New J Boats

Introducing the J/88! Arrives at McMichael August 2013 – Sea Trials Available June 2013.

J/70: The Next J/Boat One Design Has Arrived!

Nine boats and counting on LIS – 32 boat fleet at Quantum Key West 2013- Race-ready under $50k

The J/70 struck a chord around the world when the preliminary details were announced last winter: an all-carbon deck-stepped rig, masthead asymmetrical and vertical lifting keel  in an easy to own, trailerable rocketship. The world was ready for a trailerable sportboat that was family-friendly and sailor-friendly.

One year later (November 2012), over 100 boats have been built, close to 200 boats are sold and the race committee at Quantum Key West 2013 has capped entries at 35 boats. Nine of the registered entries are from Long Island Sound, so you can expect regular One Design starts for the 70 in our neighborhood next summer.

Preliminary Class Rule can be seen here; expect updated class rules late November/early December 2012.

Features include:

– Large comfortable cockpit with open transom
- Deck-stepped carbon mast with single spreaders
- Three sail inventory with masthead A-Sail
- Vertical lifting bulb keel
- Small cabin for storage and personal privacy
- In-cockpit stowage of outboard engine
- Easy to trailer and ramp launch

Give us a call for the latest details!

The New J/111: Sport Boat Speeds, Family Boat Stability

The J/111 was the most eagerly anticipated new launch from any builder in 2010, and now that she’s in the water the results exceed the hype. Finger-tip control, 7+ kts upwind, and double digits downwind with the asymmetrical spinnaker. With over 60 boats already sold, the J/111 has quickly established herself as the next great One Design from J/Boats.

Click here to see several J/111 videos on our media page.

Charlie Ulmer from UK Sailmakers had the opportunity to sea trial the boat recently, and offers this review:

SAILING THE J/111 (SEPTEMBER 8, 2010)
NEWPORT, RI

The following is a list of random notes I made after sailing the J/111 off Newport, RI. The representative from J-Boats was Stu Johnstone.

GENERAL
From an appearance point of view, two things jumped out at me:

1. The foretriangle is considerably wider (larger J dimension) and the main boom is considerably shorter than the J/109/ J/122 vintage boats.  The sprit extends 8Æ-0ö which will make the chutes a little easier to gybe.

2. The stern area of the boat looks wider and flatter than these earlier J-Boats.

The deck plan is simple and very conventional. The smaller main trims easily without the need for winches and the helmsman can adjust the fine tune without having a separate trimmer.

UNDER POWER AND SAILING
The boat powers very easily and responds to the rudder and throttle (in forward and reverse) immediately.Another immediate feeling that you get is one of “lightness”. When asked, Stu said that the displacement was 9000 lbs., which is only 60% of the weight of a J/122.

We sailed upwind in 15-18 knots of true wind going into a pretty big sea (southwest wind with a strong ebb current) . The boat seemed remarkably stiff given the fact that there was little crew weight on the rail. I think this comes from a combination of the draft (7Æ-3ö) and the wider transom. While we were ragging the main a little, we never buried the rail, even in the puffs.

Given the wind and the size of our crew, we didn’t adjust the lead pullers or the in-haulers but it looked like they had enough mechanical advantage to do the job. Steering was a piece of cake! The boat responded immediately to even the smallest helm alterations.  Despite the seas you could steer with one hand easily.

The speedos were reading on the optimistic side (IMHO) but not by a lot. My guess is that we were going upwind at 7 + knots which is fast for a 36Æ boat in those conditions.

We set a heavy chute for the run back into Newport.  The combination of light displacement, good control and plenty of sail area made it very easy to catch waves and surf. We achieved speeds well in excess of ten knots and left an almost perfectly flat wake while doing it. When you looked aft, it was sometimes hard to tell that a boat had been going through that same water 10 seconds before.

INTERIOR
The boat’s interior was very simple and would be fine as is for day racing. For distance racing you’d want to make some changes/additions but I don’t think they’d break the bank. For instance, you’d want to add pipe berths in the main cabin so you could sleep two crew members to windward. I would consider some work on the quarter berths too.

I think replacing the alcohol stove with a small propane stove would also be in order. There did not appear to be a lot of stowage and I didn’t look in the ice box (I assume it was an ice box) to see how big it was.

The boat has about 6’-1” headroom (I’m 6’2″ and my head just touched the overhead). There was no table but Stu explained the one that had been designed and it sounded fine. The addition of a table would also help with the IRC rating which is supposed to come in around the same as a J/122.

The head was in the forepeak and has a door for privacy. Across from the head was a nice big wet locker.

The nav station seemed adequate and functional.

OPINION
I think the bigger jib/ smaller main combination will make the boat more responsive and easier to sail, particularly in light air. The question I have is whether the increase in wetted surface from the broader stern will offset this advantage. Once a chute is up, I think the J/111 will sail with any boat around and in heavy broad reaches or runs, she’ll disappear from a lot of boats.

The price point (as I understand it) is attractive and I would say that it’s a lot of boat for the money.

All in all, the J/111 looks like a fine sailboat.

For the latest details and availability, send us an email at info@mcmyacht.com.

McMichael Yacht Brokers and J/Boats: A Winning History

McMichael is recognized across the country as one of the leading experts on J/Boats, as both a dealer and a service yard. Our history with J goes back to 1977, when we were one of the first dealers for the J/24, selling over 100 boats in the first two years. The relationship with J/Boats grew as the J/30, J/35, J/105 and other successful designs were released.

“McMichael Yacht Brokers has been an integral part of the J/Boats family since the introduction of the J/24 in 1977. Their enthusiasm, product knowledge and consistent commitment to service has earned them a loyal following across the J community and in particular, Western Long Island Sound, home of many active J fleets.”

- Jeff Johnstone, President, J/Boats

Our reputation as a premier J/Boat dealer came out of our commitment to the racing community and our own experience on the race course- something that continued through the dawn of the J/105, when McMichael was instrumental in setting up one of the most successful 35-foot keelboat classes ever.

We continue to be one of the top J/Boat dealers worldwide. When the flagship J/122 was released in 2007, we sold 7 of these 40′ racer-cruisers and prepared 5 of them to race in a one-design class in the Newport Bermuda race. We oversaw the first custom J/95 with a deep keel and have been working with J/Boats on the new retractable-sprit configuration of the J/100.

Whether you’re interested in joining the growing J/80 One Design class or trying out the new J/111 speedster, McMichael can help you find the perfect J/Boat for your needs.

J/Boats for Cruising

At McMichael, we have just as many clients who cruise their J/Boats as race them. Sailors who appreciate the ease of sailing and performance of a J enjoy the same qualities for cruising, whether it’s in a J/30 or a J/160. Boats such as the J/40, J/42 and J/160 have circumnavigated, and one of McMichael’s own clients sailed his J/46 Aragorn around the world in a voyage documented at www.yachtaragorn.com. If you’re ready to take your cruising to the next level, talk to a McMichael broker today!