Design and Construction
The Pearson 24 was built as a racing hull wrapped around beamier interior comfort, a deliberate fusion of competition and livability in a compact package. Her hull is solid fiberglass, and the yard listed her as built with a long keel — a configuration that pairs with a masthead rig for straightforward, traditional handling. The construction brief frames her as a racing shell given a wider, more comfortable cabin than pure racers of the day allowed, which is the central design idea of the model.
Dimensions and Performance Character
Her numbers tell a story of a small but comparatively heavy displacement cruiser-racer. With a ballast ratio near 42 percent and a displacement-length ratio of 303, the yachting database categorizes her among heavy cruisers rather than featherweight racers, yet the same source records a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 17.1 under the ISO reference sail and 20.0 with a 135 percent genoa — enough canvas to keep her lively. The theoretical hull speed sits at 5.8 knots, and the capsize screening value of 1.97 indicates she could be accepted under that formula for offshore consideration. The motion comfort ratio of 20.7 and an immersion rate of about 516 pounds per inch round out a portrait of a stiff, settled small boat whose 4-foot draft lets her tuck into shallow marinas.
Rig and Sail Handling
The masthead sloop rig carries halyards of uniform 20.9-meter length at 8 mm diameter for mainsail, jib-genoa, and spinnaker alike, which simplifies spares and line planning for an owner. Sheets are sized for the work: jib and genoa sheets run 7.2 meters at 10 mm, the mainsheet 17.9 meters at 10 mm, and the spinnaker sheet 15.8 meters at the same diameter. Control lines follow a consistent small-boat pattern — cunningham and kicking strap at 3.4 and 6.8 meters respectively in 8 mm, with the clew outhaul matching the kicking strap length. The wetted surface is about 161 square feet, a modest area that keeps her drag low for a boat of her displacement.
Accommodations and Intended Use
Pearson positioned the 24 for the budget-minded family who wanted to race, day-sail, or cruise without stepping up to a larger hull. The beamier interior comfort built into a racing shell means she was intended to serve double duty: quick enough to enjoy the thrill of racing, roomy enough for the relaxation of day sailing. The builder's own language calls her thoughtfully conceived and a fulfillment of the requirements of energetic yachting families, which is the clearest statement of her market role.
The Verdict
The Pearson 24 is a compact Shaw-designed Pearson that blends a racing hull with a beamier, family-friendly interior, backed by a long-keel masthead rig and a surprisingly high ballast ratio for her size. Her performance figures place her as a heavy-displacement small cruiser-racer with adequate sail drive and a shallow enough draft for modest harbors, though her two-year production run makes her a brief but coherent chapter in the marque's late-1960s output.
Pros
- Racing hull with beamier interior comfort for dual-purpose family use
- 42 percent ballast ratio and 1.97 capsize screening value suggest a stiff, seaworthy small boat
- Four-foot draft permits access to shallow marinas
- Uniform 20.9 m halyard lengths simplify line inventory
Cons
- Produced only in 1968–1969, limiting fleet size and parts commonality
- Categorized as a heavy cruiser by DL ratio, which may feel sluggish against lighter racers
