It's safe to say that manufacturing shipbuilding in the US is a shadow of what it used to be. The only North American company that is still successful is J / Boats from Rhode Island.
And this is not a story about survival. The company continues to push boundaries. Just like she once broke into the sailing arena with the iconic J / 24 in the mid-70s.
Junior series J / 9
The 28-foot J / 9, which J / Boats describes as "comfortable, simple and easy to operate sailboat." Features include an expansive cockpit, steering, simple yet comfortable underdeck spaces (including a small head). In addition, there is a surprisingly large swim and landing platform aft.
For the sake of simplicity, the boat was specially designed for sailing both under the mainsail and with the staysail deployed. The J / 9 has an oversized balanced rudder and a 4 '11' 'keel to provide ample freedom of movement.
In addition, the hull and deck are cast in Class E glass. They have a Corecell foam core for lightness and rigidity.
The spars are aluminum and painted white. A spinnaker package is available as an option.
Senior Series J / 45
Meanwhile, for those who need a little more space, there is the J / 45. This is a new cruiser with amazing performance. It looks equally good both on the track and on a simple cruise.
Features include twin rudders, fixed forward spacing, powerful rigging focused on ease of use.
The SCRIMP infusion process is used everywhere, including here. This is done to ensure the ideal ratio of resin to glass to improve rigidity and lightness. And the keel of 7 feet 6 inches consists of a cast iron fin and a lead bulb. (A 6'6 '' shallow draft keel is also available as an option.)
Internal organization
Among other things, the design of the lower decks belongs to the interior designer Isabelle Racoupeau of the French company Berret-Racoupeau. The company has long been engaged in naval vessels and their construction.
In other words, J / Boats takes the interior of a yacht as seriously as it takes ease of handling.
After years of racing aboard the J / 46 Vanish, it is interesting to see how J / Boats' vision of the ideal yacht has changed over the past couple of decades.
I can't wait to see 45 and 9 perform on the water when they hit the water later this spring.
J / Boats are not uniform
Of course, J / Boats is not the only shipbuilder who can combine comfort, performance and style. Italia Yachts has also made a name for itself by putting these same marks on a wide range of cruisers, including the new Italia Yachts 14.98.
However, as a result of the collaboration between Maurizio Cossutti of Yacht Design and the Italia Yachts design team, the first 14.98 to be produced was the Bellissima.
There was also a cruising version of the boat, optimized for racing. But don't be fooled, the Bellissima version is as fast as it is stylish. And yes, it will undoubtedly be effective in the race as well.
The plumb lines of the boat increase the cruising range, and the overall shape of the hull is optimized for sailing in strong winds. The hull and deck are filled with epoxy in vacuum bags to ensure lightness and rigidity.
09.09.2021
