J/80
Description
J/80 (1993–present) is a 26′3″ one-design sportsboat that became one of the most successful modern keelboat classes ever built. Designed by Rod Johnstone as a strict one-design racer that’s still easy to day sail or short-cruise, it combines a lightweight 2,900 lb hull, 1,400 lb bulb keel (5′0″ draft), and 338 sq ft of working sail (full-roach main + 105% blade jib) on a tall fractional aluminum rig for an explosive SA/D of ~28 and a D/L around 110. With a retractable bowsprit and big asymmetric spinnakers up to 700 sq ft, it routinely planes and surfs into the mid-to-high teens downwind while remaining finger-light and balanced on the helm. The open cockpit comfortably handles a crew of 4–5 for racing, yet the boat is routinely single-handed or sailed by couples. Below is a surprisingly usable mini-cruiser interior: V-berth, two 6′6″ settees, portable head, and even an optional inboard diesel. Trailerable behind a mid-size SUV, PHRF ratings around 120–130, and an active international class with more than 1,600 boats built (production still ongoing in France by J/Composites), the J/80 remains the gold standard for affordable, high-performance one-design racing that anyone can jump into and immediately grin.
Construction Details
| Designer | Rod Johnstone |
|---|---|
| Builder | J/Composites |
| Length | 26.250 ft |
| LOA | 26.250 ft |
| LWL | 22.000 ft |
| Beam | 8.250 ft |
| Displacement | 2900 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.900 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 31.50 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 9.50 ft |
| p | 30 ft |
| e | 12.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31.50 ft | 9.50 ft | 30 ft | 12.50 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
J/80 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.81 ft - (9696 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 32.09 ft - (9781 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 194 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/80 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 30.354 ft - (9252 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | 28.92 ft - (8815 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 100.21 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.52 ft - (2902 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 0.96 ° |
| Area | * 144.55 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/80 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 30.5 ft - (9296 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.25 ft - (3124 mm) |
| Leech | 28.75 ft - (8763 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 101.68 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.66 ft - (2944 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.72 ° |
| Area | * 147.34 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/80 - GENOA
| Luff | 31.25 ft - (9525 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 15.67 ft - (4776 mm) |
| Leech | 29.75 ft - (9068 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 154.84 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.71 ft - (4484 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.35 ° |
| Area | * 229.89 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
J/80 - ASYMMETRICAL
| Luff | 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 23.25 ft - (7087 mm) |
| Leech | 37 ft - (11278 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 698 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.