27 yachts competed in the 226nm coastal classic, ranging in size from the 30ft Dubois 30 up to 100ft Andoo Comanche with three J/99’s in the mix. The race very professionally run by Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC), with welcoming reception from Coffs Harbour Yacht Club.
The conditions were challenging for the light wind race, where the wind unusually went around the clock twice and the adverse current was running quite close inshore in places.
The three J/99’s topped the leaderboard on ORC both in the Overall and Two Handed Divisions, with Disko Trooper-Contender Sailcloth 1st (Jules Hall and Jan Scholten), Blue Planet 2nd (Chris O’Neill and Ian Smith) and Rum Rebellion 3rd (Shane Connelly and Tony Sutton).
On IRC, the J/99’s came in 2nd, 4th and 5th in the Two Handed Division and 2nd 4th and 7th IRC Overall. J/99 Blue Planet won PHS (Performance Handicap System) overall which is a fantastic result considering Chris has only owned his J/99 for a few months.
Extract from Di Pearsons interview with Jules Hall
Jules Hall commented, “It was a fabulous race, a thinking race. We were keeping a close eye on Mistral and they obviously sailed a fantastic race. Our start was good, but around Cape Three Points we were in a lull. Mistral (Lombard 34) got a jump on us at Newcastle as they were better placed when land breeze kicked in.”
The 2021 Sydney Hobart Two-handed winner acknowledged the hardest part of the race was from Smoky Cape to the finish.
“Then the sou easter came in as forecast and we took off,” Hall said. “We were doing 7 knots and Mistral 3 knots and we thought ‘this is it’, but then it reversed. It was pouring with rain. We couldn’t see a thing. The sou easter came back but was too late for us!
He agreed balancing current and wind was hard and that keeping a close eye on that and the water temperature was imperative. “You couldn’t make a single mistake. Little mistakes made a big difference on that course.
“We had a great boat-on-boat race with She’s The Culprit (owned by the Culprit Syndicate from Newcastle). We’d be in front of them, then they’d get in front of us. It was good fun.”
News from J/Boats Australia
Photo credit : RPAYC
The J/99 from J/Boats has again proved its versatility with an extremely successful Australian National Championship held last weekend 4-5th March 2023. The Championship was a six race program, fully crewed windward leeward series and held as part of the Nautilus Marine Insurance Sydney Harbour Regatta, hosted by Middle Harbour Yacht Club (MHYC)
Others have thought the J/99 was categorised solely as a double handed Sydney to Hobart winner and offshore racer – there is no doubt the J/99 does this type of racing extremely well with proven results from around the World. However the National Championship has now highlighted the J/99 is equally adept ‘around the cans’ in close competitive racing, with 5-6 crew on board. The format for the Nationals was to keep it simple with a ‘box rule’ for sails (1 main, 2 jibs, 2 kites) and ORC Club certificates to capture the small differences in sail area.
Six J/99’s with a diverse mix of owners entered this year’s inaugural regatta. Of course, we know Jules Hall from Disko Trooper and Shane Connelly from Rum Rebellion who have cleaned up in Blue Water Double Handed racing over the past two years. We also have new comers Ian Smith from Jupiter and Chris O’Neill from Blue Planet who have started their offshore campaigns with great results. Also Gerry Morecombe from Echo and the syndicate with Siena who purchased their J/99’s for inshore harbour racing and social fun.
The overarching feedback is that all skippers and crew had enormous fun and enjoyed the camaraderie of this growing class. They all pushed outside their comfort zones and usual race program for this W/L close racing format. A huge thank you to MHYC for hosting such a fantastic and well run event.
The winners of the event were Disko Trooper, Jupiter, Rum Rebellion. Blue Planet just missed the chocolates on countback.
Comments below from some J/99 australian owners:
From Jules Hall – DISKO TROOPER
What a fun regatta!
Saturday was a tough day! Light winds, strong tide, bumpy water. There were lots of holes in the breeze, and we were very good at finding them! Jupiter was clearly in close contact with Huey, maintaining pressure and speed to post the most consistent results of the day, notably first at the top mark in every race.
Sunday was a classic building Sydney Harbour Nor’ Easter. Race one started in 13kts. By race 3 we were seeing 20 knot gusts. The race committee kept the fleet on its toes, laying a short line which created some good pre-start excitement!
Entering the second day on level points with Jupiter, after a punish in race 2, team Disko had some work to do. We agreed a plan for the day, had a quick reminder on how to sail fully crewed, then got down to business.
Race 1 we got away cleanly and had a solid race. Race 2 the individual recall flag was hoisted. With no drops we weren’t risking it was us, so gybed around, re-crossed the line, splitting with the fleet on our preferred port tack. It worked and we were a nose in front by the top mark. There were big gains to be had downwind with boat handling and gust management and we finished in front. It wasn’t Disko Trooper that was over at the start after all! Race 3 and we got a little buried at the start. But speed and height were our friends. We bounced off the shore, played the shifts and squeaked around the top mark just in front. Closing the race with the win secured the national championships for Disko Trooper. Turns out fully crewed sailing can be quite fun!!
What a fabulous event! A big thank you to Ian Smith (Jupiter) for all the effort in making it happen. Extremely well sailed to all the crews. And thank you to Middle Harbour Yacht Club for hosting an excellent regatta.
Jules, Disko Trooper
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From Gerry Morecombe – ‘ECHO’.
The feedback this Monday morning from our boatload of retirees (with an average age heading towards 70) is that they are enjoying the “lay day” today!
Saturday was the first spinnaker race EVER for Echo, thankfully the light breeze concealed our spinnaker handling sins but not in the finish times, which averaged just of 9 minutes behind the very skilful Disko Trooper.
