Pearson Yachts
Encyclopedia
Pearson Yachts was a small manufacturer of fiberglass
sailboats built in Bristol, Rhode Island
founded by cousins Clinton and Everett Pearson in 1956. The company is one of earliest fiberglass sailboat manufacturers. The Carl Alberg
designed Triton 28
launched at the New York Boat Show in January 1959 began the modern era of fiberglass production. The Pearson cousins left the company in the 1960s, and Bill Shaw became the chief designer. One of Shaw's most notable designs is the flush decked Pearson 40 introduced in 1977. Pearson filed for bancruptcy in 1991. Today, TPI Composites, formerly known as Tillotson-Pearson, is co-run by Everett Pearson and owns the rights to the Pearson Yachts brandname. As of 2001, old Pearson molds laid abandoned at the former Portsmouth, Rhode Island
yard.
Everett Pearson has now distanced himself from the Pearson Yachts franchise. The business was taken over by Patrick Burke, who promptly ran it aground. In a few years Pearson Yachts went from a booming place a manufature with 200+ employees to what is now 15 or less. TPI Structural Composites Division, now run by Steve Lockhard is going strong. They build fiberglass windmill blades and even humvee hoods for the US Military.
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
sailboats built in Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
founded by cousins Clinton and Everett Pearson in 1956. The company is one of earliest fiberglass sailboat manufacturers. The Carl Alberg
Carl Alberg
Carl Alberg was a Swedish born yacht designer known for his influence in early fiberglass boats.- Career :thumb|an Alberg 30, built in 1966...
designed Triton 28
Pearson Triton
The Pearson Triton is a fiberglass sailboat that was manufactured by Pearson Yachts.The Triton was introduced at the 1959 New York National Boat Show and was an immediate sales hit...
launched at the New York Boat Show in January 1959 began the modern era of fiberglass production. The Pearson cousins left the company in the 1960s, and Bill Shaw became the chief designer. One of Shaw's most notable designs is the flush decked Pearson 40 introduced in 1977. Pearson filed for bancruptcy in 1991. Today, TPI Composites, formerly known as Tillotson-Pearson, is co-run by Everett Pearson and owns the rights to the Pearson Yachts brandname. As of 2001, old Pearson molds laid abandoned at the former Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
yard.
Everett Pearson has now distanced himself from the Pearson Yachts franchise. The business was taken over by Patrick Burke, who promptly ran it aground. In a few years Pearson Yachts went from a booming place a manufature with 200+ employees to what is now 15 or less. TPI Structural Composites Division, now run by Steve Lockhard is going strong. They build fiberglass windmill blades and even humvee hoods for the US Military.