Pearson Vanguard Sloop
Description
The Pearson Vanguard is a classic fiberglass sailboat renowned for its seaworthiness, stability, and suitability for coastal and offshore cruising. Designed as a traditional cruiser under the Cruising Club of America (CCA) rules, it emphasizes comfort and durability over speed, making it a popular choice for family voyages, long-distance travel, and exploring shallow waters like the Bahamas or Florida Keys. The Vanguard was designed by renowned naval architect Philip Rhodes (design #C-749) in 1962 and produced by Pearson Yachts in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, from 1963 to 1967. A total of 404 hulls were built, with the majority configured as sloops; a smaller number were yawls, and some sloops featured a tall-mast option for enhanced performance in lighter winds. It followed the success of earlier Pearson models like the Triton and Pearson 35, reflecting the era's shift toward affordable, mass-produced fiberglass cruisers. Many Vanguards remain in service today, often with modern upgrades like diesel engines replacing the original gasoline Atomic 4. An active owners' group and resources like PearsonVanguard.org support the fleet.
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 | 0.500 ft |
| Year Built | 1963 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.25 ft |
| p | 32.50 ft |
| e | 14.75 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37.50 ft | 12.25 ft | 32.50 ft | 14.75 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - MAINSAIL
| Luff | 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 14.75 ft - (4496 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.57 ft - (10537 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 86.3 ° |
| Diagonal | 34.813 ft - (10611 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 5 in - (127 mm) |
| Area | * 245.06 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 36.5 ft - (11125 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Leech | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 119.76 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.67 ft - (4471 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.42 ° |
| Area | * 267.75 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Leech | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 109.39 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.4 ft - (4084 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.05 ° |
| Area | * 224.52 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 32.25 ft - (9830 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 11.75 ft - (3581 mm) |
| Leech | 28.75 ft - (8763 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 84.98 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.41 ft - (3173 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.55 ° |
| Area | * 167.85 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 11.25 ft - (3429 mm) |
| Leech | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 81.22 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.95 ft - (3033 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9.78 ° |
| Area | * 161.61 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - GENOA
| Luff | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 19.75 ft - (6020 mm) |
| Leech | 34.167 ft - (10414 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.12 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.39 ft - (5605 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.3 ° |
| Area | * 331.01 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - GENOA
| Luff | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 17.5 ft - (5334 mm) |
| Leech | 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 132.57 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.24 ft - (4950 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.75 ° |
| Area | * 272.08 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - GENOA
| Luff | 36.75 ft - (11201 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Leech | 36.25 ft - (11049 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 170.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.83 ft - (6349 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 0.69 ° |
| Area | * 382.73 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - DRIFTER
| Luff | * 37.48 ft - (11424 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.64 ft - (6291 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.57 ft - (10232 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150.04 % |
| Length Perp | * 18.38 ft - (5602 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.97 ° |
| Area | * 344.46 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Leech | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 598 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - STORMJIB
| Luff | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 8.58 ft - (2615 mm) |
| Leech | 18.25 ft - (5563 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 56.33 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.9 ft - (2103 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 18.41 ° |
| Area | * 75.87 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Pearson Vanguard Sloop - STORMTRYSAIL
| Luff | 13.75 ft - (4191 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 9.5 ft - (2896 mm) |
| Leech | 18 ft - (5486 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 11.8 ft - (3597 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -0.76 ° |
| Area | * 64 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.