Used Pearson 424 Cutter Sailboats for Sale

The Pearson 424 Cutter represents a significant milestone in Bill Shaw’s design legacy, appearing in the late 1970s as a response to the growing demand for a "go-anywhere" offshore cruiser that balanced traditional aesthetics with modern underwater geometry. Introduced in 1978, the 424 was a departure from the "skinny" Alberg-era designs, featuring a generous 13-foot beam and a modified fin keel that provided the internal volume and stability required for extended live-aboard voyaging. While most 424s were originally rigged as ketches, the cutter-rigged variant gained a dedicated following among purists who preferred the simplicity and windward efficiency of a single mast combined with the versatility of a staysail. As noted in editorial evaluations by Cruising World, the boat was engineered for the "middle-of-the-road" cruiser—offering more performance than a full-keel heavy displacement vessel without the flightiness of a racing hull.