J/100: A Dayboat for All of Life's Seasons

The J/100 is an interesting counterpoint to the three dayboats featured in this article.
Unlike the Hinckley, the Morris, and the Friendship, which began with
traditional designs brought into the new millennium via modern
underbodies and cutting-edge gear, J/Boats started with a thoroughly
modern design, then added state-of-the-art systems and hardware to
evoke an age-old carefree feeling of simplicity and efficiency.

Evidently, the approach has worked famously. Hull number one was
launched only last July, but by the end of 2004, hull number 23 was
close to completion, and orders had been received through hull number
74, which is due to leave the Pearson Composites plant in Warren, Rhode
Island, this August. Not only that, but Sailing World named the J/100 its Overall Boat of the Year for 2005.

The J/100 was the brainchild of Bob Johnstone, a founding partner, with
his brother, Rod, of J/Boats Inc. "He's in his 60s, and he wanted a
boat for himself that he could sail in Maine," said J/Boat sales
manager Jim Johnstone, son of Rod. "You're 60, and your mind's working,
but your body isn't operating quite the way you'd like it to. But
you're still sailing--overnighting or on the beer-can circuit.

"The specific target market for the J/100 is the baby-boomer
generation," Jim added. "The kids are out of the house, and the parents
don't want to have to find crew every time they want to go for a sail.
Some J/100 customers have come back into sailing because of the concept
of this boat."

The Hoyt self-tacking jib boom is only one of many attributes that make
the J/100 conducive to fast, spontaneous getaways at the end of the
work day. For one-design racing, the boomed 90-percent jib can be
replaced with a hanked-on jib on a set-back headstay. When using the
tiller extension, the helmsman can easily reach the halyard clutches.
When the mainsail is raised at the mooring, the J/100 behaves; it
doesn't tend to catch the wind and sail sideways.

Without moving an inch from his steering position, the solo sailor can
adjust the hydraulic backstay, tucked out of the way under the tiller,
and the traveler adjuster, with its cam cleat conveniently mounted on
the Harken windward sheeting car.

The cockpit is voluminous, with 9 1/2-foot seats and nearly 14-inch
backrests, yet even short sailors can brace themselves with feet on the
leeward seat. All horizontal surfaces are armed with dynamite nonskid,
and the side decks are wide and clear for quick action by the solo
crew. A telescoping ladder on the stern swim platform is standard; a
dodger isn't. "If you need a dodger," said Jim, "you probably won't go
sailing."

Lifelines aren't required by J/100 class rules, but more than half of
the boats have them, and simply installed retrofit kits are available.
Handy Wichard flush-folding padeyes are placed strategically on deck,
out of the way but ready to receive a spinnaker block, a fender, or a
bag full of beers.

The cabin is bare-bones: no galley (just a cooler aft of the starboard
settee), no nav station (but plenty of shelf space for navigation
tools), no enclosed head (the entire forward cabin converts to a head
with a sink and mirrored-door cabinets). A single 95-amp-hour AGM
battery under the companionway steps starts the engine and powers the
standard automatic bilge pump. Accommodations are port and starboard
settees. A V-berth isn't standard; the area in the forepeak is
dedicated to open sail and storage bins. "We're not allowing any custom
options, but we've extended the list of standard items," said Jim. "By
eliminating the custom options, we avoid having oddball boats in the
class with diminished resale value."

The plumb-bowed hull is of composite construction using the SCRIMP
resin-infusion system and cored with Baltek Contourkore end-grained
balsa. For stability, the J/100's relatively narrow hull depends on a
modern fin keel with a wedge-shaped bulb. Eleven gelcoat shades are
available. The most popular? A lustrous "flag blue."

"Old salts tend to check off their requirements as they go through the
boat, and it works for them," said Jim. "Racers look it over and see
they can make it as fast as they want. It's a versatile, idiot-proof
boat."

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BOAT SPECS

J/100

LOA    32' 10" (10 m.)
LWL    29' 0" (8.84 m.)
Beam    9' 3" (2.82 m.)
Draft    5' 7" (1.75 m.)
Sail Area    478 sq. ft. (44.4 sq. m.)
Ballast    2,500 lb. (1,134 kg.)
Displacement    6,500 lb. (2,948 kg.)
Auxiliary    10-hp. Volvo saildrive
Designer    Rodney S. Johnstone
Sailaway Price    $139,000

J/Boats Inc.

(401) 846-8410

www.jboats.com