The Shark was originally designed to fit into the IYRU B-Class specifications, with 235 square feet of sail. But the Sharks that were exported to the United States (and those that were subsequently built in North America) had the higher sail area of 275 square feet because the United States, in general, has lighter wind conditions than Europe.

So any Sharks sailing in Europe may have the original sail area of 235 square feet. (I don't recall ever hearing anything about a difference in mast height between the Sharks in Europe and those in the U.S.)

Plus, the Shark has centerboards, rather than daggerboards, and the maximum depth is 3'6".