J/80

J/80

Development
Designer	Rod Johnstone
Location	United States
Year	1992
No. built	1,700
Brand	J/Boats
Builder(s)	Tillotson Pearson J Composites
Role	Racer
Name	J/80
Boat
Crew	three
Displacement	2,900 lb (1,315 kg)
Draft	4.90 ft (1.49 m)
Hull
Type	monohull
Construction	fiberglass
LOA	26.25 ft (8.00 m)
LWL	22.00 ft (6.71 m)
Beam	8.25 ft (2.51 m)
Engine type	outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	fin keel
Ballast	1,400 lb (635 kg)
Rudder	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	Bermuda rig
I foretriangle height	31.50 ft (9.60 m)
J foretriangle base	9.50 ft (2.90 m)
P mainsail luff	30.00 ft (9.14 m)
E mainsail foot	12.50 ft (3.81 m)
Sails
Sailplan	fractional rigged sloop
Mainsail area	187.50 sq ft (17.419 m2)
Jib/genoa area	149.63 sq ft (13.901 m2)
Spinnaker area	700 sq ft (65 m2)
Total sail area	337.13 sq ft (31.320 m2)
Racing
Class association	One design

The J/80 is a one design racing keelboat.¹²³⁴⁵ It has been built by Tillotson Pearson since 1992, for J/Boats in the United States, with over 1,700 built and still in production as of 2022. At one time it was produced by Waterline Systems, also in the US.^1267895

Designed by Rod Johnstone, the hull is built predominantly of fiberglass, with a raked stem, a plumb transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed swept fin keel. It displaces 2,900 lb (1,315 kg) and carries 1,400 lb (635 kg) of ballast. The cockpit is 12 ft (3.7 m) long and the hull has a sealed buoyancy compartment on the bow.¹²⁵¹⁰ The design has a hull speed of 6.29 kn (11.65 km/h).²

It has a draft of 4.90 ft (1.49 m) with the standard keel. It can be transported on land on a towed double-axle boat trailer.¹²⁵

It has a fractional sloop rig with a retractable bowsprit controlled from the cockpit by a deployment line. For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker of 700 sq ft (65 m²). It will plane under spinnaker.¹²⁵

In a 1994 expert review in Sailing World Magazine Doug Logan concluded, "In the test's light airs, the J/80 could often sail at or close to windspeed, and in several instances recorded the best leg times. While hard to define as a "conservative" boat, this Rod Johnstone creation doesn't go to the max in sailplan and (lack of) stability, and employs the proven construction materials used in thousands of earlier J/Boats. This might cost a bit of speed in light air with chop, but should broaden the boat's user-friendliness in stronger winds."¹⁰

The boat is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the International J/80 Class Association. The J/80 World Championship is a World Sailing–recognised world championship. There are 30 fleets racing in 12 countries, including in North America, Europe and China. It has also been used for two-boat match racing.¹¹¹²