j24 sailing yacht

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• Sailboat Reviews

The right boat at the right time, the J/24 has proven to be a wildly successful one-design racer.

The J/24 is one of those boats that happened along at just the right time, with the right marketing to a ready market. Some may wonder whether the tale of her success would make a better textbook or a better storybook. Either way, much of the marine industry has studied her story, and then flattered her with the praise of emulation. However, no imitation or variation of the J/24 has yet to achieve her popularity.

Since her humble beginnings in 1976 in the garage of an amateur designer, thousands of boats have been sold from factories in Rhode Island, California, Australia, Japan, Italy, England, France, Brazil and Argentina. All of the builders are licensed by a company called J-Boats to build the J/24 to strict one-design tolerances. J-Boats is owned and run by two brothers—Bob and Rod Johnstone (the J in J-Boats).

Bob is the marketing whiz and Rod is the designer. Conservative estimates put their total revenue from the J/24, after buying the boats from the builders and selling them to the dealers, at several million dollars. Not bad considering how it all began….

Ragtime was a 24′ inspiration evolved by Rod Johnstone and his family in their garage as a two-year weekend project. Rod was a salesman for a marine publication, and an avid racer with a successful background in high-performance one designs. He had undertaken, but never completed, the Westlawn home-study course in naval architecture (although he has since been awarded an honorary degree so the school could use his name in its advertisements). Ragtime was launched in 1976, and was an instant winner, taking 17 firsts in 19 starts in eastern Connecticut. People began asking for their own boats.

At this time, brother Bob, also a respected racer, was working in the marketing department of AMF Alcort (Sunfish, Paceship, etc.). When Alcort declined to produce the J/24, Bob quit and formed JBoats. Tillotson-Pearson, builder of the Etchells 22 and the Freedom line of boats, was more receptive and production began in 1977. The first J/24s were as fast as Ragtime , and dominated regattas like the 1977 MORC Internationals. Bob made sure that the favorable results were well publicized; more than 200 boats were sold that year, and nearly 1,000 the next.

It was a big hit for a number of reasons. She moved into a void, appealing to two groups of sailors who were ripe for her type of racing: those who had outgrown athletic small boats, yet still yearned for the competition of one-design racing, and those who wished to compete without the expense, hassles and uncertainties of handicap racing.

The J/24 is a one design’s one design. Like the Laser, Windsurfer, and Hobie Cat, she is proprietary-built under the supervision of one company. Unlike most proprietary one designs, sails are not provided by the J/24’s builder. This was a particularly astute move by the Johnstones as it involved sailmakers in the class. Sailmakers comprise many of the big names in racing; by getting them in the regatta results, the Johnstones added instant credibility to the J/24’s budding status as a “hot” class. By the midwinter championship in 1979, almost every boat in the top 15 finishers had a sailmaker on board.

The big advantage that proprietary one designs have over “independent” one designs (classes with competing builders) is the power of centralized, bigbucks promotion. J-Boats has organized and promoted regattas, and had a heavy hand in running the class association. J/24s got a lot of press, thanks to JBoats. Full color, multi-page advertisements appeared monthly in the slick sailing magazines. Promotion has been primary; money is no object. J/24s have been donated for several high visibility USYRU championships. Big discounts have been given for fleet purchases (sometimes to effectively crush interest in competing one designs).

With the help of British enthusiasts, the Johnstones were able to make the J/24 an IYRU (International Yacht Racing Union) recognized class. More international lobbying got the J/24 into the Pan American Games.

There are some disadvantages to proprietary one designs. First, the class is in a real bind if the builder goes bankrupt. Likewise if the builder should ever abuse his power by ignoring class administration or changing construction of the boat to suit economic demands. Although a proprietary builder faces competition from other types of boats, there is no competition building his boat. This can inflate the price, especially when there are three substantial markups in the pricing structure (builder, J-Boats, and the dealer).

Construction

The J/24 has the distinct advantage of having been produced in great numbers and been subjected to the rigors of hard racing. It’s safe to say that nearly everything that could have broken, has broken, and that the J/24 is now almost bulletproof. J-Boats has done a commendable job in correcting nearly all of the “bugs” in the J/24. However, if you are planning to purchase a boat several years old you should be watchful for some of the old bugs.

Boats built during the first two years of production had particular problems with leaking along the hull-to-deck joint, delamination of the main bulkhead, and the attachment of the keel to the hull. The hull-to-deck leak was due to failure of the silicone sealant in the joint.

The inward-turning hull flange is overlapped by the deck, which is bedded in sealant and through-bolted at close intervals through a teak toe rail. Now this joint is bedded with 3M 5200, a pliable strong adhesive, and leaks are infrequent. Fortunately, the internal side of the joint is exposed throughout the boat’s interior, so recaulking is not difficult.

Harder to rectify is the problem of delamination of the main bulkhead. J/24s are raced hard, often with substantial rig tension. The chainplates pierce the deck and are bolted to the main bulkhead. The plywood bulkhead is tabbed with fiberglass to the hull and deck. The mast is stepped through the deck and sits on an aluminum beam, which is also tabbed to the main bulkhead. Rig tension pulls upward on the bulkhead while mast compression pushes downward on the beam, resulting in tremendous shearing forces on the bulkhead and its tabbing.

On some of the older J/24s, the plywood has delaminated, letting the mast “sink” 1/4 inch or more. Owners of these boats have either returned them to the factory for replacement of the bulkhead, or ground off the delamination and reglassed the bulkhead themselves. The builder now uses a better grade of plywood and installs screws to reinforce the bulkhead tabbing. As an added precaution, the boat owner may wish to bolt the mast-bearing beam to the bulkhead with an angle-iron.

The third problem with some of the older J/24s is the keel-to-hull attachment. The builder used to fill the keel sump with a vermiculite mixture of resin and plant fiber. The keel bolts were fastened through the vermiculite which, when saturated with water, is less rigid than solid laminations of fiberglass. After several years of sailing, or a hard grounding, the keel bolts would begin to work, and the keel would loosen enough to be able to be wobbled by hand with the boat suspended from a hoist. The first sign of this problem is the appearance of a crack along the keel stub. Tightening of the keel bolts, which are quality stainless steel, is a simple but temporary fix. What is needed is a backing plate for the bolts, bedded on top of the vermiculite.

There was a variety of other problems with early J/24s: The mast has three internal halyards; two jib halyards exit below the headstay with the spinnaker halyard above. On the older boats, a large square hole was cut in the mast to accommodate the sheaves, leaving an open, poorly supported space adjacent to the spinnaker sheave. This is sometimes the source of mast cracks; the fix is to weld a plate over it.

In January of 1980, the J/24 got much-improved companionway and forward hatches. The hatches on older boats were molded of thin fiberglass, and had a tendency to leak and fracture under the weight of heavy crew members. The new forward hatches are lexan, and the companionway hatch is now much heavier with a lower profile.

The J/24’s rudder is heavy and strong. The builder claims you can hang a 900 pound keel from the rudder tip without breaking it. Although the J/24’s rudder pintles appear more than adequate, after several years of use they have been known to develop corrosion cracks where the pintle is welded to its strap. In 1981, the builder began equipping J/24s with weldless pintles; the builder also offers the new system as a replacement for old boats.

The starboard chainplate bolts through both the bulkhead and the hull liner. The port chainplate bolts through only the bulkhead. After the first two years of production, the port bulkhead was reinforced with fiberglass in the chainplate area. On earlier boats, a backing plate should be added to prevent the chainplate bolts from elongating their holes.

The hull and deck of the J/24 are cored with balsa, which makes them stiff, light, quiet and relatively condensation-free. We have heard of occasional delaminations resulting from trailering with improperly adjusted poppets. The Kenyon mast section is the same as that used on the Etchells 22, a bigger boat. It is more than adequate for any strength of wind.

