The track record is impressive: More than 15,000 ships have been built and delivered by the J/Boats shipyard in the USA and its European licence production by J/Composites in France - in 45 years of existence to date. To mark this anniversary, a new flagship has now been launched for 2021. With the large J/45, the brand now wants to focus more on touring and fast cruising again.
J/Boats' designers on both sides of the Atlantic have been working on the plans for the construction of the new flagship for three years. The concept is also intended to be a combination of American pragmatism and French flair, as the shipyard writes in an initial press release at the start of the project. The views provided can only confirm this: Long, stretched lines with a timeless look, relatively low freeboard, flat cabin superstructure and a fixed bowsprit made of carbon fibre for additional sails (code zero, gennaker) and as an anchor holder. The ship remains open aft.
The layout in the cockpit corresponds to the tried-and-tested and classic arrangement for sporty performance cruisers. This means: primary and secondary winches on the coaming for guiding the mainsheet (German Cupper System) and the genoa sheet. The halyards and trim lines run back inside the cabin superstructure to two winches with stopper batteries in front on both sides of the companionway.
A 106 per cent overlapping genoa with centreboard tracks with line adjustment on the side of the running deck is defined as standard. For cruising with a small crew, the large J can also be equipped with a self-tacking rail for a jib. The comparatively high and powerful rig is made of aluminium, but is fitted with rod shrouds right from the shipyard to reduce wind resistance and also save weight.
J/Boats takes a fairly classic approach to the interior design. The standard layout is with two very spacious double cabins forward and aft on the port side. There are also two generously proportioned heads with separate shower cubicles. Alternatively, the J/45 can also be ordered with two double cabins aft, i.e. as a three-cabin yacht. In this case, however, the owner will have to do without the large forecastle on the starboard side, and the toilet room aft will also be smaller, without a shower room. The visual design of the interior was created in co-operation between J/Composites and stylist Isabelle Racoupeau. There is a choice of different types of wood for the interior: oak, walnut or teak.
Good news for interested parties in Europe: initially, the new J/45 will be manufactured exclusively at J/Composites in Olonne-sur-Mer in western France. The hull and deck are constructed using a vacuum infusion process as a sandwich with E-glass, foam core and vinyl ester resin, the bulkheads are laminated to the hull and deck, which gives the structure additional strength. The shaft of the L-keel is made of cast iron with a lead ballast body. Although its weight proportion of 43 per cent is high in comparison, it can also be explained by the relatively high aspect ratio (length to width) of the construction of 3.25 and thus the supposedly lower dimensional stability of the slender hull construction.
The first price announcement from the shipyard in France is 511,670 euros, including 19 per cent VAT. The price for the J/45 is rather high in comparison with the potential competition, but is also explained by the very extensive and high-quality basic equipment from the shipyard. J/Composites plans to have the new boat ready by the end of the spring and then invite the YACHT editorial team to test it in western France.
Test of the J/99 before Barcelona
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Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
