SO MANY CRUISERS ASKED FOR THIS BOAT, IT HAD TO HAPPEN.
They're right. There isn't a cruising boat on the market that combines speed, ease-of-handling, deep or shoal draft keel, a large aft cockpit, and privacy for two couples in "owner-sized" cabins. So, it was time somebody came up with the answer. It's the new J/40.
Because her predecessor, the 1985 SORC-winning J/41, is a Successful ocean racer doesn't mean that a Grand Prix design can become a good performance cruiser by adding a lavish interior. We could play that game, as well or better than anyone. But that's not our style. As sailors, we believe that deep keels, narrow bow sections, IOR sterns, tall rigs and small mainsails are the last thing a good cruising Sailboat should have. While great fun for a crew of 10, reworked IOR designs, with their image of "high performance," are tough on crews of four, impossibly hard on two, and not so fast for their size as the ads would have you believe.
Winged keels and centerboards are a bit of imagery, too. Just the fear of going aground with such contrivances can restrict one to well populated depths over 20 feet, and away from many choice cruising hideaways. Ask any boatyard owner how many centerboard problems he's had to fix. They wouldn't own one. Ideally, hull and keel are designed together to achieve lateral plane and lift for good windward performance with minimum draft. But lift is a function of speed, too. Slow boats need bigger, deeper keels than fast boats, just as slow airplanes need bigger wings than fast planes. So, cruising designs should be fast to minimize draft. Speed is our trademark. Look at the J/22, J/27 and J/35. These new "Js" are the fastest all-round keelboats of their size in existence. Their hulls are not compromised by rating rules nor by placing a high priority on box-like hulls for interior volume.
While seated comfortably at the wheel, you can trim and ease the mainsail with one hand on any point of sail. And, without a jib, sail past most cruising sailboats the same size upwind or down, particularly if it's blowing over 20 knots. There's no point in having small mainsails and big jibs. The opposite is preferable. Roller-reefing genoas help solve the storage problem, but someone has to winch the monsters in. Cruising implies relaxation, not back-breaking work. The J/40 is designed to perform well under main alone, and even better with small jibs. Mainsail shape controls include hydraulic vang and backstay, a cunningham and an adjustable double-spreader, tapered racing spar by Kenyon/Sparcraft. That also saves
weight aloft to increase stability. The vang holds the boom up as well as down.... a safety feature when reefing or lowering sail. It also eliminates need for a topping lift or boom crutch. And it reduces mainsheet loads by 50% when sailing upwind.
Our first priority is the helmsman. J/40 has more good seating options at the wheel than any other "cruiser" we know of Port and starboard outboard of the wheel is a slightly pitched deck seat for two, all the way to the lifelines for good visibility of waves. On the centerline, aft of the wheel, is a high padded seat which is also the Man-Overboard Life Ring. Close at hand on the step-down transition of the winch island backrests are 6 x 15-inch instrument pods port and starboard, angled for sighting from any position and within reach. Perfect for six modern, multifunction displays or a remote GPS panel. No more wires in the shower or owner's stateroom. No more instruments in the back while reclining against the cabin trunk.
So, we do think of the crew! Cockpit seas are long enough to lie down on! That shouldn't be a selling point. But since most of the competition's are 4-5 feet, it becomes important to remind you of the pleasures of "fresh air" naps under sail. Double articulated backrests are angled at 30 degrees for comfort sailing to windward. For a change of pace when seated on the high side, J/40's winch islands are 12" wide, uncluttered and pitched 12 degrees for a secure perch without sharp corners.
All the above is really a bonus on top of the smooth, powerful motion of a good sailboat built with "Grand Prix" materials and technology for low center of gravity and minimum weight in the ends. That reduces pitching moment and gives you sustained speed to pick a path between big waves, rather than wallow and be pounded unmercifully
Comfort is a state of mind, too. It's worrisome to go below for a nap with only one person on deck. What if they fall overboard when you're asleep? It seems silly to say, "Stay put at the wheel until you wake me up" This is such a commonplace cruising occurrence it's a wonder no other builder offers the Ronstan Latchway" continuous safety harness tether system. It's become a standard for singlehanded OSTAR and BOC sailors. Simply hook your tether in at the wheel and go all the way to the bow and back with both hands free! It's great for toddlers as well. Here's another: All mainsail reefing gear leads aft to the cockpit: halyard, two-clew reef and two-tack reef lines. No need to go forward to the mast!
The best cabin may be forward...away from main cabin night owls and cockpit revelry...or early risers and banging coffee pot. In a J/40 "flag country" forward is walled off from the night owls by a full-width, fiberglass composite structural bulkhead. The aft cabin is liveable, too. The engine is amidships, not next to your ear. So, the double V-berth aft is quieter and cooler when motoring or charging bakeries. Also, much wider than you'll find on competitive designs. When the optional filler is not in place, you can actually exit the berth without doing a back flip or putting your hands on the floor first as is the European custom. These "V" berths allow a variety of sleeping arrangements not normally suitable to small double berths. Both cabins have hanging lockers, bureaus, bookholders, separate heads with showers, and two to three opening ports or hatches. The aft "day head" also has a large wet locker for foul weather gear.
Since the advent of GPS with on-deck displays reduces need for dead reckoning time below, the standard J/40 has a large stand-up chart table which doubles galley counter space when in port, is accessible for quick "down-the-hatch" course checks; and is easy to operate when sailing to windward. A sitdown navigation station is available on a custom option basis. But the aft head or aft cabin size would be sacrificed.
J/40 has some cruising features which you might expect, but which are not always standard on other designs: four chrome Dorade vents with internal screens, for example; eight opening portlights, also with screens; a three-burner propane stove with oven with storage for two 10-lb. aluminium bottles; 6 1/2 foot bunks and settees, with one over seven feet long; 6'2" headroom into the forward cabin. A sternrail swimming ladder; a stern anchor well with rope/chain locker; a hot / cold on-deck shower; A 3 x 5 foot commissioning flag with teak staff; a 24 x 24 skylight hatch directly over the engine for ease of removal and repair using J/40's own boom and halyards. Mesh line bags for all on-deck rope tails. Martec folding prop.
Ease of handling to the cruiser equates with exciting performance to the racer. In the Case of the J/40, the cruiser is going to get the best of both worlds because of an added bonus: Speed