Sail1Design Editor

It started when Bruce Kirby’s home club (Noroton Yacht Club, Darien, CT USA) couldn’t find the right boat to get their members involved in club racing; fewer and fewer of its members were participating.

They studied a great many existing classes of boats but all were considered too expensive, too slow, too demanding to sail, or just plain uncomfortable. So Bruce was asked to design a new boat specifically to meet the requirements of a club racing one-design keelboat fleet.

It had to be exciting to race, but easy to handle by sailors of all ages, strengths and skill levels. It had to be a really good day sailor, spacious and comfortable to sit in all day long. It had to be trailerable, plus easy to launch for wet or dry sailing. Plus a safe, well behaved training boat to help teach new sailors how to sail and have fun doing it. Finally, it had to have a good but uncomplicated set of class rules.

The prototype Sonar sailing off Noroton, March, 1980.

The result was the Sonar. The Noroton Yacht Club got every thing they wanted and more. And the Sonar has been greeted with enthusiasm by individuals and clubs all over the world.

When the Sonar was designed and orders taken for the first fleet of boats at Noroton Yacht Club, in Darien, Connecticut, the original fleet members recognized a need to create an organization with a Constitution, By-laws and Class Rules that control the growth of the class. Early membership was just a few key people, but these people had a passion for this new and very special boat and their passion spread as new fleets sprang up around North America. Early membership grew at a rapid pace as boats were built. Sonars worldwide now number over 700 with fleets in over six countries.

loa 23’    
beam 7’1”
sail area 250 ft²
spinnaker area 245 ft²
hull weight 2100 lbs.
crew 3-4
# of boats built not known
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

Class website:
http://www.sonar.org/

One touch of the helm and you’ll understand the loving loyalty of Yngling owners worldwide. The boat simply sails beautifully.

Those familiar with the Soling will instantly recognize the Yngling as a “mini-Soling,” a description which is quite apt. In the Yngling (pronounced “ING-ling”), designer Jan Linge basically duplicated his Soling, making it smaller, more suitable for average-sized people, easier to trail (behind even a four-cylinder car), and less expensive to own. The Yngling shares the Soling’s sleek hull form, well-balanced rig, and responsive helm. While the Yngling is not as fast as the Soling, it is quicker, and more nimble. It turns more quickly and in less distance, and responds better to crew weight trim adjustments.

The Yngling is designed to sail with three crew (although two can handle it easily). Optimal crew weight is 400 to 500 lbs., so the Yngling accommodates both juniors and normally sized adults, and it is the ideal women’s racing boat (in fact, IYRU selected the Yngling for its first International Women’s Championship in 1994, and ISAF chose it as the boat for the 2004 Olympic women’s keelboat event). Sail controls on the Yngling are easy to manage, and the effects of small adjustments are felt by the crew. The Yngling sails in a delicate and fast upwind groove.

loa 20.8’
beam 5.6’
sail area 150 ft²
spinnaker area __ ft²
hull weight 1422 lbs.
crew 3
# of boats built not known
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY

Class website:
http://www.yngling.org/

The International J/22 is a popular fixed keel one design racing sailboat normally raced with a crew of three or four people (total crew weight is restricted to 275 kg/605 lb).

Because of its strict one design rule, older boats are equally competitive with new boats. It races with the “class jib,” a non-overlapping jib, a mainsail, and a large spinnaker. The boat is capable of planing on reaches and runs.

According to its builder, “Since its introduction in 1983, the J/22 has blossomed into an International class now with 1,600+ boats sailing in 65 fleets in 18 countries. Over 130 boats sailed in the 2004 World Championship. On the merits of its sailing characteristics, widespread popularity and small crew number (3-4), J/22 continues to be the boat of choice and is selected again for the 2005 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship in Annapolis, MD.”

loa 22’    
beam 8’
sail area ft²
spinnaker area 480 ft²
hull weight 1790 lbs.
crew 3-4
# of boats built 1600
active US fleets NJ, PA, MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY, TX, LA

Class website:
http://www.j22.org/

The International J/24 is the world’s most popular one-design keelboat. It was designed by Rod Johnstone in 1976 and since then over 5200 hulls have been produced. It was the first J-boat and was based on Rod Johnstone’s 1976 garage-built prototype ‘Ragtime.’

The first production J/24 was built in 1977, and the J/24s overwhelmed MORC Int’ls in Annapolis that year.

The class is established in nearly 40 countries with well over 100 active fleets. J/24s are usually raced with a crew of five, but class rules require only that there be at least three crew, with a total combined weight under 400kg.

# of boats built 6000
active US fleets NJ, MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY, TX, LA
Class website:
http://www.j24class.org/

The Melges 24 hitting the scene in 1993, is a one-design class of sailboat commonly used for racing. With a very large asymmetrical spinnaker and retractable bowsprit, he boat is notable for its ability to plane over the water downwind in modest winds, and for its combination of a simple design that is highly tune-able. This is a fairly technical boat and has a very competitive class.

The boat’s hull is made from lightweight fiberglass. The mast, rudder, bowsprit, and keel fin are made from carbon fiber for light weight. The hull is generally flat on the bottom, making it plane easily. The 630 pound (286 kg) keel bulb can retract up to the hull bottom to make it easier to put on a trailer.

