The Pearson Lark, also called the Lark 24, is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by William Shaw as a cruiser and first built in 1966.[1][2][3]
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | William Shaw |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1966 |
| No. built | 67 |
| Builder(s) | Pearson Yachts |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Pearson Lark |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 4,300 lb (1,950 kg) |
| Draft | 4.00 ft (1.22 m) |
| Hull | |
| Type | monohull |
| Construction | fiberglass |
| LOA | 24.00 ft (7.32 m) |
| LWL | 18.50 ft (5.64 m) |
| Beam | 8.00 ft (2.44 m) |
| Engine type | outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | modified long keel |
| Ballast | 1,800 lb (816 kg) |
| Rudder(s) | keel-mounted rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | Bermuda rig |
| I foretriangle height | 29.25 ft (8.92 m) |
| J foretriangle base | 9.50 ft (2.90 m) |
| P mainsail luff | 25.75 ft (7.85 m) |
| E mainsail foot | 11.16 ft (3.40 m) |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | masthead sloop |
| Mainsail area | 143.69 sq ft (13.349 m2) |
| Jib/genoa area | 138.94 sq ft (12.908 m2) |
| Total sail area | 282.62 sq ft (26.256 m2) |
| Racing | |
| PHRF | 246 |
|
| |
The Lark design was developed into the Pearson 24 in 1967.[1][3]
Production
editThe design was built by Pearson Yachts in the United States between 1966 and 1968, with 67 boats completed, but it is now out of production.[1][3][4]
Design
editThe Lark is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a flush-deck; a raked stem; a raised counter, angled transom; a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed modified long keel with a cutaway forefoot. It displaces 4,300 lb (1,950 kg) and carries 1,800 lb (816 kg) of ballast.[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 4.00 ft (1.22 m) with the standard keel and is normally fitted with a small 4 to 6 hp (3 to 4 kW) outboard motor for docking and maneuvering.[1][3]
The design has sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and two quarter berths in aft of the main cabin. The galley located on the port side of the main cabin and is equipped with a two-burner under-counter stove and a sink. The head is located opposite the gallery, on the starboard side. Cabin headroom is 53 in (135 cm).[1][3]
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 246 and a hull speed of 5.8 kn (10.7 km/h).[3]
Operational history
editThe boat is supported by an active class club, the Pearson Yachts Portal.[5]
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "in 1985 I interviewed designer Bill Shaw, then executive vice president and chief designer for Pearson Yachts. He recalled the Lark being built 'during a period when flush-deck types of boats were sort of popular. On the West Coast, they were very successful, and of course, in a small boat a flush deck gives you a tremendous amount of volume... . I've always been partial to that type of design.' But, he said, 'they’re not as popular as I would like them to be. ... The buyer likes change ... but not radical ideas.' The design was dropped after three or four years of low-volume production. Note that when he was with S&S Sparkman & Stephens, Shaw also did most of the design work on the racing-oriented Dolphin 24, a comp of the Lark, which was later produced by several builders. Best features: Just as designer Shaw said, on the Lark there's plenty of space below ... Worst features: Compared with her comp[etitor]s, the cruising oriented Lark has the highest PHRF rating, and the lowest Motion Index. You pays yer money and you takes yer choice."[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Lark 24 (Pearson) sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "William Shaw 1926 - 2006". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Henkel, Steve: The Sailor's Book of Small Cruising Sailboats, page 305. International Marine/McGraw-Hill, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-163652-0
- ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Pearson Yachts 1958 - 1990". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
- ^ McArthur, Bruce (2021). "Pearson Yacht Owners Portal". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2021.