J/Boats J/111 Review

In this review we are talking about the child of J/Boats, which became one of the favorites among racing cruisers for many experts from the topRik team immediately after the sailboat became available in Europe. We share our experience and impressions from testing the J/111 yacht and participating in races of this class, talk about the features and advantages of a sailboat, supporting our reviews with photo and video materials. Traditionally, we provide reviews of recognized professionals - journalists-yachtsmen, who at tested the first hulls of a sailing speedster J/111 in America and Europe.

Features of J/111

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Two in One: Monotype and Speedster

We hope that you are wondering why the term “speedster” is used in relation to the sailing cruiser J/111. After, the boat has a decent length of 11 meters and quite heavy sailing equipment with a sailing area of over 70 m² without a spinnaker. And in the photos above and below, as well as from numerous reports from regattas, we usually see a standard crew of 4-6 people.

This is where the first and main advantage of J/111 lies. The J/Boats shipyard is famous for closely monitoring the requests of yachtsmen - both active participants in regattas and lovers of "family" yachting. Just driving a sailing racer feels great for many people, since you do not have to depend on speed readings and can simply enjoy the process.

With this in mind, one of the founders of the shipyard, a naval architect Alan Johnstone, undertook the development of such ambitious project with a group of constructors and designers from J/Boats. Their goal was to create a monohull sailing vessel that must simultaneously be a 100% offshore racer, a sporty keel monotype, and at the same time an impeccable coastal cruiser for a family or a couple of friends. As a result, the speedster J/111 can be managed by two people or just the skipper.

J/111 became one of the staples in the IRC/ORC division regattas, where she often becomes a champion or prize-winner. At the same time, since 2010, the shipyard has not stopped producing new hulls for using the yacht in family vacations or for solo sailing. Shipyard’s naval architects led by Alan Johnstone successfully coped with another difficult task, combining a racing keel monotype and a fairly comfortable cruising yacht-speedster in one hull and under a single sailing rig. As Alan later admitted , his team created a boat on which they would like to sail themselves.

The success of J/111 at the world premiere in Annapolis exceeded all expectations of the developers. Following this, the yacht received the recognition of professionals - it became a nominee for the most prestigious titles: “Best Boats Award” and “Boat of the Year”.

Before moving on to a more detailed acquaintance with the J/111 cruiser, check out its main technical characteristics. Pay attention to certification - CE A, which means it is capable of going into the open sea, that is, offshore navigation. This is a great opportunity to organize both offshore and coastal regattas, as well as long-distance solo trips, family cruises and long sea voyages with friends.

Review of J/111 by topRik Team

topRik racing team is usually 4-6 people, depending on the year. Active participants in regattas of various types, we could not miss the information about the opportunity to participate in the testing of an American shipyard’s yacht in Europe. Moreover, as mentioned above, J/111 was not an ordinary racing sailboat. At the same time, we examined this boat on the pier and at sea to find out how suitable it is for the charter business, in particular - for family weekend or coastal, as well as offshore sailing in a small group of friends.

New Technologies

To be fair, you could write a dissertation on the topic “Innovations in J/111”, but we decided not to go into too much detail and limit ourselves to a simple summary with a few comments.

J/Boats was the first in the production of yachts for sailing to use a unique carbon nanotube technology - it was used when making the fairly high carbon fiber mast. The introduction of this technology imparts additional strength to the material, increases the rigidity of the structure and at the same time reduces its weight.

This technology has been proven on the predecessors of the J/111 and is already firmly established in the DNA of J/Boats racing yachts. As a result, the sailboat has one stepped mast almost 17 meters high, which confidently supports a sailing rig consisting of a mainsail, genoa and an asymmetric spinnaker with a total area of over 200 m².

In production of the case, sandwiches with balsa core are made using latest vacuum infusion technology. Other materials for different hull parts are: GRP (fiberglass reinforced polyester), fiberglass, vinylester. The result is a strong, rigid hull with less weight. This provides a small area of the wetted surface, maneuverability of the yacht and a quick switch to planing.