Sunday what a beauty! a new day with a breeze that we all love and enjoy. 3 great races for Echo and it’s creaking bodied crew, a few adjustments in duties to account for creaking limbs but we had so much fun!
The average finish time behind the very skilful Disko Trooper was just 2.6 minutes and this included us blowing the spinnaker on the last gybe of the first downhill leg of race 6. The second downhill leg was with our trusty whisker pole only 😊
Well done for your foresight in insisting on the ORC club certificates for the series , it helps us see the differences in the sail plans and also highlights peoples’ sailing skills.
Echo’s next outing beyond the genteel twilight sailing at Greenwich Flying Squadron, we will be sailing in the Port Stephens race week – hope some J/99’s will join us
Owning a J/99 is much more fun than a grey nomad’s all singing and dancing caravan!
We are looking forward to sailing with the J99 fleet again soon !
Gerry- Echo
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From Chris O’Neill – BLUE PLANET
Many thanks for providing the initiative for the inaugural J/99 National Championships. The regatta was a tremendous success on and off the water. We had a good mix of testing conditions.
Saturday’s racing was dominated by light shifty breeze, with current being a large tactical consideration. Sunday presented a classic building Sydney Nor’ Easter. As can be expected across such a range of conditions, the cream rose to the top and the podium faithfully reflected the current rankings in the fleet.
While many owners purchased their J/99 for short-handed offshore racing this weekend proved that they are also nimble and a delight on tight inshore W/L courses. Despite a mix of crew experience and expertise the racing was consistently challenging and exciting, and every boat found something to be proud of.
I hope that the success of this regatta provides the basis for forming a structured Class Association that will act to promote the class moving forward, and I look forward to the continued strength of the class.
Chris – Blue Planet
The J/99 is a phenomenal success to hold a National Championship in less than three years since the first J/99 arrived in Australia. J/Boats have launched more than 140 J/99’s world wide during this time, and Australia is the first country to hold a National Championships – something we are very proud of. As pointed out (with a grin) by Ian Box, Special Event Chair of MHYC during prize giving, ‘this year’s winners are technically World Champions!’
There are more J/99’s on the way to Australia so keep posted for more news.
Article by J/Boats Australia
Photos credit : Margaret Fraser-Martin
Pip Hare gives you tips on how to perform double handed in a series of episodes ft. Yachting World.
Watch the videos in Pip Hare’s new series on double handed sailing skills. Expert advice on short handed sailing from one of the world’s best sailors. Pip Hare, accompanied by our English expert Wayne from Key Yachting explain the key manoeuvres on the J/99.
Episode 1: Spinnaker hoist (https://youtu.be/upRuKfvLSQw)
Episode 2: Inside gybes (https://youtu.be/4_b0Acvr6Io)
Episode 3: Outside gybes (https://youtu.be/b0rKQRC4U_I)
More episodes are coming, stay tuned!
New distinction for the J/45 🏅
She won the title of “Best Performance Cruiser” at the Cruising World – Boat of the Year 2023 against a strong field of competitors.
➡ J/45 will be exhibited at Boot Düsseldorf 2023
Extract from the Yachting World report 📃:
Over time, J/Boats pivoted from one-design classes to ocean racers and full-fledged cruisers, and all that experience has culminated with this sleek, slick, dual-purpose 45-footer.
“As expected, this boat sailed beautifully,” judge Ed Sherman says. “Its 75 hp Volvo Penta saildrive gave us ample speed when motoring, and was quiet too. I see this boat as an answer to the hardcore racer who wants to scale back a bit and enjoy cruising with the family in comfort while not sacrificing the performance they’re used to.”
Fellow judge Mark Pillsbury explains what put the boat over the top in his mind: “During Boat of the Year sea trials, we’re usually accompanied by builders or dealers who tell us what a boat’s intended to do, and we’re left to determine how successfully they hit the mark. In the case of the new J/45, we got to hear directly from an owner himself, who wanted a boat that he could seriously race with his mates, and then take his family of four young daughters off cruising. After a summer of doing both, the verdict was in: He loved his new J/45. And after our sail, so did we. ‘Rides like it’s on rails,’ I jotted in my notes. ‘Very smooth.’”
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Nouvelle distinction pour le J/45 🏅
Il a remporté le titre de « Best Performance Cruiser » à l’occasion du Cruising World – Boat of the Year 2023 face à un plateau de concurrents relevé.
➡ Le J/45 sera visible au Boot Düsseldorf 2023
Extrait du rapport de Yachting World 📃:
Au fil du temps, J/Boats est passé de la monotypie à la course au large et à la croisière à part entière, et toute cette expérience a abouti à ce 45 pieds élégant et astucieux, à double usage.
“Comme prévu, ce bateau a navigué à merveille”, a déclaré le juge Ed Sherman. “Son moteur Volvo Penta de 75 cv nous a permis d’atteindre une vitesse suffisante au moteur, tout en étant silencieux. Je vois ce bateau comme une réponse aux coureurs purs et durs qui veulent réduire un peu leurs efforts et profiter d’une croisière confortable avec leur famille sans pour autant sacrifier les performances auxquelles ils sont habitués.”
Un autre juge, Mark Pillsbury, explique ce qui a permis à ce bateau de se démarquer dans son esprit : “Lors des essais en mer, nous sommes généralement accompagnés par des constructeurs ou des concessionnaires qui nous disent ce qu’un bateau est censé faire, et nous devons déterminer dans quelle mesure ils ont atteint leur objectif. Dans le cas du nouveau J/45, nous avons eu l’occasion d’entendre directement le propriétaire lui-même, qui voulait un bateau sur lequel il pourrait courir sérieusement avec ses amis, puis emmener sa famille de quatre jeunes filles en croisière. Après un été à faire les deux, le verdict est tombé : Il a adoré son nouveau J/45. Et après notre navigation, nous aussi. Il se conduit « comme s’il était sur des rails », ai-je noté dans mes notes. « Très fluide. »
J/99’s and J/122’s on form in the Blue Water Pointscore, Sydney.