The J/24 does not have positive flotation, and she has been known to capsize in severe conditions. This is usually not a problem as she floats on her side with the companionway well out of the water. However, should the leeward cockpit locker fall open, water can rush below, filling the cabin and causing her to sink. While fastening the lockers in heavy weather prevents the problem, the manufacturer began to seal off the lockers from the cabin with an additional bulkhead several years ago, as a safety measure.

Of the 2,500 J/24s sold in the US, nearly 2,000 of them have been built by Tillotson-Pearson in Rhode Island. The others were built by Performance Sailcraft in San Francisco, which is now defunct. New boats are now shipped cross country. Top west coast sailors tell us they favor the east coast built boats, claiming the keels and rudders on the west coast built boats are too thick to be competitive. The west coast keels are thick because they are covered with injection-molded gelcoat. Tillotson-Pearson fairs the keels with auto body putty.

Handling Under Sail

The J/24’s PHRF rating ranges from 165 to 174, depending on the handicapper. She rates as fast as or faster than a C&C 30, Santana 30, or Pearson 30. One must remember that, because the J/24 has attracted competent owners, her PHRF rating is probably somewhat inflated. While the J/24 is an excellent training boat because she is so responsive, a beginning racer may have an especially hard time making her perform to her PHRF rating.

Aside from her speed, the J/24’s greatest asset is her maneuverability. With her stern hung rudder she can be turned in her own length, sculled out to a mooring in light air, and brought to a screeching halt by jamming the rudder over 90 degrees.

The J/24 has a narrow “groove;” it takes a lot of concentration to keep her going at top speed. She is sensitive to backstay trim, sheet tension, weight placement and lower shroud tension. The lower shrouds act like running backstays, because they are anchored aft of the mast. They must be loosened in light air to create some headstay sag, and then tightened in heavy air to straighten the mast, making backstay tension more effective in removing the sag.

Sheet tension is also critical. Top crews rarely cleat the genoa sheets, having one crewmember hold the tail while hiking from the rail. Some of the best sailors even lead the jib to the weather winch so the sail can be trimmed without sending crew weight to leeward.

The class rules allow you to race with a mainsail, a 150% genoa, a working jib and a single spinnaker. This makes sail selection simple and the inventory affordable (about $2,600 total). However, the one genoa must carry the boat all the way from a flat calm up to 20 knots or more. To be competitive in light air, the genoa must be full; yet to hold the boat level with this full genoa in a strong breeze, you need a lot of crew weight. Most of the top crews are now sailing with five people on board for a total crew weight of 800 to 900 pounds. The J/24 is a small boat, and the additional fifth crew member really makes the boat cramped. Add to this the increasing trend of some skippers making the crew sit in the cabin on the leeward bunk in light air, and you have a boat which can be less than fun to crew on.

There are two worthwhile improvements that can help a J/24’s performance. To decrease the boat’s slight tendency toward a lee helm in light air, the mast should be cut to minimum length allowed in the class rules, and the headstay should be lengthened to the maximum allowed to give the mast more rake. The other improvement is fairing the keel to minimum dimensions. The keel is much thicker than is necessary for optimum performance. It comes relatively fair from the builder, but most owners will want to grind off the builder’s auto-body filler and sharpen the trailing edge. On some of the older boats, the trailing edge is twice the minimum thickness.

Some racers go so far as to spend $500-$1,000 to have the keel professionally faired.

While all indications are that the builder has excellent quality control, there have been complaints that some of the spars provided by Kenyon in the last two years have come with the wrong length shrouds, or widely differing bend characteristics. One top sailor said he would never buy a used J/24 without first making sure that he could make the mast stand straight sideways with substantial shroud tension.

The J/24 is best suited for racing; there are many boats in her size range that are far more comfortable and practical for daysaiIing. However, the J/24 is a joy to sail under mainsail alone. Unlike most boats, she balances and sails upwind at a respectable speed, and her maneuverability gives her tremendous freedom in crowded harbors.

Handling Under Power

The J/24 is powered by an outboard engine; an inboard is not feasible or available. Class rules require that an outboard with a minimum of 3.5 hp be carried while racing. Most owners opt for a 3.5-4 hp outboard. It provides adequate power and is as much weight as you want to be hefting over a transom. Although the cockpit locker is plenty big enough, most owners stow the outboard under a berth in the cabin to keep the weight out of the stern. This makes using the outboard inconvenient. The factory-supplied optional outboard bracket has a spring-loaded hinge to lift the engine for easy mounting; we recommend it. Because the outboard is likely to be stored in the cabin, a remote gas tank will keep fuel spillage and odor to a minimum.

Above Decks

The J/24 is very well laid out, yet she is still not a comfortable or easy boat to crew on. When she was first launched, sailors said her layout could be no better, and she was copied by manufacturers of competing boats. However, after years of racing, sailors have discovered several things that could be improved.

Cockpit winches are located just forward of the mainsheet traveler, which spans the middle of the cockpit. Many sailors have moved the winches forward, so the crewmember tacking the genoa can face forward instead of aft during a tack. It pays to check to see if relocated deck hardware was installed properly; one J/24 owner we know discovered that the previous owner had moved the winches, but hadn’t installed proper backing plates or filled the original holes correctly. As a result, seepage had occurred and several square feet of the balsa-cored deck above the quarterberth had become sodden and rotten.

The standard mainsheet cleat is attached to the traveler car so that, when you trim the sheet, you inadvertently pull the car to weather. Many sailors have solved this by mounting a fixed cleat with a swivel base at the center of the traveler bar.

On older boats the backstay was single-ended at the transom. Boats now come with a double-ended backstay led forward to the helmsman on each side of the cockpit. Foot blocks need to be mounted on the traveler to keep helmsmen from falling to leeward as the boat heels (you must steer from forward and well outboard of the traveler).

For those who plan to try cross-sheeting to the weather winch, leading the jib sheets through Harken ratchet blocks is advised. Most sailors will also want to mount barber haulers to pull the genoa sheet outboard in strong winds. Cam cleats for the barber haulers should be mounted on the companionway so they “self-cleat” when led to the weather winch.

Cabin-top winches for the halyards and spinnaker guys are optional and essential. Because the J/24 has single spinnaker sheets, most sailors mount “twings,” which pull the guy down to the deck outboard of the shrouds when reaching.

In the search for a cleaner deck, it is now common to mount the spinnaker halyard cleat on the mast. Most sailors use only one jib halyard. Although a second jib halyard is optional, it is necessary only for long distance handicap racing. On short one design courses it is better to struggle along overpowered than to place crew weight on the bow to change headsails. Instruments are also unnecessary in one design racing. There are more than enough boats on a one design race course to judge your speed without the help of a speedometer.

The J/24 comes equipped with a Headfoil II grooved headstay system, which works very smoothly. Early boats came with Stern Twinstays, which have occasionally failed when the bearings freeze up with age. Some sailors have exchanged the grooved headstay system for cloth snaps on their headsails (you seldom change sails anyway). We applaud this idea, as it makes the sails more manageable in severe weather.

Although the flat decks are well suited for racing, the cockpit is less than comfortable for daysailing. There are no seat backs and the boom is dangerously low. Visibility with the deck-sweeping 150% genoa is terrible, and is often the cause of nightmarish collisions on crowded race courses. Lower life lines are optional and recommended for those with children, but they interfere with fast tacks when racing. The boom is rigged with a 4-to-1 vang, which is swiveled on the more recent J/24s to be adjustable from either rail on a windy spinnaker reach. The boom is also rigged with reef lines which exit through stoppers at the gooseneck.

Top sailors have discovered that the boat always sails better without a reef, which is a good thing, because the stoppers are both difficult to operate and have a history of slipping.

The interior is simple and functional. On most boats it is used for little more than sail storage. However, for a couple who enjoys roughing it, it could make for occasional weekend cruising. The first thing you notic below is the lack of headroom. You can sit in comfort, but to move about you must crawl.

