(Marblehead, MA)- North American Sailor recently did a review on the new J/108 down off Miami, FL. Here's their commentary- "The J/108 is a new J/boats model and billed as a “Shoal Performance 35-footer,” this new boat offers a compelling combination of 4-foot draft and solid sailing performance.
The Design- One of the most interesting parts of this boat is the hull and keel configuration. With twin rudders and a centerboard (one of the first new centerboards we’ve seen for a while among boats of this size), it takes the J/95 configuration and applies it to a 35-foot hull, with standing headroom, comfort down below, and the promise of faster boat speed.
Our expectation – one which was definitely met – was for a balanced boat, albeit with some slight loss of performance – or increased cruising comfort – relative to the 109, in exchange for increased accessibility to harbors and cruising areas. The slightly shorter mast and an increase in ballast by 500 lbs were contributors.
The design also has an impact on the design of the interior and on deck. For example, the J/108 in the standard configuration has a permanently fixed, small, bowsprit in lieu of the retractable sprit seen on the J/109. This opens up the headroom in the v-berth, and slightly simplifies the launch of an asym, at the cost of some performance (it becomes more difficult to do an inside jibe downwind, and the sail is more in the wind shadow of the main sail). Read more about the North American Sailor review of the J/108 shoal-performance cruising boat here.