J/Boats J/120

Is this the style of boat that today's crop of young skiff hotshots will want to sail when they grow out of their trapeze harnesses?

Once you get used to sailing with a retracting bowsprit spinnaker pole - which can be positioned in or out with a control line, rather than a for'ardhand clumping around the bow - combined with an asymmetrical spinnaker that is a snack to gybe and will happily set at close reaching angles that are high on excitement, it could be pretty hard to ever look a conventional spinnaker in the eye again.

The J/120 has all of that fun, modern stuff up front, but it's hardly what you'd call a flat-out racer, and it's certainly not just a downhill machine.

It's a boat that can turn-on plenty of skiff-style fun for ageing skiffies and for keelboat sailors who've never had the chance to enjoy the thrills of asymmetrical spinnakers before, while also providing all-round performance and a surprising amount of comfort.

What this boat is all about is perhaps best summed up by reviewer Bill Lee in a test report re-published on the builder's website. Lee, a well-known performance cruiser designer, writes: "The new series of 'J Sprit' boats represent an excellent balance between cruising boats you can race and racing boats you can cruise coastally. Certainly, the boat can be made even faster by ... adding a conventional spinnaker for square running. But that's not the point. The point is to create a shorthanded cruising boat that can perform, and J/Boats has done a superb job."

PERFORMANCE PACKAGE
The J/120 hull is built in France using a patented SCRIMP resin infusion system. Under this process, the company says, the entire laminate is placed in the mould dry. A high vacuum eliminates any air voids, then resin feed tubes draw in only enough resin to wet the laminate. The purpose is to achieve a glass-to-resin ratio of 65-70% and minimal environmental impact during construction.

Baltek end-grained balsa core is covered with skins of biaxial and unidirectional glass and the hull has an outer layer of vinylester.

J/Boats offers a 10-year hull warranty against hull blistering.

The lead-bulb keel is bolted and epoxy-bonded to a deep moulded stub that houses a sump.

The rig loads are carried on an aluminium I-beam keel step.

The Sparcraft rig is set up with twin spreaders, rod rigging shrouds, hydraulic backstay, a twin forestay foil and Harken Mk II headsail roller-furler. Spectra rope is used for the main and jib halyards, spinnaker sheets and detachable checkstays.

The carbon fibre bowsprit spinnaker pole retracts into the forward cabin (with a preventer to avoid smashing it into the bulkhead).

The winches and deck gear are mostly Harken, with two-speed Harken 48 self-tailing primary winches and two-speed 44s for the halyards and the double-ended mainsheet system.

The deck layout is well thought-out for racing without a crowd onboard, and good quality hardware lightens the sail trimming load.

The large steering wheel is set up on a custom-moulded pedestal, which houses a Plastimo binnacle compass and optional instrumentation.

While there is a cold deck shower and fold-up swim ladder at the stern, J/Boats has not gone for an open transom, using the enclosed space there to provide a large lazarette and separate locker for gas bottle storage. You can climb right into the lazarette to work on the Whitlock steering system if necessary.

At the bow is an optional electric windlass with remote control at the helm.

CRUISING COMFORT
The interior layout provides a master cabin forward with large double V-berth with storage underneath, and direct access to the bathroom, which is also accessible from the saloon.

There is a Lectra/San toilet and pressurised hot and cold water to the sink/shower. The keel-stepped mast is located in this compartment, so in the event of any leakage through the deck collar, it will simply drip into the integral shower tray.

The main cabin is a no-nonsense space with settees either side, doubling as full-length sea berths. The backrests hinge up to provide pilot berths, with their angle controlled by block and tackle. There is a large amount of storage space behind the backrests and decent-looking lee cloths are provided. The central table has a built-in bar and storage space, plus large drop leaves that open up to provide a dining table when the racing's done.

The nav station to starboard has a large table and a hinged instruments panel with 12V electrics panel (the boat has 12V and 240V power). The test boat also had an ICOM HF radio, GME VHF, Furuno GPS Navigator and AM/FM CD player.

The galley has twin sinks, a long-hosed manual bilge pump stored underneath, an integral garbage-bin holder, hot/cold water mixer tap, refrigeration unit and separate icebox, plus Eno two-burner stove and oven.

The port quarter is dedicated to storage of sails and boat gear, with walk-in access through the galley as well as via the cockpit. Opposite is a second double sleeping cabin to starboard, with a large hanging locker and shelving, a seat that will be a handy perch when pulling off the seaboots, and access to the engine, which is a Volvo 30hp saildrive (a 40hp Volvo is offered as an alternative).

HARBOUR AND COASTAL RACING
According to Mark Dent of J/Boats Australia, the J/120 is attracting enquiries from people who want a short-hander; they don't want to have to get six people or more together every time they want to club race.

Dent said the owner of the test boat previously owned an NSX-36 and is now racing his new boat on Sydney Harbour with the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, and hoping to do the Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race Series over the New Year holidays.

The boat is both comfortable and practical, fun to sail and carefully put together. What a great way to go north.