Used Boat Notebook - J/105
The July issue of SAILING MAGAZINE provides a look at the J/105 in its monthly feature 'Used Boat Notebook' by John Kretschmer. The J/105 class consistently provides some of the biggest fleets and best competition across North America, making it a strong contender for anyone shopping for a boat in its size range. This report should assist those making this consideration: "If you just go by numbers, the J /105 is an unqualified success, a runaway best-seller in an industry that hasn't had enough best-sellers in the last 20 years. With nearly 700 hulls launched, it is one of the most successful big boat one-design classes of all time. There are well-organized fleets around the world and many regattas have a separate J/105 class. And the most impressive number of all is 18 - the number of years the J/105 has been in continuous production. But that's the funny thing about the J/105: It's really not a numbers boat at all. Ask anyone who sails a 105 what they like best about the boat and they will tell you the same thing: It's just a flat-out sweet sailing boat. And that's the reason, of course, that the numbers are so impressive.
Designed by Rod Johnstone, the J/105 broke new ground when it was introduced in 1992. It fused the West Coast fast-is-fun philosophy with an East Coast ethic of simplicity and clean lines. It was the first keelboat to feature a retractable sprit and true pole-free spinnaker sailing. The cockpit is comfortable and manageable - there's just a single set of primary winches. And while the boat offers great performance, especially off the wind, it doesn't have a hint of squirrellyness in its DNA. It's easy to sail, fun to sail and at times downright exhilarating to sail. Those are traits that you can't define by numbers. This review will primarily look at the older J/105s, those selling for less than $100,000, and there are plenty of them on the used boat market. It's not a stretch to say that the success of the J/105 may have sparked the daysailer revival of the late 1990s and early 2000s. This boat features many of the same design characteristics sans the elegance. Of course that means sans the exorbitant price tag too. It's not to say that Js are cheap, as you can expect to pay around $100,000 for a 10- to 15-year-old J/105 in excellent condition.
The J/105 is a boat that's easily sailed by two and rewarding to sail for an afternoon. You don't have to be a serious sailor to own a J/105. Many are set up with roller-furling headsails; in fact, furling gear is part of the class rules. But it's also a great boat to campaign seriously both as a one-design and, as the Brits say, a handicapper, and you don't need to have deep pockets to be competitive. True crossover designs are the hardest to make work, but when they do they usually become trendsetting, and that's the case with the J/105." Read more at Sailing Magazine's Used Boat Notebook on the J/105.
