{"id":69137,"date":"2019-12-09T16:23:21","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T21:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=69137"},"modified":"2023-05-19T05:29:36","modified_gmt":"2023-05-19T09:29:36","slug":"boat-of-the-year-2020-best-crossover-j-99","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/sailboats\/boat-of-the-year-2020-best-crossover-j-99\/","title":{"rendered":"Boat of the Year 2020 Best Crossover: J\/99"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/99\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The French-built J\/99\u2019s design purpose is as an \u201coffshore-\u00adcapable speedster with a comfortable interior.\u201d High stability is the defining highlight of this 32-foot, 8,900-pound \u00adcompetitive club racer. The Boat of the Year judges praised its build quality and upwind performance in strong winds. With 1,500 feet of downwind horsepower, the boat is plenty quick and nimble.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

At A Glance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Price As Sailed: <\/b>$220,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design Purpose: <\/b>Handicap, coastal, shorthanded and club racing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crew List: <\/b>Two to six<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The J\/99 was a favorite and a serious Boat of the Year<\/a> contender. The judges sailed it on the snottiest day on the week, and as the breeze ratcheted ever higher, the boat, they said, comes alive. They\u2019ve come to expect nothing less of a J Boat, because designer Alan Johnstone is on a roll. For J devotees and owners, of which there are many, the J\/99 will feel like home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been missing a sweet spot in the 33- to 35-foot range with a performance boat that combines headroom and accommodations for family sailing, but is also purpose-built for owners aspiring to do double\u00adhanded sailing,\u201d J Boats\u2019 Jeff Johnstone tells the judges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While tempting to cater to an emerging shorthanded market with a highly specialized boat, he adds, they didn\u2019t want a one-trick pony with the J\/99. \u201cThat\u2019s not how we, or our owners use our boats,\u201d Johnstone says. \u201cWe like a boat that can day sail well, have room for a full crew and<\/i> set up right for shorthanded sailing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"j\/99 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Recognizing that their customers enjoy their boats off the racecourse too, J Boats searched far and wide for more comfortable settee cushions, which accentuate an already cruise-worthy and open interior.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

To that end, he points out, everything in the halyard and sail-control department is within reach of the tiller; at the same time, the cockpit can accommodate a busy five- or six-person crew for hustling around the cans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnstone\u2019s preferred model for comparison is the company\u2019s big seller of earlier days. \u201cThink of it as a modern J\/105, with more headroom,\u201d he says. \u201cIn terms of interior volume, it feels like twice the boat of a 105. But it\u2019s quicker. It\u2019s 2 feet smaller, and it\u2019s more stable. It\u2019s also slippery in light air.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\u201cIt\u2019s a boat that\u2019s as powerful as it is versatile. It\u2019s stiff upwind, and with the controls all led right, it\u2019s a boat you can get a lot out of.\u201d\n\u2014Greg Stewart\n<\/p>\n<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Johnstones campaigned their stock French-built J\/99 in New England with mixed results during the summer of 2019, with a provisional base PHRF rating of 78. Once they learned how to better tune the aluminum rig, Johnstone says they began to realize its true colors: \u201cOur top speed, in 30 knots, [in Cowes, England] with six on board, was 18.5 knots,\u201d he says. \u201cWe jibed it four or five times with outside jibes without any problems while boats were \u00adwiping out all around us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During their test session in Annapolis, the judges got their own taste of what the boat can do in a strong breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"J\/99 <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The J\/99 is all business on deck, with a clean control layout and good ergonomics for shorthanded overnighters and beer\u2011can\u00a0action.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

\u201cThe boat is wicked stiff,\u201d Allen says. \u201cIt\u2019s comfortable to drive, and there\u2019s enough space for the main trimmer to sit right next to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Stewart finally \u00adwrestled the helm away from Allen, he expected to be over\u00adpowered, being a few bodies shy of ideal weight on the rail. \u201cWith only three on the rail, it settled nicely,\u201d he says. \u201cWe got to 7.5 knots upwind with ease, and when we put the kite up, everything all worked fine. It\u2019s all really simple. We got it ripping downwind at 10 to 11 knots easily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior speaks to the boat\u2019s dual-purpose calling: There are aft cabins and an option for flip-up pilot berths amidships, but the forepeak, with a head only, is left open for sail storage and spinnaker douses. Construction is a mix of balsa and CoreCell in the hull, all of it scrimped and infused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tapered mast is aluminum with an extruded mainsail track, which adds considerable stiffness to the rig, Stewart says, while keeping the overall tube\u2011weight low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like the J\/111 and J\/88 that preceded it, the J\/99, he notes, continues a good trend for Corinthian-level owners and teams; it\u2019s a boat that\u2019s as powerful as it is versatile. \u201cIt\u2019s not meant to be a strictly reaching kind of boat. It\u2019s stiff upwind, and with the controls all led right, it\u2019s a boat you can get a lot out of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At $220,000 all-up, Allen adds, this boat is also an \u00adabsolute bang for your buck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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See All Winners<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Other Winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n