Do you bear in mind the second you bought hooked on crusing? Leaping behind the helm of the brand new J/40 introduced all of that dashing again for me. This new design is fantastically balanced and responds to even the subtlest modifications within the wind. Like many J/Boat designs earlier than her, she is a real racer/cruiser.
To not be confused with the traditional J/40, constructed between 1984 and 1994, this new design, launched in 2024, goals to push the envelope as an offshore worthy, excessive efficiency cruising yacht able to double-digit speeds. Whereas the breeze by no means even hit double digits the day we sailed, I’ve little question she would speed up nicely into her promised efficiency vary off the wind.
I joined the primary sail of hull No. 1 within the U.S., simply earlier than the Annapolis Sailboat Present final October. The boat had arrived from manufacturing days earlier and the Incidence sails had been bent on the night time earlier than. Jeff Johnstone joined us onboard and was as excited as we had been to place the brand new J/40 design by means of her paces. With gentle to reasonable air within the forecast, there was no hesitation loading a big A2 spinnaker onboard.
Picture by Wendy Mitman Clarke
I almost walked proper previous this new boat on the docks, as a result of its twin wheels aren’t the everyday massive, single wheel I’d seen on almost each different J/Boat I’d ever sailed on or raced towards. This association is a direct lineage from the boat’s older sister, the J/45 (a Top 10 Best Boats winner in 2023), with which she shares many similarities. In profile, the boat has adopted the plumb bow, mounted sprit, and low-slung deckhouse frequent to many performance-oriented manufacturing boats we see now. However the similarities finish with a refined sheer, a easy, chineless run aft, and a 63-foot carbon spar as customary.
It was a simple step from the dock to the drop-down transom swim platform (optionally available—customary is a low, mounted transom) and into the cockpit, with the adjustable hydraulic backstay offering a pleasant hand maintain. For cockpit ergonomics, the dual helms imply clear fore and aft motion round a centerline desk that’s simply eliminated for racing mode; additionally they imply higher outboard steering choices for the helmsperson and glorious visibility in all instructions.
Simply aft of the companionway, a locker under the ground gives line tail storage whereas additionally satisfying present offshore racing requirements and permitting for a decrease companionway threshold, a easy transition between the cockpit and cabin, and room for a self-storing companionway door.
Picture courtesy of J/Boats
Stowing some gear under deck, I discovered the format acquainted, however the textures and styling accents had been a departure from the normal J/Boat really feel. It was extra on development with European manufacturing builds: easy, useful, and heat. That felt truthful given this J/40’s French delivery at J/Composites and its inside styling by Isabelle Racoupeau.
A mahogany end is customary, whereas white oak and walnut are optionally available. The design incorporates loads of gentle with mounted hull ports all through the principle cabin along with ports and hatches within the cabintop. This boat featured the “consolation bundle” that gives extra mounted hull ports within the ahead and aft berths fitted with sliding shade panels, as within the salon.
The L-shaped galley, instantly to port of the companionway, is throughout from the starboard forward-looking navigation station. A white Corian countertop holds a double stainless sink, a molded DC fridge, and straddles an ENO two-burner gasoline range and oven. A outstanding fiddle across the whole countertop provides the sensible security element.
Likewise, overhead handrails run the size of the salon, a rarity in immediately’s manufacturing boats and a nod to the J/40’s supposed use offshore in doubtlessly no-nonsense situations. Cupboards ran the total size of the salon, simply above the mounted hull ports; these are additionally a part of the consolation bundle and would add an necessary stage of storage if an proprietor had been to lean extra into cruising than racing. The salon contains a foldout desk with L-shaped sofa to port and a straight sofa to starboard. With lee cloths match, both sides might make an acceptable sea berth.
The boat is available in two layouts—three cabins (which hull No. 1 was) with twin aft cabins and a big V-berth, plus one head ahead; or two cabins, which replaces the starboard aft cabin with an enormous storage storage and provides a second head with bathe aft. Cupboard space is proscribed within the aft cabins, as is headroom above the plush mattresses, however that’s the nature of a efficiency cruising boat. Much less is extra. Presumably, an proprietor with prolonged cruising in thoughts would possibly go for the two-cabin format with the additional storage aft.
Air con is on the market, however it’s dealt with as an aftermarket set up within the U.S. The identical carries true for any electronics packages, permitting the proprietor to get precisely what they want from their J/Boats supplier.
Picture courtesy of J/Boats
I might see fiberglass development particulars in a number of the storage lockers. These areas are easy and painted, but it surely’s necessary to grasp that this boat is constructed that approach for a purpose. According to facilities being stored at a manageable and easy stage, it’s a part of the tradeoff for high-end efficiency in a 40-foot boat. Additional tools and joinery aren’t quick. The J/40 delivers what is required, with strategically designed comforts, to maintain efficiency ranges up.
The fiberglass hull and deck are foam cored, with three totally different densities within the hull and two variations within the deck. The hull, deck, structural grid, and foremost bulkhead are all constructed utilizing an infusion course of, additional optimizing weight. This primary hull carried a 7-foot, 3-inch draft, however there’s a shoal draft choice.
