J/29 Fractional
Description
The J/29 Fractional Rig (1982–1987) is the high-performance, race-oriented version of the J/29 family and one of the most successful small offshore one-designs of the 1980s. At 29′6″ LOA, 7,500 lb displacement, and 3,400 lb lead ballast in a deep 6′2″ fin (or rare 5′ shoal), it carries a towering fractional rig with 540 sq ft upwind (full-roach main + blade jib) and huge symmetric spinnakers—delivering a scorching SA/D of ~28 and D/L around 145. This combination made it an absolute rocket: multiple MORC International Championships, two overall wins in the brutal 1983 and 1984 Storm Trysail Block Island Race Weeks, and a reputation for planing at 14–18 knots downwind while still pointing respectably upwind. The cockpit is pure racer (all lines aft, tiller steering), yet below is a usable mini-cruiser interior with V-berth, two 6′6″ settees, enclosed head, and small galley—enough for a fast Bermuda 600 or week-long cruise. Trailerable and PHRF 108–120. Approximately 180 Fractional-Rig J/29s were built (out of ~300 total J/29s), and they still dominate many distance-race trophy cases today.
Construction Details
| Designer | Rod Johnstone |
|---|---|
| Builder | J Boats |
| Length | 29.500 ft |
| LOA | 35.950 ft |
| LWL | 30.500 ft |
| Beam | 11.760 ft |
| Max Draft | 6.600 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 35 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 38.80 ft |
| e | 13 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 ft | 11.50 ft | 38.80 ft | 13 ft | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
J/29 Fractional - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 38.8 ft - (11826 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.22 ft - (12259 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 40.49 ft - (12341 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 260.54 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/29 Fractional - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 29.47 ft - (8982 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.29 ft - (4660 mm) |
| Leech | * 25.48 ft - (7766 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 114.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.22 ft - (4029 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 194.76 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/29 Fractional - GENOA
| Luff | * 35 ft - (10668 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.63 ft - (5678 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.86 ft - (10016 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.99 ° |
| Area | * 301.9 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/29 Fractional - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 20.75 ft - (6325 mm) |
| Leech | 33 ft - (10058 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 560 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/29 Fractional - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 35 ft - (10668 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 616 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.