The interior is finished off in bare white gelcoat. Early boats had coarse, non-skid gelcoat on the overhead. While this may have been more attractive than smooth gelcoat, it really did a number on elbows and bald heads. It also tended to collect dirt and mildew. Earlier through-bolted deck fittings were capped with acorn nuts. Now the nuts lie flush with the overhead—less pain when bumped.

A molded hull liner is used to form the two quarter berths, the cabin sole, and two lockers and a galley just aft of the main bulkhead. One locker is deep enough to serve as a wet locker for foul weather gear; the other is best used to store the rudiments of a meal. The galley consists of a sink with a hand pump. A small, two burner stove could be mounted in the small, removable “table” forward of the port quarter berth. The icebox, a large portable cooler made by Igloo, has a piece of teak glued to it and doubles as a companionway step. After a season or two of jumping on the ice chest, the lid disintegrates.

The forward V-berth, although divided by the mast, is still large and comfortable enough for a couple. The boat does not come equipped with a head. To avoid the extra drag of a through-hull fitting, portable heads are often used. We would rather use a cedar bucket—there simply isn’t enough space in the cabin of a J/24 to cohabitate with a portable head. If you plan to seriously race, you won’t want to load the boat’s lockers with cruising equipment. If you do cruise, it will probably be out of a duffel bag.

J/24: How Trailerable?

The J/24 is not launchable from a boat ramp, unless the ramp is steep, paved or of hard sand, and you use a long extender between the tongue of the trailer and your trailer hitch. Her 3,100 pounds (fully loaded) require a big, 8-cylinder vehicle to tow her. She is easily launched from a 2-ton hoist which can attach to a strap on her keel bolts. However, the hatch slides just far enough forward to allow the hoisting cable to clear it, so the hatch tends to get chewed by the cable.

The J/24 was originally designed to sail at a displacement of 2,800 pounds. The class minimum was later increased to 3,100. The original single axle trailer provide as a factory option was barely adequate for the intended, 2,800 pound boat, and totally inadequate for a fully loaded boat. Tales abound of blown tires and broken trailer welds. The factory now offers both a single and double axle trailer; we recommend the double axle.

If you want to seriously race a J/24, trailering is a necessity. Local fleets grow and shrink each year with the whims of their members, but national and regional regattas continue to attract many participants. Make no mistake, however; trailering is expensive.

The owning and maintenance of a big car, the gas and tolls of trailering, and the housing of crew are not cheap.

Conclusions

The appeal of the J/24 is as a racer. If you plan to do anything else, she is not for you. Although the J/24 is relatively easy to sail, she is very difficult to sail well. To many people, she represents a chance to compete in the big leagues; by traveling to major regattas you can sail against some of the best sailors in the country. However, the big leagues are tough—if you like to race with a pick-up crew and a hangover you’d also better be satisfied with finishing last.

One appeal of the J/24 is that, unlike many big league boats, you can always come home and sail because the boat has so big a following. There are enough boats to race it one-design almost anywhere; and in a pinch, there is always handicap racing. As long as you don’t want to travel, the boat is inexpensive to maintain.

Despite our effort to highlight every flaw that has appeared throughout the J/24’s evolution, we’d like to emphasize that she is more hardy than most boats of her type. Few boats can take the punishment that a J/24 gets during a season of racing and come through with so few scars. No racing boat will appreciate; but the J/24 can keep her value.

The dream boat with the fairy tale success story has turned out, after all, to be a rugged winner in the real world.

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• Sailboat Guide

J/24 is a 24 ′ 0 ″ / 7.3 m monohull sailboat designed by Rod Johnstone and built by J Boats, Sydney Yachts/Bashford Int., Ovington Boats Ltd., and Waterline Systems, LLC starting in 1977.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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2024 J/24 Worlds - Seattle WA

September 28th - October 5th 2024 

The Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle and the Port of Seattle welcome you to Washington state and the beautiful Puget Sound for the 2024 J/24 World Championship presented by Beecher's Handmade Cheese!

The event’s debut in the Pacific Northwest will pair world class racing with one of the most unique and popular sailing venues in North America. In addition to racing, the event will include a number of Northwest themed social functions including a unique Opening Ceremony, can't miss post-race refreshments and daily awards and a Closing Ceremony. 

The Seattle Worlds will attract competitors from Europe, South America, North America, Australia, and Asia in addition to the United States and Canada.

The week of racing will see between 50–70 boats racing against each other on challenging courses set by renowned International Race Officer, Mark Foster. The regatta will see close-quarters, competitive racing with regional, national and international level sailors, along with many professional sailmakers fighting it out for the elusive title of 2024 J/24 World Champion.

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J24 SPEED GUIDE

J24 World Champion Will Welles answers your speed and boathandling questions.

After 40 years, what is the culture of the J24 class?

The J24 class has changed over the years since it was first launched in the late 1970s. It remains strong because with 5500 boats worldwide, it’s relatively inexpensive. You can fix up a 1978 boat and win the worlds if you put in the time, energy and a little money. There are fewer pros racing, and a lot of the competitors are people who have been in the class for a long time. Many grew up sailing with their family and friends in the boats and love nothing more than going to regattas together. For younger folks, it’s all about sailing with their buddies—a chance to head off on the road and experience the country and the world. Sailing with five has a bit different feel than classes with fewer in the crew. More people to manage makes it, a mini big-boat program.

J24 sails upwind fastest with minimal heel and crew weight concentrated.

Winning the world championship still means a lot in this class, and it’s remarkable how people come out of the woodwork to try to do that. At the club level, racing is as healthy as it’s been in some time. Certain areas are doing better than others, like any mature class. Portland, ME has lots of boats, none of them dry-sailed. In the U.S., there are a dozen strong fleets and lots of smaller fleets; for example, there’s a growing fleet in Indiana. Mexico and South America are pretty strong, although there has been some transition to J70s. Strong J24 countries in Europe include Italy, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Hungary, the UK, Ireland, and France. In Germany, a lot of boats are owned by clubs that fund youth teams.

What kind of sailors do best in the J24 class?

The J24 is unlike many other boats, so having some seat-of-the-pants ability is good; for example, there is no other boat on which you trim the main so hard and pinch, with a bubble in the genoa, when you are overpowered in flat water.

What are your top 3 tips for competing successfully in this class?

Buy a boat with the right keel shape, mast, and deck layout.

Maintain a good set of sails.

Assemble a team that’s committed to the same goals as you.

Who does what on the boat?

Back to front, the helm steers, trims the main, and plays the traveler and backstay. The helm also grinds the jib winch. The trimmer handles the genoa and often handles the spinnaker sheets. What we call the “tank commander” (middle position) is often the tactician; ideally this person is one of your heaviest team members, hiking at max beam. Their job includes handling the guy on a windy spinnaker set, feeding the spinnaker out on a light-air set, and taking down the spinnaker. The mast/twing person controls the twings and backs up the bow person on halyards, outhaul, main cunningham, and vang. The bow person skirts the genoa on tacks, handles the pole, and hoists the spinnaker and jib.

What is the ideal J24 crew size?

The crew-weight maximum on the J24 is 882 pounds (400 kilograms). You don’t have to sail exactly at max weight unless it’s a windy venue—you can often handle being 20 pounds lighter. The average crewmember weighs about 175 pounds. Ideally, your heaviest crew is amidships, but it’s not important for the bow person to be light. Both bow and trimmer need to be strong for heavy air. The J24 has a genoa that requires speed and strength on tacks—trimming on tacks is all about timing, but strength is important too. On some boats, the mast person helps jibe the pole.

The crew moves in concert to help turn or steer the boat, especially in waves.

New boats and used boats: what are my options in the J24?

The class currently has two builders, one in Italy and one in Argentina, and you can reach them through the class website .

