J/111 Sailing Fast!

(Bristol, RI)- This past weekend, the J/111 was launched in Barrington, RI in northern Narragansett Bay.  Sailing on the 111's maiden voyage was Joe Pimenta of builder CCF Composites, Ben Hall and Corey Butlin of Hall Spars,  Didier LeMoal of JB Composites (J builder in France), designer Alan Johnstone, and other J family members including Rod, Stu, Jeff and Matthew.

The weather forecast was partly cloudy with spotty ESE breezes from 0-12 knots, which is exactly what we saw for the 111's first shake-down sail. It was a good test of the boat's balance and acceleration capabilities in the low wind ranges. As designer Al Johnstone commented, "even with a #3 jib flying, we could tell right away that the J/111 has all the elements we were hoping for in terms of speed, acceleration and a feather light touch on the helm both upwind and downwind.”

On day 2, the full Doyle inventory (including #1 jib) was flown and a five person crew took the J/111 upwind in a steadier 12-16 knot southerly to test the balance, responsiveness and stability. Grins all around as the J/111 sliced effortlessly upwind with minimal wake and very easy steering/ trimming with helmsman able to drive and play the mainsheet (fine-tune) like a J/80.  Two people could handle the tacking duties, and the jib trimmer was in heaven being able to freely adjust the fore/aft/inboard jib leads with the cockpit led controls.

Jeff Johnstone added “we then hoisted the large A-Sail (130m2) and took right off. The boat balanced great and we felt we had equal opportunity to either go deep and rotate the kite out, or heat up to double digit speeds.  We threw in several jibes, including a double-handed one in 15-17 knots with Rod on helm and mainsheet and Al on both kite sheets.”

This week the commissioning continues with sailing electronics install, engine trials and final commissioning at Bristol Marine with sailing starting again this weekend in Newport.

With the schedule beginning to fill up in August/ September for the Newport demo sails, please be sure to contact your J Dealer soon to get a taste of J/111's sweet sailing experience.  For photos of the first sail, please go to the J/111 photo gallery.
  

111 Triple Threat

(Newport, RI)- The J/111 is ready to blast out of the starting blocks on three continents (Americas, Europe and Asia).  The J/111 speedster can count on dozens of passionate J aficionados around the world to tear up the track leaving nothing but steaming bubbles in its flat wake.  The J/111 launches this weekend and will undergo its commissioning and sailing trials next week.  Congratulations to the CCF Composites team (pictured here) for producing a beautiful, fair hull; a functional, well-laid out deck and cockpit; and a gorgeous, well-fitted, interior.  The schedule for demo sails is rapidly filling up.  Please make sure to contact your J/Dealer now to jump aboard for a thrilling ride on Narragansett Bay during August and September.   For more J/111 sailing information
  

J/111 Ready To Launch

(Newport, RI)- Sitting on the shop floor in Bristol like a powerful jungle cat stalking its prey, the J/111 is getting ready to unleash its power and go for some thrilling rides on Narragansett Bay.  Please be sure to speak to your J Dealer now about scheduling a visit to take her for an eye-opening sailing experience during August and September when the J/111 is still in Newport, RI. 

The new J/111 mast is a single-piece seamless tube from Hall Spars constructed using carbon epoxy pre-preg laminate technology.  Ben Hall's commentary: "Our carbon pre-preg fabrics are made to our specifications just for the J/111 project. During our autoclave-curing process, the infused high-strength epoxy resin is heated until it becomes liquid, at which point it completely surrounds the carbon fibers.  At 250 psi and vacuum pressure of at least 5 atmospheres and baked at 200 degrees centigrade, we ensure the J/111 mast is light, strong and meets our Grand Prix specifications. The tall, powerful sail plan of the exciting new J/111 is the perfect platform for this technology."  For more J/111 one-design sailboat information
  

J/111 Ready to Fly

(Newport, RI)- Preparations for the first sail of the J/111 are in their final stages.  CCF Composites has done a wonderful job preparing the molds, tooling and finish work; some additional tools were made to increase strength-to-weight ratios and improve production efficiencies.  The end result will be a clean, lightweight, durable performance sailing machine.  Additionally, sailmakers around the world have broken out their heavy artillery to ensure the first sails out of the bag are fast, strong and lightweight.  To date the first boats will have Doyle/New Zealand, North, Quantum and Ullman Sails aboard, all designed by their latest "flow design" programs, with latest materials technologies and managed by their leading sail designers.  Sail design concepts and specifications proposed by these leading sailmakers are pointing to a 111 class inventory of a main, two jibs and two asym spinnakers.  Photo credit- Doyle Sails.  For more J/111 sailboat information.
  

J/111 One-Design Hatched

Dave Reed, Editor at Sailing World, had a chance to catch up with both Jeff and Stu Johnstone at J/Boats regards J/111 developments and perspectives on this next-generation one-design class.  You can read more about this interview and learn more about the J/111 on Sailing World.com in the July issue.  Please read more about it here- http://www.sailingworld.com/sailboats/hatching-a-one-design
  

J/111- Hatched and Ready to Fly!

(Bristol, RI)- Fresh out of the molds and seemingly ready to take off is J/111 hull numero uno at CCF Composites operations in Bristol, RI.  The first boat will spend the summer in Newport, RI sailing locally and moored in Brenton Cove, just off the New York Yacht Club Harbour Court docks.  The second boat is going to Chicago to sail the renowned 290 nautical mile sprint- the Chicago-Mac- at the end of July with a cracker-jack crew that won last year's event overall.  Peel your eyes away from your work screens and take a look at this gorgeous hull, sweeet lines and curvy, firm buttocks- she's a keeper, fun, fast and great-looking!  You can see more revealing shots of the first J/111 hull here.

  

J/111 Speedster Update

HOT and Getting Hotter

(Bristol, RI)- The J/111 first hull is molding and the deck plug is complete.  The project is on track for sailing in June. Interest continues to grow, with two dozen orders from Europe, New Zealand, America and China.  Perhaps more importantly, some of the key specifications have been determined to provide state-of-the-art performance and affordable racing for a grand prix one-design class. The J/111 will sport a carbon pre-preg Hall Spar.  The spar design and tube section make use of Hall Spars leading carbon technology-- it  promises a rig that is both stronger and lighter than comparable carbon rigs.  For superior lift, low VCG and maximum righting moment, the J/111 has a vertical L-shaped bulb keel comprised of a 316L formed stainless steel fin and an antimony-reinforced bulb attached to the hull with a broad SS flange.  The deck plan is ultra-simplistic for maximum ease-of-use for a crew of just six people.  The large 60" wheel affords superior visibility of wind, waves and the leading edge of the jib.  The interior for the American market has simple cruising accommodations, a functional galley and navigation station.  For more J/111 one-design sailboat information.