M-20 Scow Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The M-20 Scow represents a pivotal chapter in the evolution of American inland lake racing. Designed in 1963 by Harry Melges Sr. and Buddy Melges, this 20-foot performance sloop was engineered to bridge the gap between the heavy, traditional scows and the emerging era of lightweight, high-performance racing dinghies. Often referred to as the "tunnel hull scow," the M-20 is distinguished by a unique hull geometry featuring a longitudinal concave section along the centerline. This design was a radical departure from the flat-bottomed C-Scow or the E-Scow, intended to provide the boat with greater stability and tracking efficiency when heeled. While the original M-20 class has largely transitioned into the modern Inland 20 Scow, the hull remains a masterpiece of mid-century naval architecture, celebrated for its ability to plane in relatively light air and its technical complexity as a two-person racer.