We fired up the 50-hp Volvo Penta on a saildrive and cruised into the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the place the breeze was holding at 7-9 knots on the nostril. Regardless of the path, we had been simply making 6 knots at 2,000 rpm into the sunshine wave motion. A lift to 2,500 rpm jumped our pace to 7.3 knots.
Sure elements of the J/40 depart unequivocal the racer within the racer/cruiser idea, as an example, the six Harken Performa winches (optionally electrical) within the cockpit. I like this. It means devoted winches for necessary management traces, just like the mainsheet and headsail. It additionally provides a stage of redundancy. The brand new J/40 is a ship that’s meant to be sailed. So, with out hesitation, we did precisely that: raised the principle, unfurled the 103% jib on the Harken MkIV furler, and silenced the engine. The 2-blade (three optionally available) Gori propeller feathered.
Picture by Wendy Mitman Clarke
She accelerated. The obvious constructed. She accelerated some extra. We slowly trimmed in and put her laborious on the wind. The J/40 is fantastically balanced, and at 8 knots of wind, we had a boatspeed of 6.6 knots at 28 levels obvious. Using the shifts and dealing the puffs was extra like dancing than crusing; she responded eloquently to a lightweight contact of the helm, exhibited good stability, and gave simply the correct quantity of suggestions.
The Lewmar chain and wire steering is affixed to twin low-profile pedestals with optionally available Carbonautica composite wheels. On hull No. 1, a B&G direct drive autopilot is secured by way of a draglink to a separate tiller arm on the rudderpost, offering steering redundancy. The steering compartment, accessed by means of a flush molded hatch between the pedestals, is remoted, guaranteeing that tools can’t get jammed within the steering system. With all of the area right here, it’s tempting to make use of it for stowage. It will simply require some modifications to take action safely.
Further deck storage is present in a shallow locker below the starboard cockpit bench (deep if one chooses the storage format). A devoted liferaft locker is to port, and an outsized anchor locker ahead lends itself to doubling as a dangling locker for fenders and features.
Sitting comfortably outboard of the helm, small modifications to the cockpit-wide Harken traveler or the German mainsheet system had been inside comfy arm’s attain. The mainsheet runs contained in the growth and under deck earlier than it pops out close to the aftmost set of winches and traveler management traces. Inhaulers for the jib offered trimming flexibility up entrance.
Picture: J/Boats/Crusing Power
Tacks had been easy and the J/40 carried her momentum by means of each. Spinning her in two full circles with out touching a sail was simply as straightforward; she is remarkably nimble.
A few of that may be attributed to restricted weight aloft. The J/40 comes customary with an Axxon tapered carbon mast, discontinuous rod rigging, and an aluminum growth. This keel-stepped mast features a pre-molded mast collar made within the manufacturing facility for an ideal match within the mast accomplice and a drain gap above deck for a dry cabin. Wires are routed by means of a gland at deck stage.
Curious to see the efficiency off the wind, we hoisted the asymmetrical spinnaker and immediately felt the boat shift into a brand new gear. The tack is secured to a hard and fast carbon bow sprit (which additionally integrates an anchor curler). The sheets run aft by means of Harken blocks, matching the remainder of the {hardware} on deck, apart from the Antal clutches. The halyard is routed aft, principally hidden by flush deck panels.
The J/40 was gliding throughout the Bay at 7.2 knots, 110 to 130 obvious wind angle, with solely 8-9 knots of breeze. Smiles throughout.
For heavier climate days the principle is about up for slab reefing, with reefing traces led contained in the growth—a easy, seaworthy, and dependable association. The J/40 additionally has an optionally available interior forestay system for flying a staysail or storm jib.
Heading again towards the barn, we accomplished a fast leeward takedown. We had 4 onboard however simply might have pulled it off with two in that breeze. The final of the crimson spinnaker disappeared by means of the flush hatch and we had been subsequent turning into the wind to drop the principle. It was a gorgeous end to a close to excellent day on the water.
The balancing act inherent within the idea of a racer/cruiser isn’t straightforward to execute, however J/Boats has finished an admirable job right here. With its customary carbon spar, emphasis within the construct on weight management, and a deck format and sailplan clearly geared towards the sailor who feels the necessity for pace, the boat additionally maintains a stage of consolation and practicality that’s interesting for cruising. It embodies the concept that the better and extra enjoyable a ship is to sail, the extra you’ll sail it. Not fairly as a lot boat to deal with or preserve as her massive sister the 45, this new 40-footer fills a worthwhile area of interest.
Illustration courtesy of J/Boats
LOA/LWL 40’11” / 37’
Beam 12’8”
Draft 7’3” (std), 6’ (shallow)
Air Draft 63’7”
Displacement 16,900 lbs (gentle)
Ballast 6,300 lbs (std)
Sail Space 918 sq ft (foremost and 103% Jib)
Engine 50hp Volvo Penta
Designer Alan Johnstone, J/Boats
Builder J/Boats, www.jboats.com
Worth $625,000 as sailed
January/February 2025
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