J/24

Description

The J/24 (1977–present) is the most successful one-design keelboat in history and the boat that put J/Boats on the map. At just 24′ LOA (20′ LWL), 1,790 lb displacement, and 840 lb of ballast in a fixed fin keel (4′ draft), it carries 260 sq ft of working sail on a simple fractional aluminum rig, delivering a lively SA/D of ~21 and a D/L around 135—fast, finger-light, and instantly responsive. With a huge open cockpit for five crew, a tiny two-berth cuddy below (and optional head), and a 3–6 hp outboard in a well, it is the ultimate “race on Wednesday, sail with friends on Saturday” machine. Trailerable behind almost any car, it planes off the wind in the teens with a symmetric chute and points surprisingly well upwind for its age. More than 5,500 hulls have been built across four decades (production continues today in the U.S. and under license), with active fleets in over 40 countries and a world championship that still draws 80–100 boats. Tough as nails, inexpensive to maintain, and still embarrassingly quick against much newer designs, the J/24 remains the gold standard for grassroots one-design racing and the boat that taught a generation how pure, addictive sailing feels.