priced affordably at around $4,000 new—making it an accessible entry-level boat for budget-conscious sailors during the early fiberglass trailerable boom. William Shaw, who joined Pearson in 1964 after stints at Sparkman & Stephens, developed the 24 as a refined evolution of his 1966 Pearson Lark 24, incorporating a chopped stern counter (six inches shorter), new deck mold for added headroom, and revamped accommodations to prioritize simplicity and cost-efficiency amid the Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) era. Built exclusively at Pearson's Portsmouth, Rhode Island facility under Grumman Allied Industries, production was brief (1967–1969) with approximately 150 units hand-laid in solid fiberglass (no core) for durability, before discontinuation as Pearson shifted to larger models like the 26. The design filled a niche for versatile 24-footers, earning quick popularity in club fleets; today, a small but dedicated community supports it via the Pearson Yachts Portal, with many restored for vintage racing.
Construction Details
| Designer | William H. "Bill" Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 23.500 ft |
| LOA | 23.500 ft |
| LWL | 18.500 ft |
| Beam | 8.000 ft |
| Displacement | 4300 lb |
| Ballast | 1800 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1967 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 30.33 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9.17 ft |
| p | 25.75 ft |
| e | 10.67 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30.33 ft | 9.17 ft | 25.75 ft | 10.67 ft | - | - | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
Pearson 24 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 25.75 ft - (7849 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 10.67 ft - (3252 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.32 ft - (8327 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 27.53 ft - (8391 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 4.5 in - (114 mm) |
| Area | * 141.55 ft² |
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Pearson 24 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 25.35 ft - (7727 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.04 ft - (3670 mm) |
| Leech | * 22.21 ft - (6770 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.05 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.55 ft - (3216 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 133.7 ft² |
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Pearson 24 - GENOA
| Luff | * 30.1 ft - (9174 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.72 ft - (4487 mm) |
| Leech | * 28.42 ft - (8662 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.05 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.76 ft - (4194 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 207.07 ft² |
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Pearson 24 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 30.1 ft - (9174 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 16.51 ft - (5032 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.51 ft - (5032 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 422 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.