Pearson 39 (sloop rig)

Description

The Pearson 39 (Sloop Rig) is a robust fiberglass cruiser-racer designed by William H. "Bill" Shaw for Pearson Yachts, produced from 1976 to 1980 as a masthead sloop emphasizing offshore seaworthiness and family cruising comfort in a moderate-displacement hull with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for protected steering. Featuring a wide beam for interior volume and a balanced sail plan optimized for shorthanded handling, it sleeps up to seven in a traditional layout with over 6 ft headroom, powered by a reliable Perkins diesel, and was priced around $50,000 new bridging the gap between club racing and bluewater passages with its conservative, no-nonsense design. Bill Shaw, Pearson's chief naval architect, developed the 39 in 1975 as an evolution of his earlier successes like the Pearson 36, incorporating CCA rule influences for stability while prioritizing build quality amid the 1970s offshore boom. Built exclusively at Pearson's Portsmouth, Rhode Island facility under Grumman Allied Industries, production totaled 86 units over four years, hand-laid with solid fiberglass hulls (balsa-cored decks) for exceptional durability—many have logged circumnavigations. The sloop rig was standard, with a rare ketch variant (~10 units) offering a divided sail plan for easier heavy-weather management; no shoal-draft option existed, but the model's racing pedigree (e.g., SORC entries) and cruiser appeal sustained a loyal fleet through the Pearson Yacht Owners Association.