The Cal 20 first went into production in 1961. Cal 20’s were (and still are) inexpensive to buy, own and maintain. It quickly became the most popular of the Cal line of fiberglass sailboats and 1,945 of the boats were built. Most of the production occurred throughout the 1960’s at the Jensen Marine Factory in Costa Mesa, California, which was turning out as many as one boat a day at its peak. Though production ceased in 1975, the Cal 20 is still a very common boat to see in marinas up and down the West Coast.

Today there are approximately ten active Cal 20 fleets in the Class Association; fleets from California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and a fleets in British Columbia, Canada. Cal 20’s race under one-design class rules which include minimum boat weight, sail dimensions, and spar/rudder/keel measurements. These rules help ensure that the boats are equalized and help control costs.

The Cal 20 offers many strong qualities for both casual day sailing and racing. One of the best qualities about the boat is her large cockpit, which is nearly 8' long and self-bailing. This makes her a very good day sailor as well as a comfortable boat to race. When day sailing or cruising, four people in the large cockpit is quite comfortable. When racing, the crew doesn't have to leave the cockpit to get their weight in the right place because the right place for crew weight is at the forward end of the Cal 20 cockpit (by the bulkhead) where the crew naturally ends up. Sitting inward with no hiking also facilitates crew comfort.

You can find out more about the local Cal20 fleet, Fleet 38 here:

Cal20 Fleet 38 Facebook Page