Used boats, of course, are plentiful and the prices are modest. For a worlds-quality boat with trailer in the U.S., you’ll likely spend $10,000- to $12,000. A weapon might cost about twice that. If you want a fixer-upper, you can get into a boat for well under $10,000. More info here .

Things I would look for are a refined keel shape and faired bottom, a relatively new rudder, and a newer mast. Look at the deck hardware, and inspect both the chainplates/bulkhead and rudder gudgeon areas. If you buy a boat that’s been competing at a good level, you can expect that the spreader sweep, keel shape and position, and rudder angle will already be right.

How do you transport the J24?

Boats have dedicated trailers, which together with the boat weigh about 4500 pounds. The boat at all-up racing weight is 1330 kgs, or close to 3000 pounds. The trailer and trailer boxes add about 1500 pounds. Most used J24s have trailers; some are single-axle. Double axles are nicer for longer distances.

What's involved in rigging/derigging a J24?

If you’re well organized, two people in an hour can get the mast unpacked, stepped, tuned, and boat ready to launch. Derigging is similar, or even quicker. The boats are set up for a single-point lift through an inspection port on the seahood. Add a couple lines from the strap to each of the aft cleats and you’re set to launch.

What kind of inventory does North recommend?

We recommend a fathead main, currently our only mainsail design, and the most popular headsails we sell are the DX7TT genoa and FR2 spinnaker used by the winners at recent world championships. We have an option for a slightly flatter genoa, which might be chosen by a lake sailor, and we have a second spinnaker that is harder to trim but excels in windy, wavy conditions.

North also makes some nice covers—a full deck cover for storage in a drysail park or in your yard, and a full mast cover. We have a padded rudder cover for below-decks storage and a padded keel cover for trailering. We also offer a nice spinnaker launch bag that hangs in the companionway.

The standard deck layout is set up for cross sheeting of the genoa sheet; the helm can reach the winch handle when trim is needed.

What is the most important boat preparation project to address on the J24?

To quote the North Sails Tuning Guide , “Sails, deck layout, keel and rudder shape, and mast tuning all share equal importance. To be competitive in the J24, you must tackle all of these important factors.” Fortunately, as described above, if you buy a boat that’s been competing at a good level, most of these will be in good shape already. But don’t take it for granted. Read the Tuning Guide and see how your boat measures up.

What are the keys to tuning a J24 mast properly?

First thing, make sure your mast is at minimum legal height, and at maximum class J dimension, and the headstay is at maximum length. This combination helps rake the mast aft and eliminate lee helm. Next, make sure your spreader sweep is at 160 to 170 mm, measured from a straight line between the tips to the mast groove. Then make sure mast is centered in the boat and straight. From there, use the tuning matrix in the North Tuning Guide to set correct shroud tension.

J24 Upwind Sailing

There are two jibs on a j24. when do you switch from the genoa to the blade.

It seems to be the “macho thing” in some fleets to keep sailing with the genoa in higher winds. If I’m sailing at maximum weight, I will switch to the blade at 16 knots and above in flat water. In waves, you can’t go there until it’s blowing above 18. If you’re sailing really light, you may have to change headsails earlier.

Where does each person sit when sailing upwind?

In light air, we like “dogs in the house” (crew members sitting below). There is no rule against it, and it’s more comfortable down there. The bow person sits in the V berth in front of the mast, to leeward. The mast person sits just behind the mast on the sink or on the floor. The tactician and the trimmer might be below, as well. The trimmer often sits to leeward and sticks their head out once in a while, but the tactician will normally be the first person to look around to help the skipper place the boat where needed. The skipper sits forward of the traveler, to windward, for best visibility.

As the breeze builds, we gradually move each crew on deck until everyone is hiking. First to come out is the tactician, then the bow person, then mast. The trimmer is the first to move in and last to move out of the hole. Under 6 knots, we have everyone below; at 7 knots, people start to come up. At 10, everyone is fully hiked.

In flat water, one body hikes in front of the shrouds from 7-10 knots and everyone else packs up tight behind them. As the breeze and waves build, crews move behind the shrouds but stay close together. In heavy air and big waves, the trimmer sits just behind the stanchion and everyone else packs up against the forward side of it. At the helm, once everyone is hiking, I’ll start pulling on backstay. I straddle the traveler bracing on the footrests. My butt is outboard and my shoulders are pressed against the lifelines.

In light to moderate air, the main traveler is sheeted well to windward. The genoa foot and leech are trimmed within a few inches of the chainplates and spreader tip.

What is your primary focus when trimming the mainsail?

When sailing upwind, focus on the top leech telltale and how it’s flowing. Look at the next one down, too. You never want the second one stalled. When the keel is working and we’re fully hiked out, I’ll trim the main hard enough to stall the top telltale 50 percent of the time. When we’re losing speed or need more power, I’ll ease a little sheet so the top telltale is flowing 100 percent of the time, and once we’re back up to full speed I’ll trim harder. This amounts to a couple inches of mainsheet adjustment in 8- to 12 knots. In lighter air, the top telltale should be flowing 100 percent of the time and the traveler car should be all the way to windward, over the Delrin traveler end stop.

Tighten the backstay after the crew is fully hiked. When that’s not enough to keep the boat flat, drop the traveler down six inches. When you run out of backstay, shift to vang sheeting, which you can use up to as much wind as you’ll race in. Drop the traveler car down until it is one car width above the center of the traveler, have two crew pull on the vang as hard as possible so there’s a bow in the boom, and then adjust the traveler to keep the boat on its feet through the puffs.

What’s your focus when trimming the J24 genoa?

J24 genoa trim is measured by the distance between the leech and the spreader and the foot position relative to the leeward chainplate. We set the lead so both leech and foot touch at the same time, then ease the sheet as follows:

In light air, the leech should be 5 to 10 inches off the spreader until you’re up to speed, then trim to within 3 to 5 inches. In puffs and lulls, ease up to 8 inches off. Out of a tack, start at 18” and then trim as the boat gets up to speed. In medium air, the range is 2 to 6 inches off the spreader.

In breeze, you need to manage your angle of heel. Trim to within 2” of the spreader, but if it’s windy enough that you are vang sheeting and still heeling over in the puffs, ease the genoa sheet—you might be easing it out a foot in the puffs, then trimming it back in. In flat water you can feather and pinch, but in waves you have to ease more often. It’s all about reducing heel.

Switch to the blade jib when the wind is 16 to 18 knots and above. Trim the sheet until the leech telltale stalls, then ease enough to fly it 100 percent of the time. The middle of the sheave on the lead block should be even with the chainplate.

A good view of well-matched leeches in moderate air.

What are the key J24 gear changes to make when wind and sea state change?

Positioning your crew weight is huge in light to moderate conditions. Play the backstay in medium air. And in heavy air, it’s all about proper sheeting. With the genoa, you play the sheet a lot more and see the biggest speed differences. Learn to manage your angle of heel, and get comfortable with sailing the boat flat. Then you can win races.

Who is in the typical dialogue loop upwind and what's a typical conversation?

The more you sail the J24, the less you have to talk. I like minimal words but to be alerted to extremes, like “Nuker puff coming.” I also like hearing about the lulls and how long they’ll be—10 seconds or 30 seconds—so I know whether to just pop off the backstay or make a longer-term adjustment. For example, I may talk to the trimmer about easing the genoa and ask how our mode is with other boats—do we have good height, good forward speed? We always talk about “us.” Are we slower, faster, higher, lower? We usually leave boat placement calls to the tactician; we do our homework together between races, but then the tactician makes it happen.

When sailing upwind in breeze, the crew of five hikes hard. Christopher Howell photo

Are there special considerations or upwind conditions in the J24 a new sailor should know how to handle?

You have to learn to keep the boat flat by any means possible—crew weight, depowering, pinching, more backstay, more shroud tension.

J24 Downwind Sailing

Where does each crew member sit when sailing the j24 downwind.

