The Catalina 38 is a sloop-rigged sailboat manufactured by Catalina Yachts of Woodland Hills, California from 1977 to 1990. A total of 366 hulls were produced. The boat evolved from a custom racing boat created by the American yacht design firm of Sparkman & Stephens; this hull form was later purchased by the Yankee Boat Company of Marina del Rey, California, which built approximately 30 Yankee 38's before the business failed.
Frank Butler of Catalina Yachts purchased the molds from Yankee. Butler redesigned the interior and give the boat a Catalina-styled deck. He lengthened the mast, shortened the boom, and changed the skeg-hung rudder to a balanced-spade design. Butler's changes resulted in a faster boat, and the Catalina 38 was selected to replace the Cal 40 as the official boat of the Congressional Cup, one of the top match-racing regattas in the world. It was, in turn, replaced by the Capri 37, also made by Catalina Yachts.
An article on the racing configuration of the Catalina 38 can be found in the 8th edition of Royce's Sailing Illustrated.