As you can see, the area of the wetted surface is decreased thanks to the shape of the hull with its the strongly raised stern and slightly raised bow.

The keel of the yacht is a fin with a bulb. It is important for the speed of the yacht that the keel has a weed cutter. Single spade rudder is controlled by a helm with a diameter of more than 1.5 meters, which is located in the cockpit.

And now we invite you on board J/111 - the topRik team will arrange a short tour of this magnificent sailboat for you.

First Look and First Step

The dynamic, not to say aggressive appearance of the sailboat, is due to by the minimalist equipment and the shape of the hull with the stern and bow raised above the water surface, as well as an almost straight stem.

Everything is focused on performance - nothing superfluous, as the deck plan suggests. Narrow beam and no ladder. The first step on the yacht - and you immediately get to the helm in one of the most comfortable and largest cockpits for serial boats of this length. This is not surprising - most of the time spent on J/111 is spent here, especially when it comes to the participation in the regatta.

But lovers of active family sailing holidays also do not usually sit in the cabin, because this is not why they go to sea on a speedster. In the photo below you can compare the size of the cockpit with the overall size of the vessel. The open stern has no transom walls. The place where the skipper can sit at the helm has a railing and stronger posts on which you can lean your back.

Winches are located immediately behind the helm and on the roof. It is convenient to approach them both for the crew members during racing and for the skipper, who is on a solo voyage or in the company of a friend.

On both sides of the helm there are convenient footrests if the helmsman is driving while sitting. On both sides of the cockpit, you can also find comfortable seats or footrests - depending on the use of the boat.

The open stern allows you to quickly get rid of water, but if you wish, you can always keep your feet dry - for this, there are these ledges at the helm and benches along the sides.

If you are a solo sailor, these benches can accommodate your chartplotter and it will be perfectly safe, since there will be no clutter in the cockpit when changing the side.

It is generally accepted that in cockpit organization the J/111 surpassed even the legendary J/105, which became the firstborn of the phenomenon of a single design and introduced the world of sailing racing to the virtues of a bowsprit and an asymmetric spinnaker.

And if we continue the comparison, then J/111 outperforms J/105 in the ratio of sail area to displacement: 28 versus 24 in favor of the hero of this review.

Below Deck

When we first went down to the J/111 saloon, one of us exclaimed: “Wow, that’s not ascetic at all!”

After all, what you usually expect from a racing yacht is limitations and a complete lack of comfort during any long trip. But J/111 pleasantly surprised even our crewman with a height of about 2 meters. Of course, with a height below deck of 1.8 meters, he had to habitually bow his head, but there was no desire to kneel down, that's for sure. Everyone else felt very comfortable here.

In the photo above you can see a view after entering the saloon, and below is a view from a different angle, from the entrance to the cabin and with a different furniture upholstery. Yes, yes, that door on the top photo leads to a cabin where there is a sleeping place for two. Also pay attention to the possibility of relatively comfortable accommodation for the night in a bed under the ladder (photo below).

These photos clearly show all the other advantages of this, if not luxurious, then rather cozy cabin with soft sofas on both sides. The topRik team's experience with charter services has shown that two average-sized people are comfortably accommodated here.

At a light folding table, 6 people can freely sit, and, with some restrictions, even 8. In the end, you can always dine in queues.

Wait, are we talking about lunch? On a racing yacht - about a full meal? Yes, we hope you have not forgotten that this is also a cruising sailboat. And here you get, if not a full-fledged kitchen, then a fully equipped galley with a grill, sink, refrigerator and even storage lockers.

Of course, stocking up on beef or chicken for a long autonomous voyage will not work, but if we limit ourselves to a fish ration provided by amateur fishermen and a coastal route with regular calls to marinas to replenish water and food supplies, then this route can be arbitrarily long.

There is a toilet room in the forepeak - this proximity to sleeping places can upset some people.

