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Black-sailed racing yachts close together at a start
Photo: Royce Fonseca / Unsplash

J/99

Production boat · Alan Johnstone · J/Boats · since 2019

Boats
9
Results
27
Wins
11
Races
10
Length
9.94m
Beam
3.4m
Draft
2m
Weight
3.8t
Sail area
59.2m²
Official builder page
OverviewCompareBoats9Races10

Why sailors choose the J/99

The J/99 is a 32-foot offshore racer aimed squarely at the boom in double-handed racing, and many early buyers bought it for that. Testers found it agile, well balanced and set up for two, with a fixed sprit and hank-on jibs that suit offshore work. It gets heavy on the helm when overpowered in strong gusts, and the interior is basic.

  • Designed for double-handed offshore racing
  • Cockpit laid out for two; easy to tack solo
  • Responsive, balanced helm; quick in gusts
  • Fixed bowsprit with Code 0 and spinnaker set-up
  • Overpowered and heavy-helmed in gusts above 20 knots
  • Spartan interior

Our note

Most successful

  1. 1Gorilon6 wins · 7 results
  2. 2Calypso2 wins · 3 results
  3. 3Jipi1 win · 5 results

Specifications

Production boat

Designer
Alan Johnstone
Builder
J/Boats
First built
2019
Length
9.94m
Waterline
8.72m
Beam
3.4m
Draft
2m
Displacement
3,800kg
Ballast
1,520kg
Sail area upwind
59.2m²
Keel
bulb

Published figures for the design; individual boats are often modified. Sources: boat-specs.com

What sailors and testers say · in our words, from the linked pages

  • She found it nimble and fun to hand-steer, with a cockpit suited to two, and over half of early buyers planned short-handed racing.

    Yachting World test by offshore sailor Pip Hare · Yachting World, 2019

  • In gusts above 20 knots the jib felt overpowered and the helm loaded up under the big spinnaker; she suggested twin rudders for long reaching.

    Yachting World test by Pip Hare · Yachting World, 2019