In 1971, the San Juan 21
Class Association was formed in Seattle, Washington. The boat itself is
a product of the Seattle-based Clark Boat Company, operated by Bob and
Carole Clark and sons.
In the late 60s, it became apparent to the Clarks that there was a niche in the boat market for a lightweight, trailer-based design that could be daysailed and used as a week-end cruiser. They decide to design a boat superior to others in this niche, the San Juan 21. This boat featured a bigger V-berth, an easily stepped righ, and a fully retractable swing keel and kickup rudder. In 1971, the Mark I model was produced in Seattle and an additional facility in New Bern, North Carolina. By 1974, the Mark II model was put into production and more than 2,700 San Juan 21s were subsequently produced by the late 1980s.
Today, the National Association
is one of the most active one-design keelboat associations in North America.
Membership in the association numbers 400+ sailors from all parts of the
United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The Association boasts fleets organized
into three regions, East, Midwest and West with the largest membership
concentration in the northwest and southeast portions of the country. National
championship regattas are held annually in the East and West regions and
a North American Championship is held every third year at a site in the
Midwest region.
San Juan 21s are available today with prices for used boats ranging from $3,000.00 to $5,000.00. Boat parts can be obtained on the east coast from Fred Rehm Sailboats, 1900 North Lane, Camden, SC 29020; and on the west coast from Port Garden Sailboats at 2241 Franklin Road, Mount Vernon, WA 98273. The west coast dealer also has plans to produce San Juan 21s on a order basis.
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