Nelson Marek 36 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Nelson Marek 36 represents a pivotal era in naval architecture, emerging from the design office of Bruce Nelson and Bruce Marek during the height of the International Offshore Rule (IOR) dominance. As a high-performance racer-cruiser, the design reflects the transition from the heavy, pinched-end IOR aesthetics of the late 1970s toward the more balanced, faster shapes of the mid-1980s. While several hulls were built as pure custom IOR "One Tonners," the design gained broader recognition through semi-production runs, most notably those handled by Morgan Yachts as the Morgan 36-5 or Nelson Marek 36. The vessel is defined by its fractional rig, deep fin keel, and a hull form that prioritized upwind efficiency and tactical agility, making it a staple on the racecourse for decades.