Freedom 42
Description
The Freedom 42, a high-volume fractional sloop designed by Gary Mull and built by Tillotson-Pearson (TPI) in Rhode Island from 1987 to 1990, scaled up the Freedom brand's unstayed rig philosophy for family-oriented blue water cruising with its free-standing carbon-fiber mast, self-tacking jib on curved track, and wishbone boom, enabling singlehanded tacks and reefing from the cockpit in a beamy 42-foot hull that prioritizes interior space and stability over outright speed. Measuring 42'0" LOA on a 13'5" beam, with 24,000 lbs displacement, 9,000 lbs lead ballast in a 6'0" fin keel (or 5'0" shoal with winglets), and a balsa-cored, resin-infused fiberglass layup, it achieves a SA/D ratio of ~15 for steady 7–8 knot passages in 12–18 knots, a PHRF of 102, and a Comfort Ratio over 35 for seakindly motion—praised for pointing to 35 degrees apparent and forgiving helm balance, though it's underpowered in sub-8-knot zephyrs. The expansive teak-accented interior, boasting 6'6" headroom, sleeps six to seven via a private aft owner’s stateroom with centerline queen and en-suite head/shower, walkthrough U-galley to port, raised saloon with L-dinette and settee, forward guest cabin with double and single berths, and second head—ideal for liveaboard families, with ample storage and 150 gal water/100 gal fuel tankage. Only ~25 hulls were produced, a limited run standout.
Construction Details
| Designer | Gary Mull |
|---|---|
| Builder | Tillotson-Pearson |
| Length | 42.000 ft |
| LOA | 25.670 ft |
| LWL | 20.000 ft |
| Beam | 8.500 ft |
| Displacement | 3500 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.420 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 38 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13.83 ft |
| p | 50.83 ft |
| e | 18.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 ft | 13.83 ft | 50.83 ft | 18.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 50.83 ft - (15493 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.5 ft - (5639 mm) |
| Leech | * 53.31 ft - (16249 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.99 ° |
| Diagonal | * 53.48 ft - (16301 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 469.71 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 32.35 ft - (9860 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.75 ft - (5715 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.48 ft - (8376 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.9 ft - (4846 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 257.19 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.42 ft - (11710 mm) |
| Foot | * 22.71 ft - (6922 mm) |
| Leech | * 35.81 ft - (10915 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.75 ft - (6325 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 398.57 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 38.42 ft - (11710 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 24.89 ft - (7586 mm) |
| Foot | * 24.89 ft - (7586 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 812.83 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.