J/35

Description

The J/35 (1983–1992) is a 35′6″ racer-cruiser that became one of the most successful and beloved one-design classes J/Boats ever produced. With 13,000 lb displacement, 5,500 lb lead ballast in a deep 6′8″ fin (or 5′6″ shoal), and 664 sq ft of upwind sail on a tall fractional rig, it delivers a sparkling SA/D of ~24 and D/L around 165—numbers that made it an instant IOR and Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) terror in the 1980s, winning three straight North American Championships (1985–87) and countless distance races. The cockpit is pure race boat—huge, efficient, all lines aft—yet the low cabin hides a genuinely comfortable interior: full galley, enclosed head, nav station, and sleeping for six in two private cabins. Built bullet-proof by Tillotson-Pearson, it sails light on the helm, accelerates like a dinghy, and still planes into the mid-teens under spinnaker. Trailerable (barely) and PHRF-rated 70–78, it remains blisteringly competitive 40 years later. A total of 330 J/35s were built over nine years—one of the longest and highest-volume production runs in J/Boats history—creating vibrant one-design fleets that are still active across North America and Europe,