J/111 | seglar

12 Comments

1. Ragnar
   Aug 1, 2010 @ 10:37

   Ser jo fint ut, løper fint i vannet :-) Sugen, Peter?

   Hvordan får de til å rulle fokken med spiler som er vinkelrett på forstaget?

   Reply

   • Hannu
     Aug 1, 2010 @ 11:11

     Finns lattor i styvt tygliknande material som böjer sig när man rullar in seglet runt förstaget!

     Reply

2. HH
   Aug 1, 2010 @ 15:17

   Är man elak om man säger att det påminner om en HP 1030 men genomtänkt och färdigutvecklad…

   Reply

3. PelleL
   Aug 2, 2010 @ 09:12

   Om man är konspiratoriskt lagd så kan man undra varför det inte finns några bilder från lovart? Är det ett jättehål i vattnet där?

   På det hela tycker jag den ser bra ut….focken är säkert en J3’a så det blir nog rätt när dom fått 1:an.

   Om man nu måste ha rulle på båten så tycker jag det är lite synd att dom inte kostat på en nedsänkt men jag tror ju man tar bort den vid racing (om det inte är entyp). Jämförelsen med HP1030 är inte så dum ….min känsla av HP är att den hade mått bra av att vara en halvmeter längre men det gäller ju de flesta båtar. En annan intresssant jämförelse är den med X-35 som ju är ett liknande koncept men med “vanlig” spinnaker.

   Reply

4. Peter Gustafsson
   Aug 5, 2010 @ 23:00

   Kompletterade med lite nya bilder på däckslayouten.

   Reply

5. Peter Gustafsson
   Aug 18, 2010 @ 13:42

   http://www.boats.com/blog/2010/08/j111-sighting-in-newport/

   Reply

6. Ragnar Wisløff
   Aug 18, 2010 @ 13:47

   Peter, får du din båt fra USA eller Europa?

   Reply

7. Peter Gustafsson
   Aug 18, 2010 @ 13:52

   Det är inte officiellt ännu, men som John Burnham skrev så kommer man att köra igång tillverkningen i Frankrike under vintern.

   Och i så fall kommer nog #18 därifrån.

   Reply

8. Peter Gustafsson
   Aug 18, 2010 @ 22:42

   SAIL – The latest from J/Boats is all about performance
   http://sailmagazine.com/boat-reviews/j111/

   Reply

   • Erik Barkefors
     Aug 19, 2010 @ 09:07

     Ser verkligen härlig ut – och Blurinstrument har blivit standard ser jag ;-)

     Reply

9. Peter Gustafsson
   Sep 17, 2010 @ 13:35

   J/111 TriState Race Debut

   (Chicago, IL)- With great anticipation a crowd gathered around the dock at Chicago YC on Friday afternoon September 6th to take their first peek at the recently arrived J/111. Like a powerful stallion pulling at its reins in nervous anticipation of a quick trip around the race track, the J/111 was waiting to gives its crew a fast flight across the fresh water of Lake Michigan.

   Expectations were not unfounded. After the first leg of the Tri-State Offshore race was canceled due to gale force winds, the J/111 instead went sailing on Saturday with a number of prospective 111 one-design fleet owners. In the puffy westerly winds blowing 10-22 knots and a large swell running in a southerly direction, the stage was set to test the performance of the 111 in Lake Michigan’s notorious chop. The boat left the dock, set the smaller 111m2 asymmetric spinnaker and took off on a couple of 18+ knot puffs. By the afternoon, with a number of skeptics on board loaded with handheld GPS’s, there was no question the 111 was easily planing off the wind and hitting 16+ knots in 22 knots of wind. One owner was told by a crewmember that he better wipe the smile off his face or it would kill him!

   Sunday’s racing dawned with a forecast for 10-20 knot winds from the S-SW for the 35 mile leg from Chicago to Michigan City, IN– basically a drag race under spinnaker headed at Michigan City’s power plant stacks. The 111 started with the large 130m2 kite, sailed off below its competitors and established a lead less than three miles after the start over a Grand Soleil 44 IMS/IRC racer, Mumm/Farr 36s, J/120s, J/109s and a Sydney 38. The wind varied from 85 to 110 apparent with the large A-sail for half the race. The wind moved further south and increased slightly in velocity into the 15+ knot range, moving the apparent wind to 65-90 degrees, necessitating a change to the smaller 111m2 kite. The tighter reach also proved to the liking of the boat and by race end, the J/111 crossed the line 4th boat for boat, behind a RP 66, a TP 52 and an RP 46 and winning on corrected time.

