Design Lineage and Rule Heritage
Shaw described the 24 as a half-size prototype of the yacht Finisterre, built expressly to test the larger boat's principles. The MORC rule shaped the hull from the first line, while the centerboard yawl configuration distinguished the boat from more conventional small racers of the day.
The resulting design measures 23.92 feet overall, with an 18.5-foot waterline and a 7.42-foot beam. Displacement is a modest 4,800 pounds, including 1,500 pounds of lead ballast. Its ballast-displacement ratio of 31.25 points to a reasonably stiff little cruiser-racer rather than a featherweight planing dinghy.
Construction and Hull Form
The Shaw 24's hull and deck use fiberglass-wood composite construction over a solid core. The centerboard keel provides a reported maximum draft of 5.25 feet, reducing to 2.75 feet with the board raised. Calculated hull speed is 5.76 knots.
This era's composite construction combined fiberglass shell work with wood elements, so a buyer needs to pay attention to both gelcoat and timber condition. Period accounts, however, focus on the design's racing credibility rather than material faults.
Rig and Handling
The Shaw 24's centerboard yawl rig places the mizzen aft of the helm. This split rig distributes the sail area and offers easier short-handed control than a comparable sloop of the same length.
The boat carries 270 square feet of sail and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.18. That combination is tuned for light-air responsiveness within the racing rule, rather than heavy-weather carrying power. With the board raised, the shallow 2.75-foot draft also made the boat tractable in the rocky or shoal venues often visited by the MORC circuit.
Accommodations and Auxiliary Power
The Shaw 24 carries 20 gallons of water and 10 gallons of fuel. Auxiliary power comes from a single 10-horsepower Kermath Sea Twin gasoline engine. Together, these specifications describe a boat equipped for coastal overnight use rather than extended liveaboard cruising. Documented interior arrangements are absent.
Verdict
The Shaw 24 Yawl is a historically significant small racer-cruiser. Bill Shaw's after-hours design produced a MORC-rule centerboard yawl that punched far above its length on the racecourse and helped launch an entire racing class.
Its split rig and lifting centerboard remain practical virtues for shoal-water cruising. The tradeoff is its fiberglass-wood composite construction, which asks more of a surveyor than an all-fiberglass contemporary.
Pros
- Proven race-winning lineage under MORC and CCA rules, beginning with the first hull, Trina
- Centerboard yawl rig offers split-sail control and shoal-draft flexibility
- Lead-ballasted composite hull with a measured ballast-displacement ratio of 31.25
Cons
- Fiberglass-wood composite construction requires careful inspection of both materials
- Small tankage and a 10-horsepower gasoline auxiliary limit cruising range
- Documented interior arrangements are absent
