J/45: A NEW PERFORMANCE CRUISER BY J/BOATS

The J45 is a very much awaited boat and represents the continuation of a tradition that was broken more than a decade ago. J/boats used to have big offshore cruisers but since the J145 (48ft), launched 18 years ago, they didn't produce any bluewater performance cruiser bigger than 40ft. And even the bigger one, the J122e, with an interior renovated in 2014, had a 12-year-old hull.

There is also the J133, a 43ft boat, launched 14 years ago, but that one was much more of a racer than a performance cruiser, never having a version with the beautiful interiors that e-series offers.

You may even remember that J boats had once a performance cruiser with 53ft, the J160, the last one built 20 years ago, but since the J boat production was transferred to J composites, in France, never a big yacht was built there.

If you are American you may be wondering why the hell did J boats building went to France? Well, the answer is simple, the Europeans like J boats better than the Americans and more boats were sold in Europe than in America, so, for cutting costs they transferred the production to where more boats were being sold.

I really hope that the situation changes and Americans modify their tastes, which seem to go now more for motorboats and increase their preference for performance ones because J/boat tradition is an American one, they are still designed, as always, by  Johnstone. I would be very glad if they were produced in the USA too, not only because they are American boats, but also because that would mean that Americans were more into sailing again.

When I heard about the new J/boats 45 I was really hoping that this was the one where Johnstone would modify the transom design from a traditional one to a more contemporary design, one that would not only maximize performance upwind and in light winds, but one that would make sailing downwind easier while cruising (and therefore faster), diminishing roll and facilitating the auto-pilot work.

But no, the transom design is not even as adapted for short crewed sailing as the one of the J 121, it is more like the one on the J112e, certainly a fast hull that, like the one of the J112e, will be able to obtain very good or even top handicap racing results, but not the more adapted for performance cruising, and that seems it was the main design criteria since for racing they have the other line that they call "sport boats".

The J 45 looks very elegant and only the transom design detracts from the contemporary looks, giving it a strong (too strong?) traditional flavor. 

First J45e, above J121

There is nothing like it in Europe, not even the ones that have more traditional hulls like Italia yachts, Grand Soleil or X-yachts, come close in that retro transom look.

This is the first J boat with two steering wheels and that, a slightly inverted bow, and a very well designed modern interior is what makes it stand from other J/boats designs.

A pity that contemporary look is not extended to the transom and that the max beam is not brought more aft.Sure, there are still sailors that prefer very traditional stern shapes, but they are not the ones that are interested in fast performance yachts, but the ones that are interested in good old heavy boats with a retro design, that is certainly a thing this boat is not. So, I confess that the option for a very traditional stern in this boat, taking into account the potential clients, is something that puzzles me.

X 4-6

Difficult to know the J45 exact size because they give on the site as hull length the LOA, including the small fixed bowsprit, but it should be something around 44ft. It will be competing on the market with the Grand Soleil 44P, the X4-6 and the Solaris 44. 

If we look at the LWL we will see that the J 45 has 12.56m, the X4-6 has 12.33, and the Solaris 44 12,71m. They don't give GS44P LWL but the LOA is similar to the J45 one (13.45 for 13.85) if we consider bowsprits of similar size, being the one on the GS44P much bigger than the standard one on the J45.

Solaris 44

On both boats they have options for bigger bowsprits being the biggest one on the J45 about the same size as the standard one on the GS44P. The fixed bowsprit is another novelty on the J45e substituting the traditional retractable one that was a trade-mark on J/boats. 

I cannot say I like the new bowsprit, that seems too small and that nevertheless increases the LOA, and what one would pay at a marina. Sure, it is cheap to build and does not compromise any space on the forward cabin but that could be solved (using the retractable one) by introducing a sail locker, which sadly is a thing the J45 does not have, contrary to some of the competition.

Grand Soleil 44P

The J45 seems to have a lot less beam than the others, but that is not true, being the wrong impression given by the smaller transom, due to the beam not being brought back, like on the others. 

The J45 max Beam is 4.25m  the X4-6 has 4.27m, the GS 44P  4.30m and the Solaris 44 has 4.18m, being the narrowest among them.... and looking at the hull it is hard to notice that.

With a displacement of 9900kg the J45e displaces the same as the Solaris 44, it is lighter than the X4-6  (10900kg) but heavier than the GS44P, which displaces 9000kg.

The J45 has 41,9% B/D with an L bulbed keel with 2.30m draft, the X4-6 has a 41.3%B/D on a 2.30m torpedo keel, the Grand Soleil 44s has 30% B/D with a 2.50m torpedo keel, and the Solaris 44 has 36,4% B/D with a T keel with 2.60m draft.

Above J45e, below X4-6

The J45 is the one with the bigger B/D but the small difference to the X-yacht would be more than compensated by the more efficient kell design and in what regards overall stability, on boats with about the same beam, the aft hull design of X 4-6 will give it more form stability.