   Labor Day Monday dawned grey and cool with a brisk breeze blowing in from the S-SW 10-20 knots with a short, steep nasty chop. Like the day before, the forecast suggested a rhumbline route, a drag race for 35 miles pointing at Chicago’s Sears Tower from the Michigan City’s starting line just off the long jetty. The leg was a 32 mile “power beat” with jib just inside or just over the lifelines. Only in the last 3 miles did the bigger boats have the wind temporarily free-up to set code zero’s or spinnakers. The 111 started at the RC boat end, to leeward of all competitors. Stacked to windward basically dead even were the two J/120s, two Mumm/Farr 36s, the Grand Soleil 44 and the Sydney 38. What surprised everyone was the fact that the 111 managed to just stay ahead of the 36-41 footers in these conditions, slicing into the waves, accelerating rapidly off wave-tops and rarely ever pounding. Even in these conditions, the 111 was hitting 7.7 to 8.5 knots “power beating”. The GS-44 is a powerful boat and as expected, powered away from the fleet to win boat-for-boat on what was essentially a “waterline” race. With good management of their sail selection and better playing of the wind shift, the J/120 and the Sydney 38 caught the 111 in the last five miles of the race. As a result, the 111 finished 4th on elapsed and 2nd on corrected, the J/120 winning the class on this leg. Overall, the J/111’s 1-2 for the weekend meant that she “unofficially” won her class for the shortened “Bi-State Race”.

   Reply

10. Peter Gustafsson
    Sep 18, 2010 @ 21:20

    J/111 Test Sail, by Don Finkle

    This past Monday I spent 3 hours in Newport, RI on the new J/111. I had seen the boat several times previously during stages of production, but this was my first time aboard the finished product. She was on a mooring in the harbor off the NYYC, and the first impression was very positive as I walked down the dock to the launch and saw her floating there. The 36 foot 111 looked awesome, fast, sleek and modern, just waiting to be taken for a spin. You know how some boats “just look right”? Well, the J/111 is one of those, the proportions are balanced, the freeboard not too high, the rig tall, the lines clean, and the whole package just seeming to be in harmony.

    Once we hopped off the launch and stepped aboard the quality and proper placement of the deck hardware and rigging was readily apparent. This is a boat designed by sailors, for sailors. Clearly much of the cost of building this boat has been put into making it sail well and to be easily controlled. When we put up the sails and cast off we put this observation to the test. Yes, they got it right when it came to all the running rigging, sail controls, adjustments, etc. The carbon rig is by Hall Spars using new nano-technology resin for lighter weight and improved performance. I am a big fan of everything Hall does, their work is really clean, functional and sturdy. The shrouds are stainless rod, the backstay Dyneema, and the Genoa furler is a way- cool new Facnor tape-drive unit. This furler has a much smaller drum that is normal, and it sits much closer to the deck. This new model has the benefits of a below-deck furling unit but with much less weight and friction. I am a fan for sure.

    The J/111 has outboard shrouds on swept-back spreaders that allow for a just over 100% LP headsail. Like most modern race boats the sail area is distributed vertically, with higher aspect sails that derive their power from longer luff length as opposed to overlap. Naturally the smaller headsails make for much easier tacking and visibility forward. The jib cars are adjustable fore and aft with proper tackles and also sport in-haulers. The winches are sizable, the new Harken model that uses ribs on the drum to grab the sheets without chewing them up. Stoppers were Lewmar, with the newest vertical models for main and jib halyards. I had not seen these before and they were fine-tuning them. The idea is to grab the line so tightly that the halyards do not creep as they typically do. They seemed to be working when I was aboard. The running rigging all looked to be high-quality low-stretch stuff.

    The spinnaker is flown from the masthead and set on a carbon sprit that is 8 feet long, 7 feet from the headstay (the latter is set back 1 foot from the bow). Once you put that baby up the boat literally takes off. I guess it is time to talk about how she sails. The answer is the J/111 met or exceeded my expectations in all respects. The boat is 36 feet long, virtually all waterline, yet weighs just over 9,000 lbs on a slender hull with narrow waterline beam. There is very little to hold her back, and the first thing you notice is the acceleration. When you sheet in she goes. After each tack or jibe she gets back up to speed very quickly. I was a bit concerned about how she would sail I very light air, which we get a lot of around here as we know all too well. We started out in about 4-5 knots of breeze, and in that light stuff I was weaving in and around boats in the crowded harbor seemingly effortlessly. I was surprised at just how quick she went uphill in that little bit of wind. Certainly this boat will perform in our conditions. We quickly ran out of air altogether and went outside to search for wind.

