Pearson 43 Yawl
Description
The Pearson 43 Yawl is a versatile fiberglass sailboat variant of the iconic Pearson 43, optimized for balanced handling and short-handed cruising. Sharing the same hull as the sloop version, it features a divided sail plan with a main mast forward and a smaller mizzen mast aft of the rudder, providing reduced weather helm and easier sail management in heavier conditions. Designed for performance in light air while offering offshore stability and luxurious interiors, it's prized by cruisers seeking a "set-it-and-forget-it" rig. Introduced alongside the sloop in 1969 (some sources cite 1968), the Pearson 43 Yawl was designed by William H. Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, until 1972. Approximately 100-150 total Pearson 43s were produced across both rigs, with yawls comprising a smaller portion due to the sloop's popularity for racing. Tank-tested at the Stevens Institute of Technology, the design emphasized low wetted-surface resistance and a clean wake. Diesel auxiliaries were optional over the standard gasoline Atomic 4. The yawl configuration appealed to traditionalists and liveaboards, influencing later Pearson models like the 42.
Construction Details
| Designer | William H. "Bill" Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 42.750 ft |
| LOA | 42.750 ft |
| LWL | 31.250 ft |
| Beam | 11.750 ft |
| Displacement | 21796 lb |
| Ballast | 9152 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.250 ft |
| Year Built | 1969 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 46.42 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.75 ft |
| p | 42.50 ft |
| e | 17.75 ft |
| p2 | 20 ft |
| e2 | 7.75 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.42 ft | 16.75 ft | 42.50 ft | 17.75 ft | 20 ft | 7.75 ft | - | - |
Sails
Pearson 43 Yawl - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 42.5 ft - (12954 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 17.75 ft - (5410 mm) |
| Leech | * 45.29 ft - (13804 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 45.48 ft - (13862 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 376.78 ft² |
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Pearson 43 Yawl - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 39.48 ft - (12034 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.67 ft - (6910 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.59 ft - (10238 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.26 ft - (5870 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 380.17 ft² |
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Pearson 43 Yawl - GENOA
| Luff | * 46.88 ft - (14289 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 27.47 ft - (8373 mm) |
| Leech | * 43.72 ft - (13326 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.13 ft - (7660 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 588.97 ft² |
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Pearson 43 Yawl - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 7.75 ft - (2362 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 21.1 ft - (6431 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88.04 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 21.2 ft - (6462 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | 77.41 ft² |
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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.