The 172nm Cabbage Tree Island Race (hosted by Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) was held over the weekend 2nd – 3rd December with a combined fleet of 69 yachts of which 15 were sailed two-handed. Again, we saw more outstanding success from the J/99 and J/122 competitors. The growth of the two-handed fleet has been phenomenal and is a real credit to a remarkable bunch of sailors who band together to drive their sport.
The Cabbage Tree Island Race started in Sydney Harbour on Friday evening, heading north to the island (just north of Port Stephens) and returned to finish back in the harbour.
Shane Connelly from J/99 ‘Rum Rebellion’ commented: “It was a great run up the coast to the island, I should have gybed closer to the island but ended up going too deep. Rounding the island, we had about 3 hours of windward sailing before the wind swung east then north-east for a great run the rest of the sail home.”
Results for the race:
J/99 Disko Trooper_Contender Sailcloth 1st Overall ORCi and 2nd Overall IRC, 1st Div 2 ORCi and 1st ORCi TwoHanded, 2nd IRC TwoHanded.
Also special mention to J/99 Jupiter (3rd ORCi TwoHanded & 4th Overall ORCi) and J/99 Rum Rebellion (4th IRC TwoHanded). J/122 Joss (1st in the Wild Rose Trophy) and J/122 Rum Chaser (4th PHS TwoHanded).
Remarkably, four of the top seven yachts in the combined ORCi fleet were J/Boats (3x TwoHanded J/99s and 1x J/122)!
The Cabbage Tree Island Race was the fifth race in the CYCA Blue Water Pointscore (BWPS) and is the penultimate race before the 628nm Rolex Sydney to Hobart race which starts on Boxing Day.
So far, the competitors have raced over 1,000nm in the five lead up races since July.
Of particular note, results for the 5 race Pointscore to date:
J/99 ‘Rum Rebellion’ is sitting 1st IRC and 2nd ORCi in the two handed division, 2nd IRC and 2nd ORCi in Div 2 (combined with the fully crewed yachts), plus 1st IRC in the Corinthian combined division.
J/122 ‘Joss’ is 1st overall IRC Wild Rose pointscore and equal 3rd Div 2 PHS.
Congratulations to all our J/Owners on their fantastic results in the Blue Water Pointscore.
Photo credit: A Francolini and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia – J/99 Rum Rebellion
J Composites will be present at the Boot Düsseldorf from 21 to 29 January 2023
This is a unique opportunity to discover (or rediscover for the most assiduous) our Elegance range with the J/45 and J/112E. A combination of comfort, luxury and performance, these two yachts have been designed for the pleasure of the most demanding owners.
Our Sport range will also be represented with the indisputable J/99, a versatile racing sailboat whose quality and performance are no longer in question.
Do you have a project? Are you simply curious? We will be delighted to welcome you in Hall 16 Stand 16D21.
J Composites sera présent au Boot Düsseldorf du 21 au 29 janvier 2023
Profitez de cette occasion unique pour venir découvrir (ou redécouvrir pour les plus assidus) notre gamme Élégance avec les J/45 et J/112E. Alliance de confort, finesse et performance, ces deux voiliers ont été conçus pour le plaisir des propriétaires les plus exigeants.
Notre gamme Sport sera également représentée avec l’indétrônable J/99, voilier de course polyvalent dont la qualité et les performances ne sont plus à prouver.
Vous avez un projet ? Vous êtes simplement curieux ? Nous vous accueillerons avec grand plaisir Hall 16 Stand 16D21.
At 10.00am on Saturday 12th November 2022 a fleet of 49 yachts started the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 83nm Bird Island race where competitors sail from Sydney Harbour to Bird Island (approximately 3nm north east of Norah Head), before returning to Sydney Harbour to finish.
In light conditions the fleet headed north out of Sydney Harbour with Jules Hall in his J99 ‘Disko Trooper’ leading the way out the heads in the Two-Handed Division followed closely by Ian Smith in his J/99 ‘Jupiter’, Andrew Butler in his J/122E ‘Rum Chaser’ and Shane Connelly in his J/99 ‘Rum Rebellion.’ They were joined by a good fleet of Sunfast 3300’s and other yachts including the yachts ‘Transcendence Crento’, ‘Tumbleweed’ and ‘Sunfast racing’. In total 11 Two-handed yachts were competing in the race representing 20% of the total fleet. A light south easter of about 6 to 8 knots kicked in about four hours after race start which finally got the fleet moving. This prevailed to just south of Bird Island with the entire Division 2 fleet including most of the Two-handed boats very close together. The fleet rounded Bird Island in fickle conditions which prevailed as the fleet commenced its slow trek home.
Shane Connelly’s ‘Rum Rebellion’ was able to find whispers of breeze around dawn on Sunday morning which got ‘Rum Rebellion’ moving and climbing through and ahead of most of the Div 2 fully crewed fleet. “The J/99 is an amazing little boat” said Connelly “I was able to keep up with many well sailed and much longer crewed boats sailed by very good sailors.” Connelly won’t give up his light wind secrets, saying only “we had the right sail up at the right time and persevered when the wind dropped or changed direction radically”.
The results speak for themselves. Amazingly J/99 ‘Rum Rebellion’ was 1st IRC Two-handed, 1st IRC Div 2 Overall, 2nd ORCi Two-handed and 2nd IRC Corinthian overall.
Congratulations to all who competed, with a special shout out to J/99’s Disko Trooper and Jupiter, and J/122’s Joss and Rum Rebellion. We look forward to the Cabbage Tree Island Race (172nm) which commences on the 2nd of December.
