Pearson 32 sloop
Description
The Pearson 32 sloop is a versatile fiberglass cruiser-racer designed by William H. "Bill" Shaw for Pearson Yachts, produced from 1979 to 1982 as a modern evolution of Shaw's earlier designs like the Pearson 30, emphasizing balanced performance for coastal cruising and club racing with a masthead sloop rig, fin keel, and skeg-hung rudder for directional stability. Featuring a moderate beam of 10.33 ft and a sleek hull with a raked stem and reverse transom, it offers a spacious interior sleeping six in a traditional layout, powered by a reliable Yanmar diesel, and priced affordably at around $35,000 new—making it a popular choice for families seeking speed without sacrificing comfort or seaworthiness. Bill Shaw, Pearson's in-house designer since 1964, crafted the 32 to fill the gap between the compact Pearson 30 and larger 35, incorporating IOR influences for better upwind speed while prioritizing ease of handling under Grumman Allied Industries' ownership. Built at Pearson's Portsmouth, Rhode Island facility with hand-laid solid fiberglass hulls (balsa-cored decks), production totaled approximately 200 units over four years, with options for shoal-draft keel (4.5 ft) or deep fin (5.25 ft). It debuted amid the fiberglass boom's maturation, earning acclaim in reviews for its "honest" dual-purpose nature; no variants like yawls were offered, but many have been updated with roller furling and modern electronics, sustaining a loyal fleet through the Pearson Yachts Owners Association.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 31.750 ft |
| LOA | 31.500 ft |
| LWL | 25.000 ft |
| Beam | 10.330 ft |
| Displacement | 10500 lb |
| Ballast | 4200 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.250 ft |
| Year Built | 1979 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 40.86 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13 ft |
| p | 35.36 ft |
| e | 11.79 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.86 ft | 13 ft | 35.36 ft | 11.79 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Pearson 32 sloop - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 35.36 ft - (10778 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.64 ft - (11168 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 36.88 ft - (11241 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 215.04 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 35.36 ft - (10778 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 11.79 ft - (3594 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.64 ft - (11168 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 36.88 ft - (11241 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 5.25 in - (133 mm) |
| Area | * 215.04 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 34.3 ft - (10455 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.2 ft - (5243 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.81 ft - (9086 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.95 ft - (4557 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 256.36 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 39 ft - (11887 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 15.33 ft - (4673 mm) |
| Leech | 34.75 ft - (10592 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 104.77 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.62 ft - (4151 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.65 ° |
| Area | * 265.64 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - GENOA
| Luff | 39.75 ft - (12116 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 18.75 ft - (5715 mm) |
| Leech | 37.5 ft - (11430 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.55 ft - (5349 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.99 ° |
| Area | * 348.74 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - GENOA
| Luff | * 40.73 ft - (12415 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.98 ft - (6395 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.32 ft - (11680 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.01 ° |
| Area | * 397.1 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - DRIFTER
| Luff | 39.8 ft - (12131 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 25.31 ft - (7714 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.05 ft - (10683 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 169.23 % |
| Length Perp | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Deck Angle | 12 ° |
| Area | * 437.8 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 40.73 ft - (12415 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 21.82 ft - (6651 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.57 ft - (11147 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.02 ° |
| Area | * 397.1 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Leech | 39.5 ft - (12040 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 693 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 40.73 ft - (12415 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 23.4 ft - (7132 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.4 ft - (7132 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 810 ft² |
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Pearson 32 sloop - STORMJIB
| Luff | * 23.58 ft - (7187 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 9.72 ft - (2963 mm) |
| Leech | * 19.42 ft - (5919 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 7.8 ft - (2377 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.96 ° |
| Area | * 91.99 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.