The Renegade debuted at the 1967 New York Boat Show, but it nearly arrived under a different name. Pearson planned to call it the “Rogue,” only to discover on the eve of the show that another builder had already registered the name. The company quickly substituted “Renegade,” preserving the “R” logo already carried on the mainsail.
Production ran from 1967 through 1970. One record lists 170 boats completed, while another puts the total at 173. Sources differ on the exact count, but either figure represents a short run. The Renegade is also distinct from Pearson’s later 27-foot designs by Shaw and Peterson.
Design and Construction
The Renegade’s defining feature was its split underbody with fin keel and spade rudder, a configuration Pearson hadn’t used before. The hull is a solid, uncored laminate of mat and woven roving, while the deck uses end-grain balsa coring for stiffness.
The keel is molded as an integral part of the hull and contains a 2,100-pound lead casting. Against the boat’s 6,500-pound displacement, that gives a ballast ratio near 32 percent. The hull-to-deck joint consists of an inward-turned flange capped with teak.
With a 21-foot waterline, 8.6-foot beam, and 4.3-foot draft, the hull has firm bilges, flat deadrise, and a long waterline. Together, these form a moderate-displacement package with a rated hull speed of 6.14 knots.
The self-bailing cockpit has a raised bridgedeck, two sizable scuppers, and two smaller drains forward on the seats. Molded fiberglass winch islands double as storage in the coamings. Early boats have teak cockpit coamings; Pearson switched to mahogany on later examples.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Renegade is a masthead sloop with a fairly low-aspect mainsail. Its dimensions are a 28-foot luff and a 12-foot 6-inch foot. The mast and boom are anodized aluminum, and the original spreaders are spruce.
Standing rigging is notably heavy for a boat of this size. The forestay and backstay are 7/32 inch, while the upper shrouds and the forward and aft lowers are 3/16 inch. Chainplates, turnbuckles, and deck hardware are also oversized by modern standards.
The well-aft spade rudder provides positive steering control and excellent maneuverability, and the boat is beautifully balanced and nimble under sail. It can turn in its own length and, when backing down, outmaneuver long-keel contemporaries—finally giving skippers the reverse response they hoped for.
The split underbody reduces wetted surface, which Shaw said improved light-air performance. Period testing found that the Renegade had a comfortable motion in a seaway and made its best speed in 8 to 15 knots of wind at 15 to 20 degrees of heel. A reef was recommended as the wind approached 18 to 20 knots. Low freeboard, however, makes for a wet ride when the chop builds.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The original 1967 interior followed a traditional arrangement, with port and starboard settees, the galley aft to port, and a head and V-berth forward. Pearson reworked the layout for 1968, fitting a dinette to port and placing the quarter berth and galley to starboard. This version provides a full galley, an enclosed toilet room, and ample lockers and stowage. The dinette seats four, though not very comfortably.
Mahogany bulkheads and varnished trim finish the interior, which also has a fiberglass headliner. The decor was finished to invite close inspection. Four large fixed portlights and four smaller portlights, two of which open, bring light into the cabin.
A 20-gallon freshwater tank is located beneath the V-berth. Inboard boats also have a 16-gallon Monel fuel tank beneath the cockpit. A large aft lazarette and generous port and starboard sail lockers provide additional stowage.
At 27 feet, the Renegade is a little small for family cruising, but it sails smartly.
Engines and Systems
Pearson offered both inboard and outboard versions. The inboard model used a 30-horsepower Universal Atomic Four and carried its fuel in the 16-gallon Monel tank beneath the cockpit. Freshwater capacity is 20 gallons.
Later-model boats have vinyl-covered hull sides rather than painted fiberglass, which can help date a particular hull.
Known Issues and Common Refits
The most frequently cited handling hazard is the long boom that swept the cockpit in a jibe. With a 12-foot 6-inch mainsail foot over a cockpit only 6 feet 4 inches long, the boom is a genuine people-sweeper.
Several owners shortened the mainsail and raised the boom. This signature refit addressed the hazard while also creating room for dodgers and biminis, and it was often paired with other canvas additions.
The Renegade also tends to ship water in a chop because of its low freeboard. That is a consequence of the hull’s modest freeboard rather than a defect. The original spruce spreaders and the balsa-cored deck are typical of the period, but their potential for age-related decay warrants a buyer’s attention.
Ownership
With its short production run, the Renegade remains a comparatively scarce Shaw design. Its oversized rigging and solid hull make it a durable small racer-cruiser, while its two interior generations give buyers a meaningful choice of layouts.
The Verdict
The Renegade 27 is a historically significant small Pearson that introduced then-modern fin-keel handling in a solid, moderate-displacement hull with generously specified rigging. Its short production run and two interior generations make it a niche find. It’s best suited to a couple or singlehanded sailor who values maneuverability more than family-sized interior volume.
Pros
- First Pearson with a fin keel and spade rudder
- Turns in its own length and backs confidently
- Heavy standing rigging and oversized deck hardware for its size
- Comfortable motion in a seaway
- Good light-air performance from reduced wetted surface
- Solid, uncored hull laminate with an integral keel and lead casting
Cons
- Long boom presents a jibe hazard without the common boom-raising refit
- Wet ride in chop because of low freeboard
- A little small for family cruising
- Short production run limits parts interchange and fleet support