Photo credit : Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
#JBOATSAUSTRALIA
Last week, the J/99 ‘Rum Rebellion’ won IRC and line honours Two Handed division at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Audi Centre Blue Water Pointscore series Flinders Islet race.
The crew told us about their experience:
The 2022 edition of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s Audi Centre Blue Water Pointscore series Flinders Islet race was run, with Shane Connely’s J/99 Rum Rebellion sailed by Graeme Dunlop and Tony Sutton winning two handed line honours and the two handed IRC win – a testament of how good these boats are in all conditions.
Upwind in messy seas and downwind in light breeze the J/99 shined. Picking the shifts, sailing high and fast to the island and getting some nice deep angles on the way home was key to the win.
The race itself was relatively straightforward and risk averse. A southerly breeze filled in before the start making for a fast downwind start and the team on Rum Rebellion elected to two sail reach out of the harbour to conserve energy and protect the inventory as we knew the next few hours beating into a southerly was going to be tough.
Sailing out of the heads mid fleet, Rum Rebellion went offshore in 17 -22 knots with TWDs of 170-195 degrees chasing current and waiting for the SE shift. Tacking back to shore on the SE shift allowed the J/99 to take advantage of current and set up a nice lay line into the islet. A SW shift with a rain cloud forced a couple of tacks at the island and both the Sunfast 3300 and the Sydney 36 ended up in front.
Rounding the island and heading out to sea into pressure, the team then waited for more SW which came as expected and the team gybed back in. Getting some nice pressure off a localised rain system, and then the land allowed the team to sail deep angles and avoid having to gybe back out to sea.
Setting up a drag race with the Sydney 36 on the way into the harbour, some smooth gear changes, and the right sail selection allowed them to cross the line around a minute before the competition.
A great race for the J/99 and the team are looking forward to the rest of the series.
Final Results for the Rum Rebellion:
- 1st IRC Two Handed
- 2nd ORCi Two Handed
- 2nd PHS Two Handed
- 2nd IRC Overall Corinthian
- 3rd IRC Overall Div 2
Nous vous donnons rendez-vous jusqu’au dimanche 2 octobre au Grand Pavois de La Rochelle.
Join us until Sunday 11th September at the Cannes Yachting Festival!
This is the opportunity to visit our J/99 and J/45.
See you at Port Canto – Stand : SAIL163, SAIL026.
J Cup Regatta 🇬🇧
Last weekend saw the Key Yachting J-Cup Regatta organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The race started on Thursday 30 June in sunny and ideal windy conditions for the 56 participating teams. ☀
Thanks to Key Yachting and of course the RORC for the organisation of this great event! 🔝
📌Results :
▪IRC 1
🥇J/122e Jahmali
▪IRC 2
🥇J/105 Jacana
▪J/109 National Championship
🥇Joule
▪J/111 National Championship
🥇McFly
▪J/70 National Championship
🥇Jelvis
To see all the results : here
📸 Paul Wyeth / Key Yachting
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Le week-end dernier s’est déroulé la Key Yachting J-Cup Regatta organisée par le RORC. Le coup d’envoi a été donné jeudi 30 juin sous le soleil et dans de bonnes conditions de vent pour les 56 équipes participantes.
Merci à Key Yachting et évidemment au RORC pour l’organisation de ce superbe évènement !
📌 Pour consulter l’intégralité des résultats : ici
The 2022 edition of the emblematic Spi Ouest France which took place last weekend in Quiberon Bay was marked by sunny conditions. The J/99s were once again at the forefront, especially in the IRC B category.
Maxime Mesnil, skipper of the J/99 AXESAIL, winner of the IRC B category, gave us his impressions on his race and has already set his sights on the next races.
“We came to the Spi with the idea of doing a working race and we won! The whole crew is delighted with this great performance!
Our J/99 is based in Cherbourg, so we don’t have much opportunity to compete with other IRC boats in France. For these reasons, we wanted to start the season with the Spi Ouest in preparation for our main objective: the Drheam Cup in July.
We have an offshore racing program, so the boat was equipped for that, and not for coastal races. Despite this, and given the light conditions that were forecast, we knew we had good potential. We kept an eye on the A35, J/109 and of course the other J/99s in the fleet.
The weather conditions were perfect to show the full potential of the boat. Indeed, the J/99 takes off very fast in light airs and on the upwind and downwind tacks we overtake everyone! This is the strong point of this boat which is very pleasant in these conditions.
The crew has worked well and this victory bodes well for our next races. On the program, a few races in the RORC (England) in May and June before the Drheam Cup in double-handed with Hugo Feydit where we are aiming for a TOP 5 or even a podium!”
Congratulations to all the J/’s for their performances at the Spi Ouest!
- Axe Sail – J/99 – 1st in IRCB
- J Lance 25 – J/99 – 3rd in IRC B
- Hey Jude – J/120 – 1st in 2-handed IRC
- Jeronimo – J/24 – 1st in OHA
- Axilone-Joke – J/109 – 2nd in OHC
Le J/99 AXESAIL s’impose au Spi Ouest France
L’édition 2022 de l’emblématique Spi Ouest France qui s’est courue le week-end dernier en baie de Quiberon a été marquée par des conditions ensoleillées. Les J/99 se sont encore une fois montrés aux avant-postes, notamment en catégorie IRC B.
Maxime Mesnil, skipper du J/99 AXESAIL gagnant en IRC B, nous a fait part de ses impressions sur sa course et a d’ores et déjà en ligne de mire ses prochaines échéances.
“Nous étions venus au Spi dans l’idée de faire une course de travail et nous avons gagné ! Tout l’équipage est ravi de cette belle performance !
