BoatsPearson Yachts 323

Pearson Yachts 323

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1976–1983

A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability with a skeg-mounted rudder and shoal-draft keel

Designed by William H. Shaw.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Pearson Yachts 323, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Into Oblivion

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

1.71 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.71
LightHeavy

275 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 275
EasygoingPowered-up

14.0 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.0
TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 35%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Draws less than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2808 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Pearson Yachts 323, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Pearson Yachts 323 is a masthead sloop designed by William H. Shaw and built by Pearson Yachts from 1976 to 1983. It measures 9.8 meters LOA, with a 3.0-meter beam, 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 5806 kg. Its hull features a fin keel with a rudder on a skeg.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
35.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.0
Displacement / length
274.8
Comfort ratio
31.8
Capsize screening
1.71
Hull speed
7.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
983
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1976–1983
Designer
William H. Shaw
Builder
Pearson Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Beneteau Oceanis 319.66 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop balancing a modern hull form with a stable 1.8-meter bulb keel
Boat for both cruising and racing25:17from SEILmagasinet
Westerly Yachts Ltd. Discus 3310.14 mSame hull family0.3 m longerAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Westerly 33, featuring a masthead rig and the choice of fin or twin keels
This Is What Sailing Hawaii Actually Looks Like | Hilo to Honolulufrom Sailing Sea Dream of Clyde
Endeavour 329.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthEndeavour's debut model, this masthead sloop evolved from the Irwin 32 hull into a stable, shoal-draft cruiser
Parsifal III vs Bayesian | Perini Navi Superyacht Comparison & Tragic Sinking Story8:06from Practical Sailor
Hunter Marine 339.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1977 masthead sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed for stability and coastal performance
Why is THIS SAILBOAT so CHEAP?!3:08from Practical Sailor
Bavaria Yachts Cruiser 339.99 mSame hull family0.2 m longerOriginally introduced as the Cruiser 32, this 9.99-metre fractional sloop offers a 1.95-metre draft for coastal sailing
We Needed This: A Week Of Family Sailing - Ep. 449 RAN Sailing3:09from RAN Sailing
Contessa 329.75 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1973 London Boat Show winner with a skeg-hung rudder and a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 47 per cent
Contessa 32 - A Yacht Delivery from Gosport to Falmouth0:17from Halcyon Yachts - International Yacht Delivery

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Pearson Yachts 33A keel-centreboard masthead sloop with a 2.31-metre maximum draft, designed for versatile performance in varied depthsPearson Yachts 33-2A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for a decade, balancing a fin keel with spade rudder for responsive handlingPearson Yachts 365A William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for comfortable cruising with a stable, heavy-displacement hullPearson Yachts 37-2A wing-keel masthead sloop with a shallow 1.42-metre draft, designed by William Shaw for shoal-water cruisingPearson Yachts 27A shallow-draft wing-keel masthead sloop designed by William Shaw for accessible cruising in shoal watersPearson Yachts 40A 12-metre masthead sloop with a deep 2.87-metre draft and high ballast ratio, built for stability and speed

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