Peterson 42
Description
The Peterson 42 is a high-performance IOR (International Offshore Rule) racer-cruiser designed by legendary naval architect Doug Peterson in 1981, optimized for grand prix events like the SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) and Admiral's Cup. Built in limited numbers as custom yachts (e.g., by Miller Marine in Seattle or specialist yards), it represents Peterson's evolution of lighter, faster designs post his One Ton successes, with sleek lines for planing in waves and agile handling. Variants include aluminum racers like Intuition (commissioned for Pat Malloy's 1981 Admiral's Cup campaign, where the U.S. team placed second overall) and fiberglass production models like the Baltic 42 DP (built by Baltic Yachts, ~30 hulls from 1981–1985). At 42 feet, it's a lightweight flyer for competitive crews (6–8), blending racing speed with basic cruising amenities—V-berth forward, saloon settees, and quarter berths—but spartan for offshore passages.
Construction Details
| Designer | Doug Peterson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Miller Marine in Seattle |
| Length | 42.000 ft |
| LOA | 42.000 ft |
| LWL | 34.500 ft |
| Beam | 13.000 ft |
| Displacement | 18400 lb |
| Ballast | 8060 lb |
| Max Draft | 8.000 ft |
| Year Built | 1981 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 56.40 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 17.50 ft |
| p | 50.30 ft |
| e | 14.10 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56.40 ft | 17.50 ft | 50.30 ft | 14.10 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Peterson 42 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 50.3 ft - (15331 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 14.1 ft - (4298 mm) |
| Leech | * 51.63 ft - (15737 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 51.76 ft - (15776 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 354.26 ft² |
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Peterson 42 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 47.24 ft - (14399 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 23.06 ft - (7029 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.22 ft - (12564 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.13 ft - (6136 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 475.27 ft² |
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Peterson 42 - GENOA
| Luff | * 56.1 ft - (17099 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 28.16 ft - (8583 mm) |
| Leech | * 52.87 ft - (16115 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 26.25 ft - (8001 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 736.2 ft² |
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Peterson 42 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 56.1 ft - (17099 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Foot | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1502.08 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.