Looking at the J45, the GS and the Solaris, the B/D is smaller on the two last ones, but they have more efficient T keels, that lower the keel CG, and have more draft (20cm for the GS, 30cm for the Solaris). That difference in the draft and the lower CG, that a more efficient torpedo keel allows results in about a 500kg saving in ballast weight maintaining a similar keel performance in what regards RM and provides also a slight gain in drag.

Solaris 44, above 2011 model, below 2018 model

If you take that factor into consideration, for comparing what is comparable, the J45 compensated B/D would be 36,9%, a value that is similar to the one of the Solaris but still a bit bigger than the one of the Grand Soleil. 

Anyway, even the B/D Grand Soleil value is much bigger than what we will find on mass production boats and in what regards performance and ORC/IRC rating, after some point in B/D (taking into account draft) the ballast has to do with performance options, losing on strong wind situations and winning on light wind due to having a lighter boat. That is not by accident that the Grand Soleil, being the one with less ballast is also the lighter boat and by a big margin.

Grand Soleil 44P

Saying this I do prefer boats with a bigger B/D but it is good not to forget that the transom design of the other boats give a bit more form stability than what is provided by the J45 hull due to its option for a beam not brought back, that results in a smaller transom. Also, it should be said that the J45 hull, even if doesn't seem, it is a beamy one and beam is a major contributor to hull form stability.

I have no doubt that the J45 will have a very good sailing performance and that the rating would be favorable for ORC/IRC racing, with an excellent upwind and light wind performance, but the option for a narrow transom has other disadvantages in what regards cruising, namely the smaller available space for the aft cabins and for storage on the back of the boat.                                                                                                             Above, J45e, below Solaris 44

For having similar storage space on a boat with a narrow transom you need to make it longer, occupying a bigger interior length that results on the J45 in lack of space to provide a sail locker/storage space at the bow.

Due to this, the J45 will offer a considerable smaller outside storage space than any of the other boats and that can be translated into the need of using one of the aft cabins for storage purposes, if long cruising periods are to be considered as well as living aboard for a considerable period of time.

That can be a problem if three available cabins are considered necessary, and not a problem if only two cabins are necessary, but even in this case the absence of a sail locker to store a gennaker and a storm sail can be a nuisance and it is difficult to understand on a boat like the J45.

Nicer optional bigger bowsprit.

On the positive side this boat comes already equipped with many items that come as options on the other considered boats, like the bowsprit, the traveler for the main, the 6 winches, genoa tracks and hydraulic backstay adjuster. Well positive, if you want them, an unnecessary increase in price if you don't, but I trust that, contrary to all clients of the other brands, all Jboats clients would want all that equipment that translates itself on a bigger standard price.

The price, 429.975 euros, without taxes and at the shipyard, is similar to one of the X4-6 (424 700 euros), taking into consideration what was said above. Even if considering that they come with less sail equipment, the Grand Soleil 44P  (319 000 euros) and the Solaris 44 (314.000 euros) are less expensive.

The interior seems very well designed, cozy and agreeable and it is to be expected the high quality and finish that are typical on the J/boat e-series. The very light wood finish is something new on Jboats. I am very curious to see this interior, but if they look as good as in the drawings, it will be very nice.

The building is of high-quality, using the same materials and building techniques (infusion, cored hulls and decks, vinylester resins) as the yachts I am comparing it with and the differences will be in details, like a steel frame on the X-yachts versus a structure made of composite frames, sometimes carbon-reinforced, on all others or all maritime plywood bulkheads versus some of them made in cored composite. All of the bulkheads are laminated and bonded to the hull and deck. 

The J45 is a  new performance cruiser that will increase the performance cruiser choices on probably the most popular market segment, the one between 43/46 ft, and a different choice, given the "traditional" looking hull, with the beam not brought back and small transom. 

 

I should add that the hull design, and particularly transom design will not have a negative influence on sailing performance if we take into account the use that will be given to most cruising sailboats, meaning sailing in the Med, Baltic and Caribbean on the "right" season, with light to medium winds, and on those circumstances may even have an advantage over most designs that look much more modern to the eye.

The disadvantage will be downwind with stronger winds and not only in speed but on the easiness in controlling the yacht with an autopilot. Even if the boat is used for passage and crossing oceans, most of the time it   will be sailed out of the trade winds (unless it is used for a circumnavigation) and there this hull design would not be at a disadvantage, particularly out of strong winds, as it was shown on the efficacity they have shown at the last Middle of the Sea race.

Certainly, an elegant and fast yacht that I hope can find a market, even if I don't believe that transom design will help with the sales or the price, but maybe I am wrong, and many sailors were just waiting for a fast performance cruiser with traditional lines and a "traditional" transom.