Notre J/99 étant basé à Cherbourg, nous avons assez peu l’occasion de nous confronter aux autres bateaux IRC en France. Pour ces raisons, nous tenions à débuter la saison par le Spi Ouest en préparation de notre objectif principal : la Drheam Cup en juillet.
Nous avons plutôt un programme de course au large, le bateau était donc équipé en ce sens, et non pour des parcours côtiers. Malgré cela et au vu des petites conditions qui étaient annoncées, nous savions que nous avions un bon potentiel. Nous surveillions tout de même les A35, J/109 et évidemment les autres J/99 de la flotte.
Les conditions météo étaient parfaites pour montrer tout le potentiel du bateau. En effet, le J/99 décolle très vite dans le petit temps et sur les bords de près et vent arrière nous dépassons tout le monde ! C’est le réel point fort de ce bateau qui est très agréable par ces conditions.
L’équipage a bien travaillé et cette victoire est de bon augure pour nos prochaines échéances. Au programme, quelques courses du RORC (Angleterre) en mai et juin avant la Drheam Cup en double avec Hugo Feydit où nous visons un TOP 5 voire un podium !”.
Bravo à tous les J pour leurs performances au Spi Ouest !
- Axe Sail – J/99 – 1er en IRCB
- J Lance 25 – J/99 – 3ème en IRC B
- Hey Jude – J/120 – 1er en IRC Double
- Jeronimo – J/24 – 1er en OHA
- Axilone-Joke – J/109 – 2nd en OHC
🇬🇧 A single-handed Transquadra in a J/99, a such beautiful revelation! – Olivier Grassi, skipper of the J/99 Grassi Bateaux
The Transquadra 2022 will go down in history with the highlight of the second leg, which required the crews to avoid the 2 depressions, by the North, in an almost obligatory way.
For this new edition, the racers faced tough and tough conditions, mostly downwind from VMG.
For Olivier Grassi, a solo skipper of Grassi Bateaux, the J/99 has proven to be particularly suitable for single-handed sailing in tough weather conditions!
“The J/99 had all the potential to win! During the race, it held incredible averages over 24 hours, without my having to load the boat! I did my best performances under autopilot, small spinnaker and mainsail 1 reef, all while chaining 3 long naps of 4 hours and only waking up to check that the settings were holding up well! During this time, the boat posted averages of more than 11 knots and surfs of more than 20 knots!” says Olivier Grassi.
Indeed, the versatile hull of the J/99 allows the boat to glide better and therefore, even in a strong breeze, to compete with competitors considered to be the fastest, without forcing, while favoring a low VMG with a high average.
The other highlight for Olivier was the protection of the cockpit of the J/99. Despite one of the smallest boat in the fleet and a substantial swell, Olivier has only very rarely been wet!
The particularity of the J/99 is that as soon as the boat leaves the planning in surfing, it will create significant sprays of water which will deviate from each side of the hull but the bow, it will remain always above the water without the sea sweeping the deck. This is a considerable advantage that many browsers have already told us about.
Congratulations again to the 3 J/99 of the Transquadra 2022 for their very good performances: Olivier Grassi, Olivier Lunven and Alain Caudrelier!
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🇫🇷 Une solo Transquadra en J/99, la belle révélation ! – Olivier Grassi, skipper du J/99 Grassi Bateaux
La Transquadra 2022 restera dans les annales avec en temps fort la deuxième étape, qui nécessita aux équipages de contourner de manière quasiment-obligatoire les 2 dépressions, par le Nord.
Pour cette nouvelle édition, les concurrents ont affronté des conditions musclées et difficiles, le tout majoritairement au portant VMG.
Pour Olivier Grassi, skipper solo de Grassi Bateaux, le J/99 s’est révélé particulièrement adapté à la navigation en solitaire lors de conditions météo musclées !
« Le J/99 avait tout le potentiel pour gagner ! Durant la course, il a tenu des moyennes incroyables sur 24h, sans que j’aie à charger le bateau ! J’ai fait mes meilleures performances sous pilote auto, petit spi et GV 1 ris, le tout en enchainant 3 longues siestes de 4h et ne se réveillant que pour vérifier la bonne tenue des réglages ! Pendant ce temps, le bateau affichait des moyennes de plus de 11 nds et des surfs à plus de 20 nds ! » précise Olivier Grassi.
En effet, la carène polyvalente du J/99 permet au bateau de mieux glisser et donc même dans une brise forte, de rivaliser avec les concurrents considérés comme les plus rapides, sans forcer, tout en privilégiant un VMG bas avec une moyenne élevée.
L’autre point marquant pour Olivier aura été la protection du cockpit du J/99. Malgré l’un des plus petit franc bord de la flotte et une houle conséquente, Olivier n’aura été mouillé que très rarement !
En effet, la particularité du J/99 est que dès que le bateau part au planning en surf, cela va créer d’importantes gerbes d’eau qui vont s’écarter de chaque côté de la coque mais l’étrave, elle, restera toujours au-dessus de l’eau sans que la mer balaye le pont. C’est un avantage considérable que de nombreux navigateurs nous avaient déjà fait remonter.
Encore bravo au 3 J/99 engagés sur la Transquadra 2022 pour leurs très belles performances : Olivier Grassi, Olivier Lunven et Alain Caudrelier !
Spi Ouest France – Let’s get the J/99 fleet together!
The famous French regatta is fast approaching! As the J/99 fleet is getting bigger and bigger every month, we encourage owners to enter the same category. What could be better than to compete against your fellow sailors?
You participate at the race in J/99 or your are interested in? Let us know by e-mail at info@jcomposites.eu, we will get back to you with more information.
With the popularity of the J/99, we are currently considering the creation of an Open class to unite the fleet and encourage the organisation of dedicated regattas.
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🇫🇷 Spi Ouest France – Rassemblons la flotte de J/99 !
