Pearson 36
Description
The Pearson 36 refers to two distinct sailboat models produced by Pearson Yachts: the original Pearson 36 (1972–1976, designed by William Shaw as an IOR-influenced racer-cruiser) and the later Pearson 36-2 (1985–1990, also by Shaw, emphasizing cruising comfort with performance). Both are celebrated for Pearson's solid fiberglass construction, balanced handling, and value, with around 200–300 units total built. The original 36 targets dual-purpose family racing, while the 36-2 prioritizes spacious accommodations in a compact package. They're popular for coastal cruising, club racing, or Bahamas hops, with forgiving performance and strong resale.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Shaw |
|---|---|
| Builder | Pearson Yachts |
| Length | 36.500 ft |
| LOA | 36.560 ft |
| LWL | 29.160 ft |
| Beam | 11.080 ft |
| Displacement | 13500 lb |
| Max Draft | 6.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 45.75 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 14.83 ft |
| p | 40.50 ft |
| e | 12.83 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45.75 ft | 14.83 ft | 40.50 ft | 12.83 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 40.5 ft - (12344 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.83 ft - (3911 mm) |
| Leech | * 41.78 ft - (12735 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 42.05 ft - (12817 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 268.47 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.47 ft - (11726 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.68 ft - (5998 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.33 ft - (10159 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.05 ft - (5197 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12.01 ° |
| Area | * 327.94 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.98 ft - (7309 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.93 ft - (13085 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.24 ft - (6779 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 508.06 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 44.75 ft - (13640 mm) |
| Foot | 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 122.93 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.23 ft - (5557 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.81 ° |
| Area | * 407.97 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 45 ft - (13716 mm) |
| Foot | 22.75 ft - (6934 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 141.87 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.04 ft - (6413 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.39 ° |
| Area | * 473.42 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
| Foot | * 23.98 ft - (7309 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.93 ft - (13085 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.97 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 22.24 ft - (6779 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | * 508.06 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
| Foot | * 24.47 ft - (7458 mm) |
| Leech | * 42.03 ft - (12811 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 839 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 45.69 ft - (13926 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.69 ft - (8135 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1037 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | 25 ft - (7620 mm) |
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 58.66 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.7 ft - (2652 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 16.13 ° |
| Area | * 108.7 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.