Sailing Test at the Sea

Since we have already begun comparing J/111 and J/105, the first one wins when it comes to speed. The topRik team has seen in practice that the speed of the J/111 exceeds the speed of the J/105: for every mile, this difference can be up to 30 seconds. When moving downwind, the yacht can easily reach speeds of up to 7 knots per hour.

But our crew accelerated on this yacht to double-digit speeds close to 20 knots per hour. Unfortunately, we were never able to set the existing maximum speed record of over 23 knots - we will gladly assume that it was weather conditions that did not allow us to repeat or overcome this record. On a more serious note, our experience is that before you turn downwind and feel like you are flying on the J/111, you need to reach speeds close to 18 knots per hour.

As far as regattas are concerned, the J/111 is a class with simple setups, sail limits (three new sails per year) and weight, with at least one professional skipper on board for a team to race successfully.

This yacht is very simply arranged: two batteries for the electrics and the engine, a good large helm, responsive to every slight touch. Tuff free head sails - you can always rely on Tuff Luff. This is a return to the skill level competition, instead of financial capabilities comparison.

And one more undoubted advantage of the class is that it is indulgent and even welcoming to beginners. So, if you are ready to start, the topRik team is ready to help you buy a J/111 at a good price and master the controls of this magnificent racing cruiser, which every year is getting closer to the title of legendary.

Advantages of J/111

As mentioned above, the main advantage of the J/111 yacht is its multi-vector mission. It is ideal for regattas in its class and is perfect for active family, small company or solo sailing.

In addition, the racing cruiser J/111 has a number of other benefits, which are the result of the main advantage:

• simple control with high seaworthiness;
• innovative materials and technologies that reduce the weight of the sailboat, increase the rigidity and strength of the structure;
• well-thought-out security system - a large open cockpit with a spontaneous withdrawal of water and the ability for the team to move freely when changing the side, a reliable hull design;
• life on board with maximum amenities in the format of a racing boat, the ability to cook hot meals and comfortably accommodate for the night;
• accessibility for beginners due to ease of management and class conditions;
• good price compared to other racing cruisers of the same size.

Reviews of J/111 from Professionals

Here you can read the reviews about the J/111 sailboat by yacht journalists from the leading yachting media, who tested the boat in different water areas and in different periods.

Adam Cort Article

First review of sailing yacht J/111 was made by Adam Corth in the year of its creation and launch, and then updated after closer acquaintance. The author stated that this boat is impressive when it just rests at the pier. But it is even more spectacular in motion, especially at high speed with a spinnaker.

Adam first observed the yacht during a daytime sailing off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. It was hull #1, and for it at that time the ideal weather conditions coincided with a wind from the east from medium to strong. The boat immediately showed excellent balance, moving against the wind with excellent handling, easily overcoming the excitement.

Adam noted that the bulbous keel, over 2 meters long, provides the righting moment for handling the working sail and spinnaker. Tacking was easy even on Newport Neck, helm control was very precise with easy tacking.

The author dwelled on the useful functions that he discovered upon closer acquaintance. Among them were:

• FlatDeck headsail furler (made by Facnor Furling Systems);
• rod equipment;
• Harken Radial winches;
• a Hall carbon fibers mast, which uses advanced carbon nanotube technology to increase mast stiffness and reduce mast weight without skyrocketing cost.

In conclusion, the author stated that the hype raised around this boat is fully justified. At that time - on the day of the premiere - the shipyard already had orders for another 34 new hulls.

Charles Ulmer Article

Charles tells how he tested the J/111 out of Newport, RI upwind with a true wind of 15-18 knots. It was an exit to the sea with a southwest wind with a strong ebb.

The author immediately drew attention to the appearance of the yacht, noting that the new boat differs from its predecessors in a wider front triangular sail and a shorter boom base. Retractable up to 2.4 meters, the sprit makes it easy to control the spinnaker.

The stern of the boat also differs from previous models - it is flatter and wider. But the deck plan is quite traditional and simple.

At the specified speed and wind direction, the boat was surprisingly stiff even with the light overall weight of the crew seated on the rails.

