J/80

{{Infobox sailboat specifications

|name = J/80

|insignia = File:J 80 blue.svg

|insignia size = 80px

|insignia alt =

|insignia caption =

|line drawing =

|line size =

|line alt =

|line caption =

|image boat = File:J80 sailboat 8111.jpg

|image size =

|image alt =

|image caption =

|designer = Rod Johnstone

|architect =

|location = United States

|year = 1992

|no built = 1,700

|design =

|class = One design

|brand = J/Boats

|builder = Tillotson Pearson
J Composites

|role = Racer

|boats =

|crew = three

|trapeze =

|draft = {{convert|4.90|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|air draft =

|displacement = {{convert|2900|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}

|hulls =

|hull type = monohull

|construction = fiberglass

|loa = {{convert|26.25|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|loh =

|lwl = {{convert|22.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|beam = {{convert|8.25|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|hull draft =

|hull weight =

|engine = outboard motor

|appendages =

|keel type = fin keel

|ballast = {{convert|1400|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}

|rudder type = transom-mounted rudder

|rigs =

|rig type = Bermuda rig

|I = {{convert|31.50|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|J = {{convert|9.50|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|P = {{convert|30.00|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|E = {{convert|12.50|ft|m|abbr=on}}

|mast length =

|rig other =

|sails =

|sailplan = fractional rigged sloop

|sailarea main = {{convert|187.50|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea headsail = {{convert|149.63|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea spin = {{convert|700|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|sailarea gen =

|sails other =

|sailarea upwind =

|sailarea downwind =

|sailarea total = {{convert|337.13|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

|rating =

|d-pn =

|rya-pn =

|phrf =

|status =

|previous =

|successor =

}}

The J/80 is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Rod Johnstone as a one design racer and first built in 1992.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/j80|title= J/80 sailboat |access-date= 14 August 2022|last= McArthur|first= Bruce|work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814181415/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/j80|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/j80|title= J/80|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814155042/https://sailboat.guide/j80|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url = https://sailboatdata.com/designer/johnstone-rod|title = Rod Johnstone|access-date = 14 August 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814180724/https://sailboatdata.com/designer/johnstone-rod|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/rod-johnstone|title= Rod Johnstone|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220318222326/https://sailboat.guide/rod-johnstone|archive-date= 18 March 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://www.jboats.com/j80|title= J/80 - Sportboat Thrills with Stability|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= J/Boats |author-link= J/Boats|work= jboats.com|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20141001161450/http://www.jboats.com/j80|archive-date= 1 October 2014|url-status= live}}

The design is a recognized International Sailing Federation world class with a crew of three sailors.{{cite web|url= https://www.sailing.org/classes/j80/|title= J/80|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= World Sailing|author-link= World Sailing|work= sailing.org|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814172558/https://www.sailing.org/classes/j80|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}

Production

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 {{As of|2022|lc=y}}. At one time it was produced by Waterline Systems, also located in the US.{{cite web|url = https://sailboatdata.com/builder/j-boats|title = J Boats|access-date = 14 August 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200719211259/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/j-boats|archive-date= 19 July 2020|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/j|title= J Boats|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220318222335/https://sailboat.guide/j|archive-date= 18 March 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/builder/waterline-systems-llc|title= Waterline Systems, LLC|access-date = 14 August 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200719211809/https://sailboatdata.com/builder/waterline-systems-llc|archive-date= 19 July 2020|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/waterline-systems|title= Waterline Systems, LLC|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814155117/https://sailboat.guide/waterline-systems|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}

Design

File:J80 sailboat Cheeky Monkey 7630.jpg]]

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 {{convert|2900|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} and carries {{convert|1400|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} of ballast. The cockpit is {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} long and the hull has a sealed buoyancy compartment on the bow.{{cite web|url= http://www.jboats.com/j80/j80sw.htm|title= Review of the J/80|access-date= 14 August 2022|last= Logan|first= Doug|work= Sailing World Magazine|year= 1994|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120331114041/http://www.jboats.com/j80/j80sw.htm|archive-date= 31 March 2012|url-status= dead}}

The boat has a draft of {{convert|4.90|ft|m|abbr=on}} with the standard keel. It can be transported on land on a towed double-axle boat trailer.

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker of {{convert|700|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}. It will plane under spinnaker.

The design has a hull speed of {{convert|6.29|kn|km/h|abbr=on}}.

Operational history

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.{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/association/j80-class-website|title= J/80 Class Website|access-date = 14 August 2022|last= McArthur| first = Bruce |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814155032/https://sailboatdata.com/association/j80-class-website|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}{{cite web|url= https://sailboat.guide/j80-class-website-class-association|title= J/80 Class|access-date= 14 August 2022|author= Sea Time Tech, LLC|work= sailboat.guide|year= 2022|archive-url= https://archive.today/20220814155125/https://sailboat.guide/j80-class-website-class-association|archive-date= 14 August 2022|url-status= live}}

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."