In 4 or 5 knots of wind, we might have everyone below except the trimmer and helm. The bow uses the forward hatch. The mast person sits in the sink area, the tactician stands in the companionway, and the trimmer stands up on deck. The helm sits to leeward and forward of the traveler.

Downwind, most of the crew sits low and forward; the trimmer stands up.

As the breeze comes up to 7 knots and above, everyone comes on deck unless there are big waves, in which case we might keep a couple crew below. The boat should be flat or slightly heeled to weather, with weight to the edges for stability. Exact location varies with crew weight, but typically the bow is in front of the mast, either to leeward or to weather as needed. The mast person sits out toward either rail. The tactician stands on the cabin sole in “tank commander” position. The trimmer stands out at the toerail by the weather stanchion. We move our body weight to help steer the boat; in light to medium breeze, the bow person watches the tiller and listens to the dialogue, moving weight accordingly. In heavier air, both mast and bow are moving.

When it gets breezy, the boat can get a little out of control in waves. Bring the crew weight behind the mast and to leeward to keep the weather rail up, so that the boat wants to go straight; otherwise the bow goes down, you lose the rudder and wipe out to windward. If planing (30-plus knots), everyone gets behind the traveler. In medium or heavy air, I sit behind the traveler and to leeward unless we are planing; then I’ll sit to windward or stand up in the middle. In any waves and in medium and heavy air, I always lock the tiller extension in place and steer with the tiller downwind to reduce my reaction time.

What are the key changes in different conditions?

As wind and sea state build, start moving the crew aft, keeping always to the edges except for the tactician, who stands on the cabin sole. Never heel the boat to leeward except in light air when you want to head up. Always err towards sailing the boat flat or with slight weather heel, because that will help project the kite and balance the helm.

What do you focus on when trimming main and chute?

The main goes all the way out downwind and we never ease the outhaul unless we’re reaching. I sit to leeward and hold all of the purchase parts. I never want the main luffing or over-trimmed. Adjust the vang to keep the top batten parallel to the boom.

Adjust the spinnaker pole height and work hard to square the pole as much as possible. Always play the sheet out to the curl. If we’re sailing angles (less than 8 knots), we’ll set the tack slightly lower than the clew for better flow across the chute. In 8 knots and above we make the clews even, square the pole back, and go dead downwind. The J24 has two pole settings; we use the bottom ring up until 16 knots, then switch to the top.

Downwind, who is in the typical dialogue loop and what's a typical conversation?

The trimmer and I talk constantly about wind pressure in the kite, especially in light to medium air. Once the wind becomes medium/heavy, the bow warns us about big puffs so we don’t get caught with the bow too low.

To catch a wave, the helmsman and trimmer pump the sheets in unison, and the crew presses against the windward rail.

What controls are important downwind in different conditions?

We let the backstay all the way off downwind, unless the wind is 20 knots or more; then we leave half of the backstay on. Two other things we recommend when the wind is above 20 knots: pull the vang on extra hard to stabilize the boat, and pull both twings down to choke the kite a bit. We always use the foreguy, and unless it’s above 20 knots we trim the weather twing so it’s halfway from lifeline to rail and let the leeward twing off all the way. Also, when we’re sailing upwind with the blade jib, we’ll typically leave it up downwind. It helps stabilize the boat, and you can trim it like a staysail when planing.

J24 Boathandling

What's a start like in the j24 class.

Normal procedure is for teams to drop the genoa between races and hoist again with 4 or 5 minutes to go. Velocitek instruments are legal now, so you can ping each end of the line and have a reliable GPS-measured distance to the line. It’s made starts even more aggressive.

A competitive J24 start shows four crew hiking on most boats and mainsail luffs eased to keep the draft aft, well-matched for the genoa overlap. Christopher Howell photo

What tips can you offer for starting well in a J24?

Always have a routine and stick to it. You always need a plan B but if you have a routine, everyone knows what to expect. On our boat we’ll get windshots, figure out the favored end, and decide which side we want to sail on the first beat. Then we’ll block out a section of the line where we want to start. It’s up to me to get the boat there.

I’m a port-tack approach guy; I’m watching the clock and trying to figure out where I need to be to get to that place on the line by one minute. J24s can stop and get going quickly, so my goal is to be tacking into a good hole at about one minute. I’m always looking for real estate—whole pockets where boats aren’t. Once you find your hole, manage the people around you.

The bow keeps us honest about distance to the line, using hand signals. The bow can also lift the skirt of the sail with the foot line to help visibility.Time comes from the middle crew; I like it loud, counting down the last 30 seconds. The trimmer listens to my requests for “full speed, half speed, stop.” The tactician watches out for “snipers” (boats behind) and reminds me when it’s time to go.

What tips can you offer for downspeed boathandling?

Practice your starts. Get the crew out for an evening, pick your marks, and do time-on-distance exercises.

What mistake slows the J24 down most in a tack?

Genoa trim is the one of the top three priorities in tacking the J24. The helm should use a moderate rate turn and be consistent. The biggest thing that slows you down is if the trimmer doesn’t release the genoa sheet soon enough and you “smoke” the back of your sail (against the windward spreader and shroud). Most trimmers release it too late; you need to release by the time the bow gets head to wind, or even slightly before that. This also makes it easier to trim the new sheet. I like the bow person to grab the foot and help the sail around the shrouds.

What does each crewmember do when tacking a J24?

The skipper is busy, first removing the winch handle and putting it into the winch-handle pocket, then turning the boat and bringing up the traveler, plus usually easing the mainsheet two inches and sometimes burping the backstay. Finally, they put the winch handle in, pull on the backstay and main, and grind in the last bit of genoa sheet.

The trimmer cross sheets the genoa, releasing the old sheet by the time the bow gets head to wind, trimming the new sheet and then hitting the rail with sheet in hand, leaving the final grind to the helmsman. The bow handles the foot line on the way across the boat in front of the mast.

The other two cross the middle of the boat, roll tacking the boat if possible. I might say, “1, 2, or 3 roll.” (The tactician is 1, the bow guy is 2, and the mast guy is 3.) The mast is the worst position to roll from because they need to go under the foot of the genoa on the way to windward. Sometimes we vary this depending on the wind, and another reason might be if the tactician is heavier and you want them to get to the windward rail faster.

Any tips for good light or heavy-air tacks?

Roll tacks are crucial in light air. Also, make sure the mainsheet is eased a little so you can get back up to speed quickly. In heavy air, the mainsheet needs to be eased to avoid heeling too much.

What is the key to a fast spinnaker set?

Timing is critical to a good J24 set. Make a good pre-feed of the tack, and have the bow person tension the footline to keep the jib inside the lifelines and out of the way. Trim the main and genoa on the offset leg while the pole is going up. Get the kite out of the boat and up. Don’t ease the main out all the way until the chute is out and clear of the leeward spreader.

Dropping the genoa quickly is important after the spinnaker is set and flying. (Christopher Howell photo)

Who does what on the J24 during a jibe set?

The debate is always whether to go with pole or no pole. I like to do a jibe-set with the pole up because it doesn’t telegraph your move, and it helps keep the kite away from the boat. Ideally, the kite goes up and the boat turns and you do a late jibe with the pole. As the pole comes across, the mast person lets the genoa down. Don’t rush dropping the genoa, or it will foul up the spinnaker. The tactician should be ready as a human pole on the new jibe. Our priority is to get the kite filled on the new jibe; if we can get the genoa down, great; but if not just make sure to ease the sheet.

What mistake slows the J24 down most in a jibe?

Don’t over-steer the boat. In any breeze, you lose distance and heel a lot. Match the rotation of the spinnaker to the rate of the turn. In lighter air, it’s possible to understeer and come out too low, so the boat loses speed and/or the kite collapses.

What does each J24 crewmember do in a jibe?

