“Want to go sailing Thursday afternoon,” asks John? "Now I’ve only been an employee for about eight months," says Carol, "but when the boss asks a question like that, I’ve already figured out there’s only one right answer- Yes!”
According to Carol, "the reason for the invite from John was to test out the J/88, the newest model from J/Boats. I’d been anxious to get aboard this 29-foot family racer/daysailer ever since writing about the expected launch (read J/Boats Will Launch New J/88 in 2013) and reading John’s follow-up story (Inside View: The New J/88 Takes Shape). I also had a secret burning question: Would this boat, which was launched only five months after its initial announcement, meet my high expectations for J/Boats quality?"
"As soon as we stepped aboard, I realized the answer was another unqualified “yes”, said Carol "This was no prototype, with a half-finished rigging layout, sharp fiberglass edges, or refilled holes in the deck where hardware had been relocated. Hull #1 looked and smelled like a brand new production boat, ready for turn-key sailing. And predictably, that high-quality finish was the result of careful planning—as well as a few small post-launch tweaks." Please read the rest of Carol's and John's article here at boats.com.
Here is the J/88 sailing video summary.