Pearson Vanguard Yawl
Description
Designed by Philip L. Rhodes as a heavy-displacement bluewater cruiser emphasizing stability and comfort over speed, the yawl configuration—built alongside the sloop from 1963 to 1967—appealed to sailors preferring easier sail handling in heavy weather and reduced weather helm. Sharing the same robust fiberglass hull with fin keel and skeg-hung rudder, it sleeps six in two private staterooms, boasts a spacious galley and saloon, and was powered by the Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine, priced at around $18,000 new—making it a durable, family-oriented classic for offshore passages. Philip Rhodes, a prolific designer known for seaworthy yachts like the Bounty II and Rhodes 19, penned the Vanguard (design #C-749) in 1962 for Pearson Yachts, aiming for a 32-footer that combined traditional lines with modern fiberglass construction under CCA rules for offshore racing appeal. Debuting in 1963 from Pearson's Portsmouth, Rhode Island yard (Grumman-owned), the sloop dominated production (404 units), but the yawl variant—shortening the main boom and adding a small mizzen for balance—was available as an option for ~20-30 units, often customized for cruising. Total production reached 400+ hulls by 1967, hand-laid with thick solid FG (no core) for longevity, preceding Bill Shaw's tenure at Pearson. The yawl's rig eased shorthanded operation, contributing to the model's reputation for global voyages; an active Vanguard Owners Group preserves resources via pearsonvanguard.org.
Construction Details
| Designer | Phil Rhodes |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 32.580 ft |
| LOA | 32.580 ft |
| LWL | 22.330 ft |
| Beam | 9.250 ft |
| Displacement | 10300 lb |
| Ballast | 4250 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.25 ft |
| p | 32.50 ft |
| e | 13.25 ft |
| p2 | 15.67 ft |
| e2 | 6.50 ft |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.50 ft | 12.25 ft | 32.50 ft | 13.25 ft | 15.67 ft | 6.50 ft | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
Pearson Vanguard Yawl - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.39 ft - (10482 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.67 ft - (10567 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 222.33 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Yawl - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31.56 ft - (9619 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16.28 ft - (4962 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.32 ft - (8327 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.09 ft - (4295 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.97 ° |
| Area | * 222.35 ft² |
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Pearson Vanguard Yawl - GENOA
| Luff | * 37.48 ft - (11424 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 19.84 ft - (6047 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.19 ft - (10726 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.38 ft - (5602 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 344.43 ft² |
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Pearson Vanguard Yawl - MIZZEN
| Luff | * 15.67 ft - (4776 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 6.5 ft - (1981 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 16.59 ft - (5057 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 87.96 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 16.75 ft - (5105 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 3.5 in - (89 mm) |
| Area (no Roach) | * 52.93 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.