M-20 Scow Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Scow · centerboard

Rig

Fractional Sloop

LOA

20' · 6.1 m

Displ.

595 lbs · 270 kg

First year

1963

The M20 Scow represents a pivotal chapter in the evolution of American inland lake racing. Designed in 1963 by Harry Melges Sr. and Buddy Melges, this 20foot performance sloop was engineered to bridge the gap between the heavy, traditional scows and the emerging era of lightweight, highperformance racing dinghies. Often referred to as the "tunnel hull scow," the M20 is distinguished by a unique hull geometry featuring a longitudinal concave section along the centerline. This design was a radical departure from the flatbottomed CScow or the EScow, intended to provide the boat with greater stability and tracking efficiency when heeled. While the original M20 class has largely transitioned into the modern Inland 20 Scow, the hull remains a masterpiece of midcentury naval architecture, celebrated for its ability to plane in relatively light air and its technical complexity as a twoperson racer.