The boat is generally raced with a crew of four or five. Because the boat sails faster with a heavier crew, class rules for racing limit crew weight to 793 pounds (360 kg) total. Unlike most spinnaker-rigged keelboats, the Melges 24 is designed so that no foredeck work is required to fly the spinnaker; it is launched, trimmed, and doused from the cockpit.

loa 24’    
beam 8’2”
sail area 390 ft²
spinnaker area 670 ft² (!)
hull weight 1783 lbs.
crew 4-5
# of boats built 700 +
active US fleets MD, FL, CA, MA, CT, RI, VA, NY, TX, LA

Class website:
http://www.melges24.com/

When your home is near the water, J/105 may be your ideal sailboat. Count up the number of nights spent sleeping aboard and compare that to the number of picnic sails when you would have liked a larger, more comfortable cockpit. J/105 is the answer. Her large cockpit combined with simple 4-5 berth week-ending layout results in two significant owner benefits: (1) A savings of $50,000 in little-used furniture, systems and cabinetry needed for extended cruising, and (2) A boat that’s easier to handle, more comfortable in waves and more fun to sail for its size. J/105 has the stability, rig and sail controls to handle 15-20 knot winds without the need of reefing. It has the strength and seaworthiness for ocean going passages.

Sailing World Magazine’s panel of experts selected J/105 as Boat-of-the-Year among racer-cruisers in 1992. Since then over 630 have been launched worldwide, fulfilling a variety of needs. Enthusiasm for this great boat continues to blossom with an active owner’s association and owner maintained web site to help you get the most from your boat.  J/105 is the most successful modern one-design keelboat class over 30′ in the World. There are one-design starts in virtually every major sailing center across the US and several class starts across Europe. Single handed sailors have raced and cruised to Bermuda; an older couple is enjoys cruising in Maine and winning the Monhegan Race after giving up their Alden 54; and America’s Cup helmsman race for prize money around the country in a professional match racing circuit.

loa 34.5’
beam 11’
sail area 577 ft² w/100% jib
spinnaker area
hull weight 7,750 lbs.
crew 1,045 lbs
# of boats built 665
active US fleets CA, MA, NY, LA, FL, OK, TX, ME, MD, NJ, CT, RI

Class website:
http://www.j105.org/

It is probably safe to say that no racer-cruiser in the annals of fiberglass sailboat production elevated the self-esteem of sailors as dramatically as the J/35. When it was introduced in the spring of 1983, it was the closest thing ever seen to instant gratification in an offshore handicap racer and one-design. If it is an exaggeration to say that new owners stepped aboard, raised the sails and began winning races, it is a small one.

What made the J/35’s dazzling performance so accessible to sailors of varying experience and ability? Primarily it was its pure hull form, a sweet easily driven shape free of the rating rule-induced exaggerations that made other handicap racers of the 1980s cranky and difficult to sail. With its light weight and long sailing length, big but uncomplicated rig and sensible deck layout, the J/35 was graced with a responsive yet forgiving nature over a wide range of conditions.

These endearing characteristics gave the J/35 a parallel life as cruising boat. Easily handled by a family, it offered plenty of space below for accommodations that were plain but practical.

The J/35 was created in response to a downturn in the U.S. economy. To attract buyers in the offshore racer-cruiser category, the brothers who ran J Boats, Bob Johnstone, who handled marketing, and Rod Johnstone, designer of the J line, decided to modify one of Rod’s earlier designs, the J/36. With a slightly shorter hull, improved keel with a lower center of gravity and a masthead, instead of fractional, rig and cost reductions realized by eliminating wheel-steering and making some cabin amenities optional, the new 35-footer, offered at a base price $49,500 ($30,000 less than its predecessor), was an instant hit.  More than 170 boats (built by TPI) were sold in the first three years; there are 330 sailing today. One-design racing activity has been strong since the J/35 debuted-as many as three dozen of the powerful 35-footers have been on the starting line for class championships. The fact that the field is more level in J/35 class racing because of the boat’s forgiving nature has not deterred some of the world’s top sailors from competing in class events.

The boat’s greatest impact, however, has been in handicap racing. How ironic that this boat designed with a conscientious disregard for any handicap rule is one of the most successful handicap racing boats ever. It has taken honors in major offshore races around the world, including even the singlehanded transatlantic race. It is the most popular racer-cruiser rated by the IMS. In spite of a challenging PHRF rating more common to 40-footers, the J/35 remains a perennial winner in club racing.

Mainly, though, the J/35’s appeal endures today for the same reason the boat was immediately popular when it was introduced 16 years ago-because, in the words of Bob Johnstone, it is “a magical boat that turns good sailors into great sailors.”

-Bill Schanen, Sailing Magazine

loa 35’ 5”
beam 11’ 8”
sail area 663 ft² w/100% jib
spinnaker area ft²
hull weight 10,500 lbs.
crew
# of boats built >330
active US fleets

Class website:
http://www.j35.org/

The Melges 32™ is a superior racer with a big, high performance attitude. It is the culmination of the finest in progressive sailboat engineering and design by Reichel/Pugh, the craft and professional talent of Paul Amon at SOCA Sailboats in Trinidad and Melges Performance Sailboats’ incomparable experience and acumen. The Melges 32 takes one design racing to the next level.

The M32™ features a lean-and-mean, supersonic-sleek hull shape and sports a simple interior, very clean deck layout and rig making it truly the ultimate day racer. It is by far the most comfortable boat in the 30-foot range. If one prefers to race overnight, pipe berths can be added for sleeping comfort. It boasts a large, powerful sail plan that makes it a cinch to sail and seriously fast. Swept spreaders with a fixed backstay, 105% headsails and masthead asymmetrical spinnakers will remind you of another Melges phenomenon — the Melges 24™!

The Melges 32 is easily launched via ramp and when equipped with a gin pole, it can be rigged without the assistance of a crane to step the mast.

Strict one design class rules govern the M32s amateur owner/driver requirements, professional crew limitations and crew weight maximum to limit the number of crew.

loa 31’ 10”
beam 9’ 10”’
sail area 699 ft² w/100% jib
spinnaker area 1,302 ft²
hull weight 3900 lbs.
crew 5
# of boats built
active US fleets

Class website:
http://www.melges32.com/