In 8 to 10 knots, the helm turns the boat, the trimmer rotates the kite holding both sheets, the bow jibes the pole, the mast does the twings, and the tactician moves from one side to the other. Everyone works together to roll the boat in light and medium conditions.

Key tips for good light or heavy-air jibes?

In light air, roll the boat through the jibe. The helm must come out of the jibe on an angle with adequate pressure to fill the spinnaker, while the trimmer crosses the bridgedeck to the new windward side after ducking under the boom.

In heavy air, it’s key for the helm to keep the bow under the logo in the foot of the spinnaker. Stray from that and you’ll probably wipe out. Jibe the main on top of a wave or when the boat unloads, with somebody forward helping the main across by grabbing the vang. In super heavy wind when you have your crew weight aft, have someone else jibe the main.

What is the key to a good spinnaker takedown?

Practice makes all the difference on the J24. Have your boat settled and set to go upwind when you round the mark. The better you get at takedowns, the longer you can keep the chute up.

Who does what in the crew on a windward or leeward takedown?

The bow ditches the foreguy, raises the genoa, and then takes off the pole (replaced by a human guy) and drops it to the deck, clipping it onto the shrouds under the genoa sheets. Then either I call the takedown, or if there’s traffic, the bow person makes their own call. If the bow needs help, the mast douses the halyard.

The middle person acts as the human pole (sometimes it’s the mast person) and pulls the kite down into the companionway. The jib trimmer under-trims while rounding the mark so we don’t lose speed. I trim my own main, with a preset traveler and backstay. In traffic, I might set up with less backstay.

Any special takedown tricks in this class?

Dropping the halyard six feet and holding for a second allows the foot to be pulled in, which makes for a better takedown.

At the leeward mark, genoa trimmer and helm work together to trim the big headsail; the trimmer hauls in while the helm finishes his main trim and prepares to grind. Christopher Howell photo

Doing circles is slow in any boat; what are the keys to minimizing the pain on a J24?

Practice circles, too. We always jibe first. I think it’s faster.

How easily does a J24 broach or capsize?

It’s relatively easy to broach a J24 if you’re not watching for big puffs. And upwind, if you’re not vang sheeting in heavy air, you’re going to wipe out. The boat has a big rudder, but the wide hull shape takes over when you heel.

How do I recover when/if it happens?

When you broach under spinnaker, you can pop the boat back up pretty easily, but if it doesn’t come up right away, blow the spinnaker halyard.

What are the most common boathandling mistakes made in this class?

Not sailing the boat flat enough is the most common error. After that, timing the genoa release on your tacks. I recommend practicing tacks with an old sail.

Any suggestions for drills to improve boathandling?

I like to do two-boat stuff sailing upwind. It’s the best way to learn all the gears. Lots of gear shifting with this boat. The better you get at making sure the boat’s in the right gear all the day, the more successful you’ll be.

What is the coolest thing about the J24?

People are super down to earth, really nice. Most of my best friends are from the J24 class. Everyone helps each other out whether it’s missing or broken boat parts, tuning help, or stepping the mast. Everyone likes to sail pretty hard and enjoy a cold beer after. The average age of a J24 owner is late 30s.

At major events you still see a very high caliber of competition; we get 50 to 60 boats at major regattas and 80 at a Worlds. At the club level, lots of people own the boats and they use them—they’re having a lot of fun.

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VIC States 2024

RIP Raymond La Fontaine

Raymond La Fontaine. 19/ 1/1962 – 19/2/2024.

Written by Hugo Ottaway  

Many individuals have contributed to making our J24 Class what it is today.

One of those is Raymond La Fontaine.

I first met Ray in 1985 when he, his father Barry, myself, Herschel Landers and Ian Torode (RIP) bought our first J24s. Discovering the Victorian class had disbanded, we sailed club course and Junior Offshore Group overnight bay races.

In 1986 Ray and I appointed ourselves President and Vice President, reforming the J24 Class Association of Victoria. That year despite having no experience, we secured a sponsorship with Club Marine Insurance for the Victorian and National Championships held at Royal Melbourne yacht Squadron.

The following year, Ray took ‘New Horizon’ KA 96 to Sydney for the 1987 Nationals, having no money, he slept on the boat at CYCA for a week before sailing down the coast to Port Hacking, establishing a camping ground in the club grounds, sleeping in tents.

In 1988 Ray took ‘New Horizon’ to the Worlds in Sydney. It was here that he met Ian Bashford the builder of J24s in Australia (RIP),  Ray formed a friendship with Ian that resulted in the purchase of a new J24, ‘French Connection’ AUS 146 which he sailed in the 1996 World Championship in Melbourne.

In 1998 Herschel Landers, President and Ray, Vice President, facilitated moving the remaining five Royal Brighton Yacht Club J24 fleet to Sandringham Yacht Club, initiating what remains today, a fleet of 21 J24’s on the hardstand.

It was this move that arrested the decline in numbers due to the Brighton J24s being overshadowed by the Etchell Class.

With a new home, it was identified that short courses and multiple races would keep the fleet together, the J24s ran their own races with self starts and laying their own marks . A totally new concept away from the traditional Saturday afternoon race around the cans.

In another pioneering concept, the class began racing on Sunday mornings with a rule that the boats must be back at the dock by midday. That decision helped those J members with young families, get back on the water. All of these totally new approaches to yacht racing, remain today, thanks to the committee and Ray, who made a significant contribution.

Ray’s crew included many SYC members, David Suda, Dee Telford, Andy White, Grant Robinson, Grant Wilmont and past Commodore  Phil Coombes to name but a few, competing in many J24 Nationals and World Championships in Sydney 1988, Melbourne 1996, Sardinia 2006 and Argentina 2007.

There are many wild and colourful stories about Ray that will be shared around bars where J’s are sailed, however on a brief sailing note, surfing down wind in 25 knots, two handed  with Robbie Hartnett passing most of the fleet with the kite up, sailing from Westernport Bay offshore, through Port Phillip heads in 30 Knots – pure madness! Putting a brand new genoa in a dump bin after race 3 at the Nationals (which was hilarious to watch from the bar) exemplifies Ray’s colourful personality.

The J24 class in Australia is richer thanks to the contribution of Raymond La Fontaine.

Ray is survived by James, Mitchell and Violet.                                              8 Bells.

2024 Nationals in Sydney

Once again, the Australian J24 Nationals were held in Sydney, this time on the harbour. As opposed to huge swells off Cronulla last year this year were battling the traffic and their wakes, Sydney is a very congested place, especially on the weekend !

Held earlier this month in mostly jib weather, the smaller fleet size this year still contained the top sailors in Sydney, and only one entry from Victoria. The usual suspects from NSW mixed it up with new youth and female crews and it’s great to see them participating in the class. The Nationals were the qualifying regatta for the 2024 Worlds in Seattle USA, later this year and there is considerable interest in attending this regatta.

With three races a day for four days, it was a pretty solid and physical regatta with especially the female crews getting well bruised. Day one gave us a south easterly of 25 – 28 knots. Starting off Taylors bay and heading to the top mark off the northern end of Shark Island meant we were sailing across a number of ferry routes – it just adds to the excitement – and frustration. Tough sailing, but banging Bradleys Head out to the right hand side seemed to work quite well most of the time. Mixed results with Tinto (Steve Wright), Innamincka (John Crawford) and Ace (Dave West) taking out the wins.

Day two with 20 – 25kn SE winds was pretty much a re-run of day one, although we did have to pause the racing while the Virgin cruise liner (read … apartment block) left the harbour, completely blocking our race track. Day winners were Sailpac (Sean Kirkjian), Innamincka and Convicts Revenge (Simon Grain).

Day three saw us on genoas with around 15kn shifty easterly and then north easterly breezes. A tricky day with lots more traffic on the harbour being Saturday and many and large boat wakes. Starting off the west side of Bradleys Head this time and going across to the southern end of Shark Island, can’t say which side paid better as they both did at various times and the frustration came and went in the first race as the wind came and went. Winners were Sailpac, Innamincka x 2.