Le grand rendez-vous français des régatiers approche à grand pas ! La flotte de J/99 devenant de mois en mois toujours plus importante, nous encourageons les propriétaires à s’engager dans la même catégorie. Quoi de mieux que de se confronter à ses semblables ?
Vous participez en J/99 au Spi Ouest ou êtes intéressés par cette course ? Faites-le nous savoir par e-mail à info@jcomposites.eu, nous reviendrons vers vous avec les informations nécessaires.
Au vu de l’engouement autour du J/99, nous sommes en cours de réflexion quant à la mise en place d’une classe de type Open pour fédérer la flotte et encourager l’organisation de régates dédiées.
3 years after the launching of our last sport sailboat, the 100th unit is already in production !
Let’s look back at some figures reflecting the success of this sailboat ⬇
- Her production involve more than 10 full-time employees
- She is present in 25 countries on 5 continents
- One of them has been flashed at 22.4 knots
- The fleet have sailed more than 30,000 miles
- She scored 48 victories including 6 in national and international races
- And above all, the J/99 offered an incalculable number of moments of happiness to their crews
This is only the beginning as 20 more units are already on order.
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🇫🇷 3 ans après le lancement de notre dernier voilier de sport, le 100ème J/99 est déjà en construction !
A cette occasion, revenons sur quelques chiffres traduisant le succès de ce voilier ⬇
- Déjà 3 ans que la première unité a vu le jour !
- Cela représente plus de 10 personnes mobilisées à temps plein pour sa fabrication
- 25 pays dans le monde l’ont déjà adopté sur les 5 continents
- L’un d’entre eux a été flashé à 22,4 nœuds
- Plus de 30 000 miles ont été parcours par la flotte à travers le monde
- 48 victoires connues dont 6 dans des épreuves nationales et internationales
- Et surtout un nombre incalculable de moments de bonheur offerts à leurs équipages
L’histoire ne fait que commencer car 20 unités supplémentaires sont déjà en commande.
🇬🇧 At the yard, we really liked sharing the sailing adventures of our owners. Here Thomas explain why he chose a J/99 and he explains his sailing program in Mediterranean sea. ⏬
Why did you choose a J/99?
Calypso Odysessy was commissioned by RLR Yachting early in 2021 as we were excited about this new offering from J/Boats – it ticked a lot of boxes for us: it has been designed with performance in mind, but at just 9.9m long it is still manageable by short-handed crew, and there was a lot of buzz about it on the European race circuit. As Maltese sailors the calendar highlight for us is always the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which takes place in October each year, but the fact that there are another 50-70 J99’s out on the water in different locations means that there is a good fleet to race against, which was a big draw for us. We are excited that there will be a second J99 joining us soon in Malta (before the end of 2021) and we hope that there will be another two local J99 teams after that. Every time we take someone for a test sail on Calypso Odysessy we can see how much they enjoy it, and we’re planning to stay very involved with the local J Boat scene so that owners have a great fleet to sail with and race against.
RLR Yachting has been involved with the J Boat brand for a long time, representing J Boats in Malta and the Southern Mediterranean region for over 20 years. We have raced extensively in the J122, J109’s, 105’s and J92s. We’re a big fan of the materials, finishes and design features that you get with J/Boats so it is easy to recommend them to other sailors as we know that the quality is so consistent.
What your next plans for the future?
We designed our 2021 sailing season around the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which we just completed two weeks ago. We were pleased to finish 2nd in class in ORC and 1st Maltese boat on ORC, particularly as the windy conditions meant that the results were dominated by the bigger boats. Whilst the wind conditions did not play to the J99’s rating’s strengths this year we still had a fantastic race, and we’re pretty sure that the shot of the boat blasting past Stromboli (taken from a helicopter by Kurt Arrigo) is one of the most shared in the whole race! We broke 21kts of boat speed surfing down a wave with the A4 up in huge conditions just after that photo was taken, which was pretty exhilarating!
We’re still planning the 2022 regatta calendar, but at the moment we’re considering the Rolex Giragalia race and the ORC world championships in Porto Cervo in June. Then possibly the Aegean 600 before of course making sure we get back to Malta in time for the next Rolex Middle Sea Race. We know that it takes time to learn the fine points of a new boat and we have been working hard to make adjustments to further optimize the boat and train up a core crew so that next season’s results can be an improvement on our positions from this season.
We feel that the ORC rating is well designed for an all-round boat like the J99 and are keen to test our team and boat set-up at a prestigious event like the ORC World Championships. This event usually attracts a large and varied fleet and there is often a lot of highly competetive inshore racing at this kind of an event which will provide us with a great learning opportunity. We hope that other J99’s in the made will make thetrip to Sardinia for this event.
How did you organize your sailing crew?
We are building up a core crew of mostly family – however, we will have a few friends who switch in next season for different sailing events. The boat is co-skippered by myself and my brother Sebastian who are both very experienced inshore and offshore sailors. We previously co-owned a J70 called Calypso with our uncle Jonathan Calascione which we campaigned at European and World Championship level until the end of 2019. Calypso Odysessy’s name is a nod to our previous campaigns. The rest of the crew is made up of Lauren Ripard, Daniel Calascione and Kristian Borg Nicholas, with Sam Pizzuto and Marc Calascione joining for select events. Between us we have tens of thousands of offshore miles race experience so we are confident that we have a strong crew who will race hard but also have fun.
Will you be cruising or racing – both?
Primarily we are planning to race the J99, however this summer Sebastian did take the boat for a number of short cruising trips with friends, sailing from Malta over to Sicily and up the Sicilian coast. The J99 design means that you can comfortably live on board if you are a small number of people. We are a family of foodies, so the fact that the boat has a gas cooker and fridge on board means you can cruise in beautiful destinations and still enjoy good cooking onboard (crucial!)