Charles noted the very comfortable and simple steering - the yacht reacted instantly to the slightest movements of the helm so that it was easily controlled with one hand.

A spinnaker was installed to return to the harbor. The combination of low displacement, increased sail area and excellent handling made surfing possible.

The speed at that moment was more than 10 knots, and at the same time, the most wave wake remained behind us, which disappeared from the field of view after literally ten seconds.

The interior is ideal for daytime racing. But for racing or overnight cruising, you'll want to add some amenities, such as sleeping quarters.

Michael Good Article

Testing, in which Michael Good participated, took place on the Lake Neuchâtel with with the Swiss J/Boats dealer Peter Bangerter. You can judge for yourself how quickly the yacht reached Europe if this test was carried out in March 2012, and it was the first European-made J/111 boat. For testing, she went from the construction site of the shipyard in les Sables d'Olonne.

A single design with cruising potential - this is how the author defined the features of the boat, putting them in the title of the review. At the same time, he noted that the J/111 is the best choice for racers, but with some limitations for long cruises.

"Sport and performance" has become the motto for this sailboat. The shipyard has again returned to the tried and tested priorities - the class with one design. That is, you will be offered a very limited number of options for layout, equipment and finishes.

Michael described in detail the sailboat's behavior in winds that were 15 knots that day but increased to 20 knots with strong gusts. With such a strong wind, the boat sails without reefs, while remaining very fast and easy to control.

The author noted an invaluable, according to him, device, which is included in the standard configuration - a hydraulic device for tensioning the backstay. It helps to efficiently flex the mast for the desired heavy air trim. By the way, the carbon fiber mast from Hall Spars is also part of the standard and is allowed by the class rules.

Video Reviews of J/111

We offer to take a look at a series of video reviews dedicated to the single-hull sailing yacht J/111. This is an opportunity to see for yourself that it is easy to operate, reliable, maneuverable and simply fast.

J/Boats starts with their own teaser for this amazing yacht:

14-minute tour of J/111 with Scot Tempesta:

Yachting World continues with another insightful video:

Sailing through Stockholm on J/111:

If you really need to know positively everything about this yacht, here’s 1 hour 14 minutes podcast on optimization of J/111:

Conclusion

We tried our best to show you all the benefits of owning J/111 racing cruiser. Excellent nautical characteristics, including maneuverability, fast acceleration and planing, a sufficient level of comfort not only in driving, but also for living on board, make this vessel in demand by many categories of sailors:

• professional racers in this class;
• participants of mixed regattas;
• lovers of outdoor activities under sails not burdened by the need to compete;
• loners who prefer to stay under sail one on one with the ocean;
• lovers of long trips in the coastal zone;
• those who prefer offshore navigation;
• businessmen renting boats and organizing charters;
• those wishing to organize an active cruise for the family in a fairly comfortable and certainly safe environment.

Where to Buy J/111 at a Bargain Price

You really should not be wondering where to buy J/111 at a bargain price. You might already know by now that our experts will give you comprehensive and free advice on all matters of purchasing your dream racing cruiser, including providing you with the best deal.

After a detailed interview, where you state all your requirements for the boat, topRik marketplace employees will take care of all other procedures:

• agree with the manufacturer or a reliable dealer on favorable conditions for the production or purchase of a boat;
• help to draw up all the necessary documents - a contract of sale, insurance, customs documents, etc.;
• prepare a trip to the manufacturer or dealer or perform this part of the work themselves on your behalf;
• check the condition of the yacht and its equipment in accordance with your requirements;
• driving the boat to the agreed point.

If this is your first boat, we will offer you an IYT Yacht course at SimpleSail - IYT Yacht Training «International Bareboat Skipper». Bareboat Skipper qualification received at our school, which is an official partner of IYT Worldwide, allows you to automatically receive an ICC (International Certificate of Competence).

Do not forget that all topRik marketplace employees are experienced yachtsmen, regatta participants who will give you advice and recommend the choice of marine equipment based on many years of practical experience.

Call, send applications via the feedback form or send an email to [email protected].