The sea trial was for the benefit of a J/80 owner who is considering moving up, and we had the whole family onboard - mom, dad and two grown sons. The client currently uses their J/80 as a daysailor, with a very minimal amount of racing. However, they do enjoy using the asymmetric spinnaker and love the excitement it brings.In short, the J/95 is a perfect fit for the way this family sails. For the first time, the client's wife was able to relax and not feel "in the way" as the rest of the group tacked, hoisted the kite, jibed etc. This is where the ergonomics of the cockpit design really paid off: with the traveller on the cockpit sole and the primary winches well aft, there was plenty of room for "non-sailors" to sit back and enjoy the ride. It's a very functional and comfortable lay-out.
We experimented with the board up and down while going upwind, and in the light breeze we could barely tell a difference. Leeway might have been a bit more board up but in both cases you could trim the sails and simply let go of the wheel. A great feeling!The only thing about the boat that isn't a fit for this particular client is the keel/centerboard arrangement. His sailing venue has plenty of depth, so a fixed keel drawing 5'6" wouldn't be a problem. J/Boats is considering making this an option, and personally I think it would be a great move.
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