According to you, what are the best points of the J/99?
The J99 is well designed and a great all-rounder, but we particularly like the fact that it comes with options and design choices which will allow different teams to make their own mind up about which design features they want to emphasis. This could be whether you choose to have a bow sprit, or not (we did), a fin keel or a bulb keel (we went bulb keel) and the level of interior finishings you want. We made our selection based on how those features can effect boat speed, and with an eye on our likely IRC rating, but other teams might choose different changes. That is the great thing about the J99 – you can have one design racing, against a growing fleet of J99’s, or you can optimize your boat to compete on the IRC or ORC circuits. It allows the boat to be a versatile racer, with plenty of room for fine tuning and tweaking, which we think will keep people interested and engaged with their boat for years to come.
To follow their adventure on Instagram >> https://www.instagram.com/calypsoj99/
🇫🇷 Pourquoi avoir choisi un J/99 ?
Calypso Odysessy a été commandée par RLR Yachting début 2021 car nous étions emballés par cette nouvelle offre de J/Composites. Le J/99 a coché beaucoup de cases pour nous : il est conçu dans une réflexion de performance, mais avec seulement 9,9 m de long, tout en étant manœuvrable par un équipage réduit. A noter qu’il y avait beaucoup de buzz à ce sujet sur le circuit de course européen. En tant que marins maltais, le point culminant du calendrier, pour nous, était la participation à la Rolex Middle Sea Race, qui a lieu tous les ans en octobre.
Le fait qu’il y ait 50 à70 autres J/99 sur l’eau dans différents ports en Europe signifie qu’il y a une flotte importante pour concourir ensemble, ce qui était un élément majeur pour nous ! Nous sommes ravis qu’un deuxième J/99 nous rejoigne bientôt à Malte (avant la fin d’année). Nous espérons avoir deux autres équipes locales en d’ici peu.
Chaque fois que nous emmenons du monde pour des tests de voile sur Calypso Odysessy, nous pouvons voir à quel point les gens sont surpris et l’apprécient. Nous prévoyons de rester très impliqués dans la scène J/Boat locale afin que les propriétaires aient une très belle flotte avec laquelle naviguer et concourir tout au long de l’année.
RLR Yachting est impliqué depuis longtemps avec la marque J/Boat, représentant J à Malte et dans la région sud de la Méditerranée depuis plus de 20 ans. Nous avons beaucoup régaté en J/122, J/109, J/105 et J/92. Nous sommes fans des matériaux, des finitions et des caractéristiques de conception de J/Composites. Nous ne pouvons que les recommander à d’autres marins car nous savons que la qualité est à la fois présente et constante !
Quels sont vos projets pour l’avenir ?
Nous avons organisé notre saison de navigation 2021 autour de la Rolex Middle Sea Race, que nous venons de terminer il y a 1 mois. Nous étions heureux de terminer 2e de la classe en ORC et 1er bateau maltais en ORC, d’autant plus que les conditions venteuses ont favorisé les plus gros bateaux. Bien que les conditions de vent n’aient pas joué sur les atouts du J/99 cette année, nous avons quand même eu une course fantastique, et nous sommes à peu près sûrs que la photo du bateau passant devant Stromboli (prise depuis un hélicoptère par Kurt Arrigo) est l’une des plus partagées dans de la course ! Nous avons dépassé les 21 nœuds en surfant sur une vague avec l’A4 dans des conditions énormes juste après la prise de cette photo, ce qui était assez exaltant !
Nous anticipons toujours le calendrier des régates à l’avance, mais pour le moment pour 2022, nous envisageons la course Rolex Giragalia et les championnats du monde ORC à Porto Cervo en juin. Puis éventuellement l’Aegean 600 avant bien sûr de s’assurer de rentrer à Malte à temps pour la prochaine Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Nous savons qu’il faut du temps pour apprendre les subtilités d’un nouveau bateau et nous avons travaillé dur pour faire des ajustements afin d’optimiser davantage le 99 et former un équipage de base pour que les résultats de la saison prochaine puissent être en amélioration constante par rapport à nos résultats de cette saison.
Nous pensons que la notation ORC est bien conçue pour un bateau polyvalent comme le 99 et nous sommes impatients de tester notre équipage et la configuration de notre bateau lors d’un événement prestigieux comme les championnats du monde ORC. Cet événement attire généralement une flotte importante et variée. Il y a souvent beaucoup de régates côtières très compétitives lors de ce genre d’événement, ce qui nous fournira une excellente opportunité pour s’entraîner. Nous espérons que d’autres J/99 en préparation feront le déplacement en Sardaigne pour l’événement.
Comment est composé l’équipage ?
Nous sommes en train de constituer un équipage de base principalement familial – cependant, nous aurons quelques amis qui changeront de temps à autres durant la saison, selon les courses. Le bateau est co-skippé par moi-même et mon frère Sebastian. Nous sommes tous deux des marins côtiers et hauturiers expérimentés. Nous étions auparavant copropriétaires d’un J/70 appelé Calypso avec notre oncle Jonathan Calascione que nous avons emmené jusqu’au niveau des championnats d’Europe et du monde fin 2019. Le nom de Calypso Odyssessy est un clin d’œil à nos programmes précédents.
Le reste de l’équipage est composé de Lauren Ripard, Daniel Calascione et Kristian Borg Nicholas, avec Sam Pizzuto et Marc Calascione se joignant à certaines régates. Entre nous, nous avons des dizaines de milliers d’expériences de course au large, nous sommes donc convaincus que nous avons un équipage solide.
Êtes-vous plutôt croisière ou régate ?
