New Release - J/95 .... Sails in just 3 feet of water
Added January 2009

This elegant 31 foot design offers a new level of sailing joy, and broadens the daysailing and weekending horizons of those living on the many shallow bays, lakes and rivers of the Australian waterways. 
Because it’s a J Boat, you know the J/95 will be a great sailing and seaworthy boat in any depth of water. The latest in modern hull design with long waterline is combined with a carbon fibre mast and low VCG (vertical centre of gravity) lead keel containing a fully retractable centreboard. The result is an exceptionally fast and stable boat capable of sailing in 3 feet of water. The J/95 will outperform existing, deeper-draft keel dayboats of the retro “pretty” genre by a wide margin and in many cases at a fraction of the cost. The J/95 offers the best of both worlds.

The J/95 features a comfortable T-shaped cockpit (the same size as the 40 foot J/122) with removable transom locker, wheel steering, a retractable bow sprit in a hidden housing for some downwind fun with masthead asymmetric spinnaker, two berths for the occasional overnight adventure, enclosed marine head, and a 15 hp diesel auxiliary saildrive to get you home if the wind dies.  The J/95 is unique in that it’s designed to sail well on all points whether in “shoal” mode with board up or in “deep” mode with the board down. If one does run aground, the centre board will pivot up creating potentially far less damage than what would be expected with a deep keel or vertical dagger board grounding. For those sailors who live near shoal water areas simply not reachable with most keelboats, the J/95 offers a solution that looks and performs beautifully.

The “J/97” is the first J in over two decades under 32’ to combine 6’ headroom and family cruising accommodations in a high performance, easily driven hull. With the handling ease of an asymmetric spinnaker and non-overlapping headsails, the J/97 promises to be J Boats’ most versatile design yet under 35’ to fit the needs of today’s sailing families, both young and old alike.

The key to creating a versatile sailboat is staying focused on the quality of the sailing experience, a trait shared by all J designs. Boats that are easily driven, easily handled, and genuinely fun to sail provide greater long-term “sailing value” to their owners than designs driven by the latest rating rule or designs that are over-compromised to meet the latest styling trends. Form usually follows function in good sailboat design, and the J/97 is no exception.
At first glance, the J/97 bears a family resemblance to the J/109 and J/122, two highly successful collaborations between the J Boats design team and J Europe of Les Sables D’Olonne, France. Like its larger siblings, the J/97 is all about delivering a fun and satisfying sailing experience, whether daysailing, single-handing, cruising or racing.

The cockpit features full length seats with back rests, tiller steering, and a unique, partially open transom that incorporates life-raft storage. All the key controls are within reach of the helmsperson. A retractable bow sprit with masthead asymmetric spinnaker allows great all-around performance without the need for numerous skilled crew. The low VCG keel provides exceptional upwind stability while being cruising friendly with a swept back leading edge and moderate draft.

The interior layout is designed for one or two couple cruising and includes a spacious main cabin with two settees, galley, forward-facing navigation station; plus an enclosed aft head, V-berth, and aft owner’s cabin. Cruising stowage includes a large “garage” aft of the head (accessed through the cockpit seat locker).

J/97 hull #1 has just debuted at the Paris Boat Show (Salon Nautique).