relative ease. ‘Most boats, especially cruisers, can’t sail upwind effectively in 35kts, you need tomotorsail or run downwind. In a J Boat you can, you just need to reduce the sail area. All J boats have super high stability – their STIX numbers are far higher than a typical offshore cruiser that relies on formstability. And in heavy weather the quality of the infusion in the hullmakes a difference: the hull doesn’t deformunder load which improves the boat’s sailing ability.’ All-round performance in the full range of conditions and all-weather seakeeping are regarded as critical safety features. Most cruising yachts currently on the
market are optimised for sailing downwind, yet only a tiny minority of cruising sailors spend most of their sailing time reaching or running in trade wind conditions. ‘Upwind VMG is very important in normal cruising use,’ he adds. ‘In crowded sailing areas like the Mediterranean you can’t always go where you want. In high season many harbours are fully booked up a month in advance so the reality is that you go where you can. And that often means you have to sail upwind.’ Light air performance is also important,
he says. ‘For a typical cruising sailor, 90 per cent of sailing is done in winds of 5-15kts. Most cruising boats, when heavily laden, are simply stuck and rely on their engine in less than 10kts of breeze. J Boats are among the lightest in displacement and have the smallest wetted area, which ensures that they perform extremely well in light airs.’ Why care about how a cruising boat
sails in winds above 15kts? ‘It’s important because you do get caught out from time to time in a rising wind and sometimes you simply have to get around that headland. Hull stiffness becomes a key consideration in stronger winds. When the hull doesn’t distort under load, the sails will keep their shape more effectively in 20kts-plus.’ The shape of the hull also dictates
Cruising J Boats, like this J/45, have a good standard of interior finish but the brand’s build quality is primarily focused on long-term durability and strength
reaches the cockpit,’ Bouvier says. ‘A blunt, high-volume bow and a shallow forefoot will make a boat wet as well as uncomfortable when sailing close-hauled in stronger winds.’ Hull shape also has a significant impact
on load-carrying ability. As ocean racing hulls have got progressively beamier, super-light displacement has become ever more crucial to ensure good boatspeed. Cruising yachts have followed a parallel trend of increasing beam and as a result, their load-carrying ability has diminished. ‘For a family cruising long distance in
‘For most of us performance is about the pleasure we get from sailing’
sailing ability and motion comfort in waves. ‘That’s why J Boats have a fine entry and narrow beam. There is no slamming and less pitching, both of which compromise the boat’s sailing ability as well as being uncomfortable.’ Low freeboard is an asset when cruising
– it makes berthing and mooring easier as well as reducing windage – and it doesn’t necessarily mean the crew gets wet. ‘The shape of the hull and especially its forward sections have a much greater impact than freeboard on the amount of spray that
a 45-footer, the payload of equipment, provisions and gear is often as much as 2.5 tons. That weight will have a far greater impact on the boat’s performance if it has a wide, shallow-bodied hull than if it has a relatively narrow, deeper-bodied hull shape. For the moderate hull of a J boat the effect of payload on performance is basically linear; for a more fashionable modern cruiser the effect is exponential.’ ‘For a yacht with a wide,
shallow-bodied cruiser with a full payload the solution is to add more sail area,
which increases the loads on the rig and deck hardware and makes trimming the sails more complicated and difficult,’ he says. ‘In light or moderate winds you’ll need a big code sail to keep up with a J Boat with a standard genoa and mainsail.’ For ocean racing there’s a big benefit
in a hull shape that generates a lot of form stability, hence the trend for powerful aft quarters and hard chines. For this configuration to work efficiently, upwind or reaching, you need to sail the boat with at least 20° of heel. ‘For offshore cruising that's not comfortable for the crew,’
Bouvier says. ‘Instead of relying on form stability J Boats have more ballast in the keel. They’re designed to sail efficiently at a less steep angle of heel.’ The downside of moderate beam is
less interior volume. ‘That’s true, but we offer a similar size of living space by building our interiors with everything tabbed directly to the hull. Most shipyards tend to leave big gaps to ensure that the furniture fits easily, which also speeds up the installation of systems. The way we do it is more labour-intensive for our workers but it’s a more efficient use of space.’ The brand’s approach to build quality
is also a bit different. ‘We achieve a good standard of finish but our interior fit-out is primarily focused on long-term durability and strength,’ Bouvier says. ‘In Cannes this year we exhibited a one-year-old J/45 that has competed in various regattas, cruised long distances and seen quite a lot of hard offshore sailing use. After a bit of careful cleaning it was indistinguishable from a brand new boat.’ J Composites has a general philosophy
of sourcing equipment and hardware separately for each model, rather than the simpler and more usual approach of buying in bulk from a small number of suppliers for the entire range of yachts. ‘Some of the boats’ technical systems are assembled in house from individually sourced components rather than being bought in as complete systems,’ Bouvier says. ‘And where whole systems are supplied ready to fit, they are often customised by the supplier to our own specifications.’ This level of attention to detail might seem over the top to some cruising sailors. But to a racing sailor that’s how it should be.
www.jboats.com
❑ SEAHORSE 77
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