    On the ride out to the Ocean we powered at 8 knots with the 20HP diesel, certainly no lack of power here. The saildrive is very smooth, there is no perceptible vibration on the wheel whatsoever from the propwash. While we waited on glassy seas for a bit we looked over the rest of the boat. I should point out the helm station, which is one of the strong points of the 111. There is a molded pedestal that is situated for easy foot-bracing, either with one or both feet. I found I could sit in a number of positions, each one comfortable: with both feet aft of the wheel, or astride the wheel with one foot forward, one aft, or in front of the wheel, with one or both feet on the angled pedestal. There are also molded footrests on the cockpit sole. The traveler in mounted on the sole, with course tune aft of the traveler, fine tune forward. Both sheets and travelr lines are close at hand.

    I came away from our afternoon sail wanting to do it again, the J/111 is so much fun that you beg for more. I loved the acceleration, the feel of the helm, the way it moved through the water. The sail controls were in the right place and easy to use. One impression I returned home with was just how little fuss was required to attain the speed we were going. This is a boat that should not demand a lot of effort.

    The headsail is only very slightly overlapping but it is not small, being long on the luff. I did not feel at all underpowered when we started out in the light air. Once we got the spinnaker up after awhile the real power of the boat became apparent. I tried all different angles downwind, even deliberately sailing too tight with the large runner to see how it would handle on a tight reach. The rudder had plenty of bite and bearing off was no problem, and when heating up the boatspeed climbed very quickly. Clearly acceleration is one of the hallmarks of this design.

    The J/111 was created as a sort of modern day version of the extremely successful J/35. Clearly there is little design similarity between the two, given the many years of evolution between the 35 and the 111, but the goal is the same. Make a fast, fun to sail boat that is very quick for its length yet has a usable interior and is not extreme. Extreme designs don’t ever gain long-term popularity, nor do those that are too all-out racy. The 111 has 6 foot headroom, 6 large comfortable berths, a usable head, galley and nav station. While clearly this is a performance boat first and foremost, it is also useful for other purposes when desired. The cockpit seating is comfortable and the view forward is excellent.

    What would the shortcomings be, after all no boat is perfect, right? While clearly there is so much more to rave about than find fault with, if pressed we would point out that this type of performance, equipment and technology does not come cheap. Obviously there will be less expensive alternatives out there, but I am struggling to find the name of one that would do exactly what the 111 does. High performance in anything, car or airplane or boat, comes at a price. But for those who can enjoy or expect that thoroughbred feel and get up and go, they will find the cost worth it. There are certainly more expensive boats too.

    The storage below is limited. The guys at J/boats are looking into some ways to provide for more light weight interior storage options for those who feel they need it. There is an anchor well forward, and a nice locker in the aft end of the cockpit behind the wheel. The two cockpit seat lockers open into the quarterberths, and there is some thought of having a shallow liner in one or both for storage of small items.

    The finish on the interior was certainly satisfactory to me, especially considering this boat was hull #1, in effect the prototype. In keeping with the goal of light weight there is no headliner, nor any hull liners fore and aft. This is just fine with me, the white rolled on finish is nice and you have ready access to any deck fitting, and the source of any leak will be immediately apparent. The joinery is fine as well, I’ve seen better on cruising boats where the woodwork is one of the main selling features, but the interior of this boat compares favorably to most race boats our there.

    Finally, like all narrow boats I have sailed, at least those without canting keels, the J/111 will heel. This seems natural to me, monohulls heel, and the key is whether or not they steer and balance when they are at 20-25 degrees of heel angle. The J/111, without a wide stern, continues to track when she heels, and the helm stays light and balanced. The wake off the back of the boat is clean and quiet, no heavy gurgling that you get with most modern boats as the helm increases, when you dial in more rudder to compensate and keep the bow pointed straight ahead. The very clean run on the 111 stayed clean on each point of sail, whether heeled upwind or flat when we were downwind. It is just a very good sailboat! And that of course was the goal of the exercise.

    Yes, I am high on the J/111 because I had so much fun sailing it. It won’t appeal to everyone, because not everyone will value the performance of this boat enough to buy one. But the number of J/boat sailors out there numbers in the thousands, and for them what the 111 does is what they have come to expect and are looking for in their next boat. I predict it will be looked at someday as one of J/boats’ best designs.

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