I think it’s safe to say that J/Boats has never been afraid to follow its own path when it comes to designing yachts. Its ethos, laid down by company founder and designer Alan Johnstone back in the 1980s was always to produce fast, relatively simple cruiser/racers. There was no particular secret to its success; Johnstone always started with a relatively narrow, easily driven hull and added a moderately deep lead keel, spade rudder and generous sail plan and let the boats do the talking. It’s a simple formula but, by goodness, it works a treat. Along the way, iconic yachts such as the J/35 have developed a fearsome reputation on the racecourse while also being easily adapted as fast cruisers. Which brings me to the new J/45. Its latest boat, launched in 2021, is a boat that is theoretically aimed at the cruising end of the market. But this takes some believing when you are slashing down Southampton Water at 9kts, having made minimum effort.
The boat follows the typical J/Boats formula; relatively narrow (4.25m) beam, light (10,000kg) displacement, a very high (41.9%) ballast ratio and a decent sized rig. The result; a bewitchingly rapid boat which is at its strongest upwind and is equally adept in light or heavy airs. There’s nothing particularly sophisticated about the approach; the boats are constructed using vacuum infusion roly-poly motion – in addition, the aft cabins will be slightly less spacious. It’s a price I’m willing to pay. The keel is L-shaped with a lead bulb and you have the option of a 2.1m or 2.6m monster. In terms of interior layout, there is a choice of one or two aft cabins. If you go for only one cabin aft, you get a bigger day heads with separate shower stall, plus a bigger port side lazarette in the cockpit. I tested the three cabin version.
