Cal Yachts built 347 examples in the United States between 1963 and 1969. Calgan Marine also produced a licensed version in North Vancouver, Canada. This was Lapworth’s first design with a spade rudder, and its radical fin-and-spade configuration became the prototype for the celebrated Cal 40. In the process, the Cal 28 helped establish the pattern for the modern racer-cruiser.
Design and Construction
The Cal 28 is a fiberglass monohull whose light weight was central to its early success. It measures 28 feet overall, with a 22.5-foot waterline and a 9-foot beam. Displacement is 6,000 pounds, including 2,200 pounds of lead ballast, giving the boat a settled, purposeful profile without unnecessary bulk.
Its fixed fin keel and internally mounted spade-type rudder were advanced for the early 1960s. The original raised-deck Cal 28 belonged to a family of raised-deck Cals that also included the Cal 20, Cal 2-24, and Cal 25. Rather than drawing on older cruising hull forms, its combination of light displacement, fin keel, and spade rudder provided the prototype for the more famous Cal 40’s underwater shape.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Cal 28 is a masthead sloop with a total sail area of just under 352 square feet. That includes a 163.8-square-foot mainsail and a roughly 188-square-foot jib or genoa on a 33-foot foretriangle.
Its PHRF racing average handicap is 183, within a tight range of 180 to 186, placing it among the quicker small boats of its era. That pace was no accident. When introduced, the Cal 28 took on and beat all comers, completely dominating the racing world in its early years before maturing into a true classic racer-cruiser.
A hull speed of 6.36 knots is honest for its waterline. Light displacement also makes the boat responsive to sail trim without demanding a large crew.
Accommodation and Cruising Equipment
The Cal 28 was conceived as a racer-cruiser rather than a pure weekender. Its 28-gallon fresh-water capacity and 18-gallon fuel tank provide modest but functional cruising capacity.
A Universal Atomic 4 gasoline engine with a V-drive was offered by the factory, providing auxiliary power without intruding deeply into the accommodation plan. The raised-deck configuration, shared with the smaller Cal models, gives the interior headroom and a sense of volume unusual in a 28-footer of the period. The sources, however, don’t specify berth numbers or provide details of the interior layout.
Ownership and Preservation
With only 347 boats built and the design now out of production, the Cal 28 is fairly rare in captivity, which shapes both ownership and restoration. The licensed Canadian version extended the model’s reach, but the small overall production run still gives surviving examples a degree of scarcity and shapes both ownership and restoration.
For an owner, the boat rewards careful preservation of Lapworth’s original hull logic rather than heavy modification.
The Verdict
The Cal 28 is a genuinely influential small racer-cruiser. It was Lapworth’s first spade-rudder design, provided the prototype for the Cal 40’s radical fin-and-spade configuration, and beat every contemporary when launched. It remains light, quick, and historically significant without being large or complex.
Pros
- Pioneering Lapworth fin-keel and spade-rudder layout
- Light, responsive racer-cruiser with documented early dominance
- Modest cruising tankage and a factory auxiliary-engine option
Cons
- Limited production makes examples harder to find than many comparable boats
- Period gasoline auxiliary rather than a modern diesel