Nous prévoyons principalement de faire de la régate avec le J/99, mais cet été, Sebastian a pris le bateau pour faire plusieurs croisières avec des amis, de Malte à la Sicile et jusqu’à la côte sicilienne. La conception du bateau offre un bon confort et vous permets de vivre à bord en petit comité. Nous sommes très gourmands dans la famille, donc le fait que le bateau dispose d’une cuisinière à gaz et d’un réfrigérateur, nous a permis de naviguer dans de belles destinations tout en profitant d’une bonne cuisine (essentiel pour bien profiter) 😉
Quels sont les meilleurs avantages, selon vous, du J/99 ?
Le J/99 est un bateau bien conçu et polyvalent ! Nous aimons particulièrement le fait qu’il soit livré avec des options et des choix de conception variés permettant à chacun de se faire leur propre opinion sur les caractéristiques de conception et sur quoi elles souhaitent mettre l’accent.
Cela peut être l’importance accordé aux allures de navigation comme le près ou non (nous l’avons fait), une quille à ailettes ou une quille à bulbe (nous avons pris une quille à bulbe) et le niveau de finition intérieure que vous souhaitez. Nous avons fait notre sélection en fonction de la manière dont ces fonctionnalités peuvent affecter la vitesse du bateau et en tenant compte de notre potentiel classement IRC. C’est ce qu’il y a de bien avec le J/99 – vous pouvez avoir un design de course face à d’autres flottes de 99,ou vous pouvez optimiser votre bateau pour concourir sur les circuits IRC ou ORC. Cela permet au bateau d’être polyvalent, avec beaucoup d’espace pour les réglages et les ajustements. Ce sont des atouts importants selon nous, qui fait et fera le succès du 99 encore de belles années.
🇬🇧 We officially launched our new J/45 last September during the Cannes Yachting Festival.
We wanted to thank you for the very warm welcome you gave to the boat! Your numerous feedbacks have confirmed us in the choices and directions we’ve took for this new unit.
Many of you, congratulate us on the loyalty and respect for the historical values of the J brand namely creating and designing units easy to manoeuvre, efficient and secure; but also by its upgrade, particularly in its design, interior comfort and livability at sea.
These feedbacks are always important to us and we thank you for it!
The J/45 was nominated to compete for European Boat of the Year in the “Performance Cruiser” category. The press tests were carried out last month, we look forward to the results next January.
Thank you to all of you!
🇫🇷 J/45 – Un accueil chaleureux du public et de la presse
Nous avons lancé officiellement notre nouveau J/45 en septembre dernier lors du Yachting Festival de Cannes.
Nous tenions à vous remercier pour l’accueil très chaleureux que vous lui avez réservé ! Vos nombreux retours et avis nous ont conforté dans les choix et directions que nous avons pu faire pour cette nouvelle unité.
Vous avez été nombreux à nous féliciter tant par la fidélité et le respect des valeurs historiques des J : créer et concevoir des unités faciles à prendre en main, performantes et sécurisantes ; mais aussi par sa montée en gamme notamment dans son design, son confort intérieur et son habitabilité en mer.
Ces retours d’expériences sont toujours importants pour nous et nous vous en remercions.
Le J/45 a été nominé pour concourir pour le bateau Européen de l’année dans la catégorie « Performance Cruiser ». Les essais avec la presse ont été réalisés le mois dernier, nous attendons avec impatience les résultats en janvier prochain.
Merci à vous tous !
🇬🇧 We are pleased to announce that we will be present at the Nautic Boat Show in Paris, from December 4 to 12 (stand n°J42).
This edition will not be usual for the yard as we will not present unit on the stand. Indeed, the delivery and production schedule does not allow us to ensure the presentation of J/Boats.
In return, we will offer you activities throughout the week, involving major sailors in the world of cruising on various themes, related to your navigation programs. All these interventions will also be broadcast on social networks.
Our team as well as our experts will be on the stand all week to discuss your guide you in the choice of your unit, options or even optimization.
Hope to meet you,
The J/Composites team
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🇫🇷 Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer que nous serons présents au Nautic de Paris, du 4 au 12 décembre prochain (stand n°J42).
Cette édition ne sera pas habituelle pour le chantier car nous n’aurons pas d’unité exposé sur le stand. En effet, le calendrier de livraison et de production, ne nous permet d’assurer la présentation de J.
En contrepartie, nous vous proposerons des animations tout au long de la semaine, faisant intervenir des acteurs majeurs dans le monde de la course-croisière sur différentes thématiques liées à vos programmes de navigation. Toutes ces interventions seront également retransmises sur les réseaux sociaux.
Notre équipe ainsi que nos experts seront présents sur le stand toute la semaine pour vous échanger avec vous sur vos besoins, vous aiguiller dans le choix de votre unité, options ou optimisation.
Au plaisir de vous rencontrer,
L’équipe J/Composites
🇬🇧 J/45 – An Inner sense of light!
The interior coherence and ergonomics of J/Boats at sea is an absolute given. For the J/45 the aim was to push back the boundaries in this regard.
To do this, we teamed up with Isabelle Racoupeau for the interior design. She was able to bring to bear her vast experience in the cruising yacht domain to maximise comfort and elegance aboard the J/45.
The result is an interior beyond compare where natural light accentuates a resolutely modern design that affords both comfort and functionality whilst sailing.
🇫🇷 J/45 – Une combinaison de compétences pour le design intérieur et l’habitabilité !
La cohérence et l’ergonomie de l’intérieur des voiliers J/ en mer n’est plus a prouvé. Pour le J/45 l’objectif a été de dépasser ces frontières.
Pour cela nous nous sommes associés avec Isabelle Racoupeau pour le design intérieur. Elle a pu apporter toute son expérience dans le domaine des yachts de croisière pour maximiser le confort et l’élégance à bord du J/45.
Il en résulte un intérieur incomparable où la lumière naturelle vient souligner un design résolument moderne au service du confort et de la fonctionnalité en navigation.