Pearson 36
Description
The P36 sailboat (officially the Pearson 36) was designed by William Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts (USA) from 1972 to 1976, with 103 hulls produced. It is a fiberglass (FG with balsa-cored deck) masthead sloop featuring a fin keel with skeg-mounted rudder and lead ballast, created as a true dual-purpose yacht that delivered both luxurious cruising accommodations and strong performance (influenced by the IOR 1-ton rule) without compromise—unlike many era-specific racers or heavy cruisers. Key features include teak toe rails, cabin top handrails, cockpit coamings, and joiner work for a premium look and feel; a fiberglass sea hood and non-skid decks for safety; an uncluttered, efficient cockpit with steering pedestal and sail lockers; and below-deck layout sleeping six (or seven with optional pilot berth) with a gimbaled galley, dedicated navigation station, spacious main saloon, and forward V-berth cabin.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 36.500 ft |
| LOA | 36.560 ft |
| LWL | 29.160 ft |
| Beam | 11.080 ft |
| Displacement | 13500 lb |
| Ballast | 6100 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1972 |
| Notes | The Pearson 36 refers to two distinct sailboat models produced by Pearson Yachts: the original Pearson 36 -- the subject of this data (1972–1976, designed by William Shaw as an IOR-influenced racer-cruiser) and the later Pearson 36-2 (1985–1990, also by Shaw, emphasizing cruising comfort with performance). Both are celebrated for Pearson's solid fiberglass construction, balanced handling, and value, with around 200–300 units total built. The original 36 targets dual-purpose family racing, while the 36-2 prioritizes spacious accommodations in a compact package. They're popular for coastal cruising, club racing, or Bahamas hops, with forgiving performance and strong resale. |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 45.75 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.83 ft |
| p | 40.50 ft |
| e | 12.83 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45.75 ft | 14.83 ft | 40.50 ft | 12.83 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Pearson 36 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 40.5 ft - (12344 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.83 ft - (3911 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.78 ft - (12735 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 42.05 ft - (12817 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 268.47 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 38.47 ft - (11726 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.68 ft - (5998 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.33 ft - (10159 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.05 ft - (5197 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 327.94 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - GENOA
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.98 ft - (7309 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.93 ft - (13085 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.24 ft - (6779 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 508.06 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - GENOA
| Luff | 44.75 ft - (13640 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 122.93 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.23 ft - (5557 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.81 ° |
| Area | * 407.97 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - GENOA
| Luff | 45 ft - (13716 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 22.75 ft - (6934 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 141.87 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.04 ft - (6413 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.39 ° |
| Area | * 473.42 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - GENOA
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.98 ft - (7309 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.93 ft - (13085 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.24 ft - (6779 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 508.06 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 24.47 ft - (7458 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.03 ft - (12811 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 839 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1037 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Pearson 36 - STORMJIB
| Luff | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 58.66 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.7 ft - (2652 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 16.13 ° |
| Area | * 108.7 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.
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