Design and Construction
The Cal 28 is a monohull of fiberglass construction, built predominantly of that material with a lightweight character that was central to her early success. At 28 feet overall with a 22.5-foot waterline and 9-foot beam, she displaces 6,000 pounds and carries 2,200 pounds of lead ballast, giving her a settled, purposeful profile without bulk. Her fixed fin keel and internally mounted spade-type rudder were advanced for the early sixties; the raised-deck original was one of a family of raised-deck Cals that included the Cal 20, Cal 2-24, and Cal 25. The combination of light weight, fin keel, and spade rudder made her the prototype for the more famous Cal 40's underwater shape rather than a derivative of older cruising hull forms.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop, the Cal 28 carries a total sail area of just under 352 square feet, split between a 163.8-square-foot mainsail and a roughly 188-square-foot jib or genoa on a 33-foot foretriangle. Her PHRF racing average handicap of 183, with a tight band from 180 to 186, places her among quick small boats of her era. That pace was no accident: when introduced she took on and beat all comers, and in her early years she completely dominated the racing world before the design matured into a true classic racer-cruiser. A hull speed of 6.36 knots is honest for the waterline, and the light displacement makes her responsive to trim without demanding a large crew.
Accommodations
The Cal 28 was conceived as a racer-cruiser rather than a pure weekender, and her 28-gallon fresh water capacity and 18-gallon fuel tank reflect a modest but functional cruising provision. A Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine with a V-drive was offered at the factory, giving auxiliary power without intruding deeply into the accommodation plan. The raised-deck configuration, shared with her smaller Cal siblings, yields headroom and a sense of volume unusual in a 28-footer of the period, though the sources stop short of detailing berth counts or interior layout.
Refits and Ownership
With only 347 built and the design now out of production, the Cal 28 is fairly rare in captivity, which shapes both ownership and restoration. A licensed Canadian builder extended the name's reach, but the small total means any example carries a degree of scarcity. For an owner, the boat rewards careful preservation of the original Lapworth hull logic rather than heavy modification.
The Verdict
The Cal 28 stands as a genuinely influential small racer-cruiser: Lapworth's first spade-rudder design, prototype for the Cal 40's radical fin, and a boat that beat every contemporary when launched. She is light, quick, and historically significant without being large or complex.
Pros
- Pioneering fin-keel and spade-rudder layout by Lapworth
- Light, responsive racer-cruiser with documented early dominance
- Modest cruising tankage and factory auxiliary option
Cons
- Limited production makes finding one harder than for many peers
- Period gasoline auxiliary rather than modern diesel
