J/111- "Ready, Set, Go"

(Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland)- Recently, the boats.com editorial staff took a little side-trip to a gorgeous mountain lake high in the Swiss Alps to experience super-fast flat-water sailing on the J/111 with J/Swiss dealer Peter Bangerter (current holder of the J/70 speed record of 16.8 kts).  Joining Peter was boats.com editor Michael Good for a fun, fast ride and day spent sailing on Lake Neuchatel.  Here's Mike's commentary:

"Excitingly fast, light, and handsome, the J/111 could turn into a top choice for racing sailors--- we were about to run out of room on the lake, and beating into the breeze on the return trip would be quite a haul. The Swiss J/Boat dealer Peter Bangerter suggested turning back, and his words suddenly interrupted the helmsman’s flirtations with the thrill of speed. Reaching at up to 14 knots, the J/111 was motoring down Lake Neuchatel, running as if on tracks, fabulously well controlled and accelerating in the puffs like a sport boat – that’s terrific sailing and a lot of fun."  Read the rest of Mike's review of the J/111 here on boats.com.

J/111 World One-Design Growth

(Newport, RI)-  Reports from the frontiers of sailing around the world indicate that interest for 111's is strong, with dozens of prospective sailors/ owners looking forward to their first experiences racing this new rocketship in the 2011 sailing season.  By summer, J/111 speedsters will be sailing in at least ten countries on four continents- USA and Canada for North America; Sydney, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand Down Under; Cartagena, Columbia for South America; and United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland for Europe-- a remarkably strong debut for the next generation international one-design off the J drawing boards and the first J to go global in less than twelve months!

Supporting this worldwide one-design roll-out is JB Composites in Les Sables'd'Olonne, France.  President Didier LeMoal is excited about the 111s' prospects for Europe and is looking forward to the launching of the first European-built J/111 in April.  With over a dozen boats ordered from the French facility alone, the fleets in both the UK and France are well on their way to having one-design events rolling in Europe for 2012.

For those of you who wish to see a 111 soon, they will debuting in Charleston Race Week, Strictly Sail Pacific show, Warsash Spring Series (UK) and BMW Auckland Race Week (New Zealand) all within the next month.  And, look for the 111 to debut in Australia at the Sydney Boatshow in July.  Other 2011 events the 111 will be sailing include Rolex STC Block Island Race, Rolex Block Island Race Week, Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex Middle Sea Race and Rolex RORC Caribbean 600 in 2012.  For more J/111 sailboat information