| J/80 | |
| Insignia: | File:J 80 blue.svg |
| Insignia Size: | 80px |
| Image Boat: | File:J80 sailboat 8111.jpg |
| Designer: | Rod Johnstone |
| Location: | United States |
| Year: | 1992 |
| No Built: | 1,700 |
| Class: | One design |
| Brand: | J/Boats |
| Builder: | Tillotson Pearson J Composites |
| Role: | Racer |
| Crew: | three |
| Draft: | 4.9feet |
| Displacement: | 29000NaN0 |
| Hull Type: | monohull |
| Construction: | fiberglass |
| Loa: | 26.25feet |
| Lwl: | 22feet |
| Beam: | 8.25feet |
| Engine: | outboard motor |
| Keel Type: | fin keel |
| Ballast: | 14000NaN0 |
| Rudder Type: | transom-mounted rudder |
| Rig Type: | Bermuda rig |
| I: | 31.5feet |
| J: | 9.5feet |
| P: | 30feet |
| E: | 12.5feet |
| Sailplan: | fractional rigged sloop |
| Sailarea Main: | 187.5square feet |
| Sailarea Headsail: | 149.63square feet |
| Sailarea Spin: | 700square feet |
| Sailarea Total: | 337.13square feet |
The J/80 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Rod Johnstone as a one design racer and first built in 1992.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
The design is a recognized International Sailing Federation world class with a crew of three sailors.[6]
The design has been built by Tillotson Pearson since 1992, for J/Boats in the United States, with over 1,700 built and still in production . At one time it was produced by Waterline Systems, also located in the US.[1] [2] [7] [8] [9] [10] [5]
The J/80 is a racing keelboat, with the hull built predominantly of fiberglass. It has a fractional sloop rig with a retractable bowsprit controlled from the cockpit by a deployment line. The hull has a raked stem, a plumb transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed swept fin keel. It displaces 29000NaN0 and carries 14000NaN0 of ballast. The cockpit is 12feet long and the hull has a sealed buoyancy compartment on the bow.[1] [2] [5] [11]
The boat has a draft of 4.9feet with the standard keel. It can be transported on land on a towed double-axle boat trailer.[1] [2] [5]
For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker of 700square feet. It will plane under spinnaker.[1] [2] [5]
The design has a hull speed of 6.29kn.[2]
The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the International J/80 Class Association. There are 30 fleets racing in 12 countries, including in North America, Europe and China. It has also been used for two-boat match racing.[12] [13]
In a 1994 expert review in Sailing World Magazine Doug Logan concluded, "In the test's light airs, the J/80 could often sail at or close to windspeed, and in several instances recorded the best leg times. While hard to define as a "conservative" boat, this Rod Johnstone creation doesn't go to the max in sailplan and (lack of) stability, and employs the proven construction materials used in thousands of earlier J/Boats. This might cost a bit of speed in light air with chop, but should broaden the boat's user-friendliness in stronger winds."[11]
See main article: J/80 World Championship.