Pearson Ensign is a 22′ 6″ / 6.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Carl Alberg and built by Pearson Yachts between 1962 and 1982.
- Designer
- Carl Alberg
- Builder
- Pearson Yachts
- Association
- Ensign Class - USA
- # Built
- 1776
- Hull
- Monohull
- Keel
- Fin
- Rudder
- ?
- Construction
- FG
Dimensions
- Length Overall
- 22′ 6″ / 6.9 m
- Waterline Length
- 16′ 9″ / 5.1 m
- Beam
- 6′ 11″ / 2.1 m
- Draft
- 2′ 11″ / 0.9 m
- Displacement
- 3,000 lb / 1,361 kg
- Ballast
- 1,200 lb / 544 kg
Rig and Sails
- Type
- Sloop
- Reported Sail Area
- 245′² / 22.8 m²
- Total Sail Area
- 235′² / 21.8 m²
Mainsail
- Sail Area
- 141′² / 13.1 m²
- P
- 25′ 5″ / 7.8 m
- E
- 11′ 1″ / 3.4 m
- Air Draft
- ?
Foresail
- Sail Area
- 94′² / 8.7 m²
- I
- 25′ 0″ / 7.6 m
- J
- 7′ 6″ / 2.3 m
- Forestay Length
- 26′ 1″ / 8 m
Auxilary Power
- Make
- ?
- Model
- ?
- HP
- ?
- Fuel Type
- ?
- Fuel Capacity
- ?
Accomodations
- Water Capacity
- ?
- Holding Tank Capacity
- ?
- Headroom
- ?
- Cabins
- ?
Calculations
- Hull Speed
-
5.8 kn
Classic: 5.49 kn
Hull Speed
The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.
Formula
Classic hull speed formula:
Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL
A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.
Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL
- Sail Area/Displacement
-
18.8
Sail Area / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.
Formula
SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3
- SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
- D: Displacement in pounds.
- Ballast/Displacement
-
40.0
<40: less stiff, less powerful
Ballast / Displacement Ratio
A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.
Formula
Ballast / Displacement * 100
- Displacement/Length
-
284.3
200-300: moderate
Displacement / Length Ratio
A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.
Formula
D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- Comfort Ratio
-
18.7
<20: lightweight racing boat
Comfort Ratio
This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.
Formula
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
- LWL: Waterline length in feet
- LOA: Length overall in feet
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- Capsize Screening
-
1.9
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages
Capsize Screening Formula
This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.
Formula
CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)
- Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
- D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
Notes
In 1959 Carl Alberg was commissioned by Pearson Yachts to design a 22-foot cruiser suitable for racing in the Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC). This was the ELECTRA, which had a masthead rig, a small, self-bailing cockpit, and a cabin with galley space, head and bunks. About 350 ELECTRAS were built over the next six years.
Pearson dealers surmised that prospective Electra buyers might prefer the boat with a larger cockpit and smaller cabin. They passed the information along to Pearson, who subsequently asked Alberg to design a day sailor, suitable for one-design racing, based on the ELECTRA hull.
Other changes made included moving the mast six inches s forward, increasing the area of the mainsail, and reducing the height of the fore triangle.
The ELECTRA DAY SAILOR, as it was first called, was an instant success: 219 were sold in the first year (1962). At this time, the first class racing was organized (Fleet #l, out of Larchmont, New York).
The next year saw 213 more boats built and nine more fleets formed - in Houston, Texas; Hingham, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Huntington and Port Washington, New York, Miami, Florida; Gibson Island, Maryland; and Falmouth, Maine.
The last known builder (2003) was Ensign Spars Inc. of Dunedin, FL (USA).