The last day saw us back on jibs with 20 – 25kn from the northeast. Starting down by Clark Island and racing up to the northern end of Shark Island. Banging Bradleys Head first pretty much gave you the win with a lifting breeze from there to the top mark. The Squadron laid their start line about 100m to windward of ours and that was a bit worrying but the two talked and we were away without interference from them. Winners were Tinto, Convicts Revenge and Sailpac. A day where quite a few of us had moments !

So overall results were a convincing win for John Crawford in Innamincka, second was Sean Kirkjian in Sailpac and third was Simon Grain in Convicts Revenge. Full results in this link.

https://app.sailsys.com.au/club/4/results/series/3113/pointscore?view=individual&handicap=s

That’s the pointy end, but back in the fleet there was hot competition in the middle with three boats finishing on 38 and 39 points, two boats finishing on 69 and 70 points and then the rest of the fleet spread out a little.

The women’s and youth boats competed in their own tough racing in the pack with consistency being the key to the placings. Our women’s and youth crews sailed hard in the conditions, Isabel Schlegel (Checkmate) and Tegan Franklin (Okavango Delta) and their crews battled with the two youth crews skippered by Will Hough (Waterborne Again) and James Bednaic (Calypso).

Last but not least was Cameron Cooke, perhaps the keenest skipper in the regatta, after buying his boat for $200 (!) he entered knowing what an uphill battle this was going to be. With help from numerous skippers and crews he was on a vertical learning curve but loving it. Keep at it Cam – it’s a journey for all of us !

RANSA put on a great regatta for us, the club is informal and friendly. Personally, I got so much help from Roger Wragby of RANSA before and during the regatta that made our trip up from Melbourne so much easier. Nothing like a coldie sitting right on the water in such a scenic setting after a hard day. Accolades should go to the RANSA volunteer team running the racing for us and to John Allan for being the RO. A tough gig in Sydney Harbour.

Thanks also to the NSW Committee who put on a great presentation dinner to round off the regatta, the crew of Tinto and Terry Wise on the BBQ and Marg Fraser-Martin for the great photos. To buy one of Marg’s photos, email her as below.

• High resolution pictures are available, $40.00, for a digital file for printing. Email ( [email protected] ) with event name and photo number. Photo credit is always needed wherever used in public (posters, social media, websites etc.).
• Facebook: Marg’s Yacht Photos
• Instagram: margsyachtphotos
• Contact: [email protected]

The next two Nationals will be held in Melbourne as a run up to the 2026 Worlds to be held at Sandringham Yacht Club.

Story by Simon and Dave West, Pics by Marg.

J24 2024 AGM

The Annual General Meeting will be held during the 2024 Nationals at RANSA next year on the Saturday the 9th at 9am as previously posted in the Nationals NoR. If you have any items you would like to add to the agenda or nominate for committee, please contact National President Steve Wright.

2024 J24 Australian Championships at RANSA

Photo courtesy of Marg’s Yacht Photos

The NSW States are done and won, Sean Kirkjian in Sailpac, from Dave West in Ace and Dave McKay in Stamped Urgent. The ususal faces are set to do battle again in the Nationals.

To be held at RANSA (The Royal Australian Naval Sailing Association) in Rushcutters Bay next to the CYC on the 4th – 7th January. The 2024 Australian Championships NoR is out on the link below.

The J24 National Committee will use the 2024 Australian Championships to determine the eligibility for selection to the 2024 World J24 Championships in Seattle USA next year.

NoR link here Official Notice Board: NoRs, SIs and Amendments – RAN Sailing Association

Entries are also now open here 2024 J24 NSW National Championships – SailSys

If you plan to enter, the sooner the better for organisational purposes.

IJCA Awards the 2026 J24 Worlds to SYC in Melbourne.

Check your rigging !!!

Here’s a really good reason to pull your mast out and check your rigging over before we really get summer sailing going. Recently we have had a couple of mast issues, mainly around the standing rigging. After the loss of a mast due to a shroud failure in Sydney, we have had the insurance angle brought home to us with a decline to pay out, due to age of rigging. A number of insurers will not pay out if your rigging is over 7 years old. This becomes an expensive exercise to replace a lost mast. Just this week we have had a broken lower shroud in Melbourne, happily not resulting in a broken mast. Upon replacing the shroud it was found that the other lower was also on the verge of breaking – That’s the pic above. The message in this pic is very clear and this T Ball fitting was on the verge of potentially losing another mast. So now is a really good time to check your rigging and replace it if it is over 7 years old.

J24 Trailer For Sale

Low riding tandem trailer with 4 wheel disc brakes, low keel support, steel gear box, Good condition. $5,500

Call Simon 0413 870 046

USA’s Team Furio Reigns at J/24 World Championship

Keith Whittemore’s Furio of the USA, with team Willem van Waay, Marianne Schoke, Brian Thomas and Melanie Edwards, have been crowned 2023 J/24 World Champions. Whittemore, who also won the 2019 J/24 World Championship in Miami, Florida USA, ended this event with only 25 net points in the full 10-race series. After discarding a 19 from race seven, the Seattle, Washington-based helmsman kept scores in the top seven including three bullets. Ignazio Bonanno’s La Superba of Italy compiled their reliable solid scores all week, winning two races, for 40 net points and the silver position. Tony Parker’s Bangor Packet, also of the USA, was in the hunt throughout the Championship, placing third overall with 52 net points. Parker has been sailing in the J/24 Class for all of its 45 years, and shipped his hull #58 to Greece.

Cillian Dickson’s Headcase of Ireland won the 23-boat Corinthian division, also placing fourth overall and tied on points with Parker. The crew included Ryan Glynn, Marcus Ryan, Louis Mulloy and Sam O’Byrne. The all-amateur podium was also comprised of Stephan Mais’ Running Men of Germany and Alexandros Tagaropoulos’s Hellenic Police of Greece.

The IJCA awarded its perpetual Youth Turner Trophy to Papanikitas Spiridon-Eleftherios’s Hellenic Naval Academy.

Competitors reveled in gorgeous conditions for five days at the Nautical Club of Thessaloniki in Greece. Saturday’s race winner was Kohei Ichikawa’s Gekko Diana of Japan.

Top Three Overall:

1) Keith Whittemore, Furio, USA, 25 points 2) Ignazio Bonanno, La Superba, ITA, 40 points 3) Tony Parker, Bangor Packet, USA, 52 points

Top Three Corinthian:

1) Cillian Dickson, Headcase, IRL 2) Stephan Mais, Running Men, GER 3) Alexandros Tagaropoulos, Hellenic Police, GRE

Thirty-five boats from 10 nations and four continents competed from Argentina, Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan and the United States on September 12-16. A complete list of all J/24 World Champions can be found at  http://www.j24class.org/about-the-j24/hall-of-fame/world-champions/ . Complete event details may be found at  http://j24worlds2023.ncth.gr/ . Photos/video are available on the J/24 International Class Facebook page.

This is a live still pic that updates every minute

The stage is set for 36 boats from 10 countries to compete in Thessaloniki Greece from the 9th – 16th September. Six Australian teams are competing: Sean Kirkjian, Sydney – (Current National Champion) Steve Wright, Sydney – (Immediate past Nat Champ and current Aust President) John Crawford, Sydney – (NSW Measurer) Dave West, Sydney – (NSW President) Hugo Ottaway, Melbourne – (National Measurer) Warren Slater, Melbourne – (Multiple Nat Champ in other classes)

So as you can see we have a considerable depth of talent in our Australian team, with multiple National Championship and State wins amongst them. All teams are chartering boats from Europe.

