Lapworth 24


The Lapworth 24, sometimes called an L24, is an American recreational keelboat designed by Bill Lapworth and first built in 1958.
The Lapworth 24 design was developed into the flush-deck Gladiator 24 in 1958. The Spartan 24 was developed from the same design as an economy model.

Production

The design was built by Continental Plastics in Costa Mesa, California, United States, starting in 1958, but is now out of production.

Design

The Lapworth 24 is built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim. It has a fractional sloop rig, a spooned raked stem, an angled transom, a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed modified long keel, with a cut-away forefoot. It displaces and carries of lead ballast.
The boat has a draft of with the standard keel.
The boat is normally fitted with a outboard motor or inboard motor for docking and maneuvering.
Designed as a cruiser, there is sleeping accommodation for four people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and a two straight settee quarter berths in the main cabin. The galley is located on the both sides just forward of the companionway ladder. The galley is equipped with a two-burner stove and a sink to starboard and an icebox to port. A navigation station is on the port side, on top of the ice box. The head is located centered in the bow cabin. Cabin headroom is and the fresh water tank has a capacity of.
The design has a PHRF racing average handicap of 249 and a hull speed of.

Operational history

Sixteen year old Robin Lee Graham sailed a used Lapworth 24, named Dove west from California in July 1965, reaching Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands in November 1968 before switching to a Luders 33 to complete the circumnavigation in 1970. His adventures became regular features in National Geographic Magazine and Graham later wrote a bestselling book about the voyage, entitled Dove.
In a 2010 review Steve Henkel wrote, "best features: The comparatively long deep keel on the L24 versus her comps provides considerable directional stability. Worst features: Like all her comps except one, the L24's draft is too deep for convenient trailer-sailing."