Races will be held in the Thermaikos Gulf. Participating boats will be moored in the marina of Nautical Club Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece, featuring an international airport and commercial port. The race area is characterized by the thermal breeze appearing every summer day early at noon, the wind varying from 8 up to 16 knots, gradually diminishing after sunset.

These mild but steady conditions are ideal for inshore, as well as daylight offshore racing. Racing will feature a mix of round the cans windward/leeward courses and offshore races, to fully test the teams’ skills on the waters of the Thermaikos Gulf. The challenge of close windward/leeward racing is likely to keep the fleet in close boat on boat battles, compared to the complexity of offshore racing. Interpreting the changing conditions and delivering consistency will reward with Championship success. Social activities for the 2023 J24 World Championship will take place at the premises of Nautical Club Thessaloniki, with renowned Greek hospitality throughout the week.

Here is a results / competitor list here

The Worlds site is here 

There are plenty of pictures on the Club FB page here https://www.facebook.com/nautical.club.thessaloniki

Photos of the pre racing set up from Linda Smith

Capturing those memories

2023 j24 nationals at cronulla sailing club.

It’s a while since the day many will talk about for years to come, yes Saturday of the 2023 J24 Nationals at Cronulla Sailing Club – big waves and lots of wind. Plenty of carnage, plenty of tall tales and memories.

Capturing those memories was our intrepid photographer, Margaret Fraser-Martin and some of those pics are just amazing.

For example, this one doesn’t have the action of some, but just look at that swell in front of ‘Sailmates’, this lends new meaning to sailing uphill(s)!

You won’t see many J24 regattas with that size swell coming through, can’t imagine leaving the marina if that was coming into Sandy!

Margaret has a huge folder full of pics – most that haven’t come to light yet and are available here for the first time. Some are pics of the fleet (Margaret likes to get multiple boats in shots for more action and scale), some are individual yachts. I commend these pictures to you, and suggest you find your boat and order a copy. Margaret is offering high-res files of each for just $40. You’ll love an action shot and you will be supporting Margaret in her work which she did for us without any guarantee of remuneration. Helping her, helps you and us in the future if we can get her back for the next one.

Simon Grain, Nat Sec

Have a look at these amazing pics and here’s how to order.

A bit about marg fraser-martin – passionate life photographer.

My passion is for taking photos of people being engaged and passionate about their sailing. Capturing that moment in time when they are oblivious to the rest of the world and are totally involved in the task at hand and joy of life. The moment that is not posed.

This is about people who are competing in sailing and juggling all other aspects of life.

I want my photos to be a positive image to get more people in front of my lens, having fun, showing their friends and families. What they did on the weekend, and it is awesome.

To achieve this goal, I have been able to combine two of my favourite skills/qualifications – photography and sailing. Capturing the thrill, the teamwork, and the sheer joy of sailing.

A lot has changed since I started taking sailing photography and my area of expertise and interest has expanded. I now get involved in many Charity Events. Charity Yacht Regatta’s, Charity Balls, Golf Days, Eastern Creek Car Racing, Charity dinners and luncheons.

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Sea Sailing in Mumbai J24 Sail Cabin Yacht J24 Sailing Boat with Cabin is one of the Quality Sailing boats in Mumbai. An all-time favorite and best-selling sailboat in Mumbai. Travel along the Arabian Sea situated on the west coast of India that has some of the best views from Mumbai Give a surprise on an Anniversary or Birthday to your friends and close one this season by gifting a sailing yacht for 100 mins at Gateway of India, Mumbai. Sailing Gateway of India and Rent on Yacht, Sailing Boat on Rent, Sailing at Gateway of India Yacht Ride in Mumbai Check out our Other Sailing yacht in Mumbai

What is included in the tour

• 1.30 hour Sailing
• 30 Min From Jetty to Main Boat and Back
• Life Jackets
• Professional Sailor
• Jetty Charges
• Expertise Charges

What is NOT included in the tour

• Anything not Mentioned in Inclusions
• Personal Expenses  
• Sailing in the Arabian Sea
• Lucky to See Dolphins
• Sunset view from Sail/Yacht(Depend on the slot you Choose)

J24 Sailboat with Cabin Cabin J24Sailing Boat in Mumbai Sea Sailing at Gateway of India QUICK OVERVIEW: Ideal for: Couples, Family, Groups, Kids, Tourists Where: Gateway of India, Colaba When: All days of the week Duration: 2 hours Number of People:- 2 to 4 Pax

(Note: This is a private sailing experience. The entire boat will be booked for you for the price mentioned above. You will not be sharing the boat with other people.) Note:- We have a party yacht, Ferry boat party Boat, Sailing with groups and surprises to your friends and family on a yacht. TIME SLOT: Morning 07:00 AM to 09:00 AM 09:00 AM to 11:00 AM Evening 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM WHAT YOU GET - 1 hour 30 minutes private sailing on a sailboat with a qualified sailor - 15 mins Motorboat ride from the shore to the sailboat - 15 mins Motorboat ride from the sailboat to the shore - Life jackets to use on the boat *Once the amount is transferred please send the transaction id/details via email/Whatsapp. * If the call goes unattended drop a msg along with your name and event we will get back to you. *Once Amount paid won't be refunded on any Circumstances *Registration will be accepted ONLY through Phone Call/SMS or WhatsApp What We Can Arrange on Additional Cost - Candle Light Dinner - Couple Special Sailing  - Decoration of Balloons (Normal/ Foil) - Fruit Champagne - Flower Bouquet  THINGS TO CARRY: -At least 2 litres of drinking water -Photo ID card -Cap, camera, mobiles phones (if required) -Any personal medicine THINGS TO KNOW - Meeting spot: Jetty No. 5 across the road from Taj Hotel Main entrance - When: It is necessary to arrive at the location 15-30 minutes prior to the activity. - On the day of the sail: Once your booking is made, you will receive a Whatsapp message/SMS from us a day prior to your sail with the contact details of our representative who will receive you on the day of the event. - Knowing how to swim is not mandatory. - Life jackets will be provided. - Sea Sailing in Mumbai is completely dependent on weather conditions (wind speed, tide, etc.). There might be a wait time of 1 hour or more beyond your booking start time. Your return back to the shore might also get delayed by a few hours if the weather conditions are unfavourable. You must cooperate and patiently wait in such situations which are beyond control. - Bookings may be rescheduled or cancelled if the weather is unfavourable for sailing. - It is mandatory for each person to carry a govt. approved photo ID (original). You may/or may not be asked to show the same to security officials before sailing. - Avoid eating heavy food before 1 hour of the event time. - Avoid wearing high heels - Since it is going to be windy, dress accordingly - Other additions like Balloon Decoration, Fruit Champagne, Bouquet and Cake can be arranged for at an additional costing Cancellation by the participant: - 20% cancellation charges are applicable if cancelled before 8 or fewer days - 50% cancellation charges are applicable if cancelled before 5 or fewer days. - If any cancellations are made before the 2 days or less of the start date of the trip, 100% of the total tour cost will be charged as cancellation fees. Refund Policy: - No refund will be provided in case of traffic/ late arrival. - Change/cancellation in timing or weather may happen due to Government clearance or bad weather. Adventure Geek will not be liable for the same. In this case, you will get an option to either re-schedule your booking or get a 50% refund. - As the starting point for sailing is near the Gateway of India, bookings may be cancelled last minute if there are restrictions by government authorities, police or defence authorities. In this case, you will get an option to either re-schedule your booking or get a 50% refund. FAQ _______________________ Do you provide anything to eat on the boat? No. We do not provide any food items. You can carry some finger food, snacks, soft drinks etc. on your own to eat on the boat. Can I carry alcohol, wine, champagne etc. on the boat? No. Alcohol, wine, champagne etc. is strictly not allowed. How far will we go into the sea? You will go sailing all the way out into the open sea (almost till the tip of South Mumbai). You will not be seen from the shore.

Parking is Available? Yes

Can Kids Come on Sailing? 3year and above are allowed.

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