Sailing

Is that a traveler up front for a self tacking jib?

 

Here is a shoot of us tuning up for Transpac this summer.

 

That’s what it looks like. It’s not my boat.

 

One cool boat, very awesome how the boat is still a weapon after all these years and the design is still a a winner. Podium finish it looks like?

 

Is this boat a J/105?

 

Yeah the J/125 are very special boats, they were speedy when new and took a few years to figure out how to get them sailing fast. With new sail designs and weight reduction over the years they keep getting better and faster. We were second this year in TransPac, it was a great trip we left a bit on the race course and the other guys did not.

 

Bob Johnstone is a good designer.

 

Honestly they made a few good designs and a lot of shitty ones. They have a huge marketing strategy that’s makes them as big as they are.

Think about it this way the j/24 and the moore 24 were released at the same time. One was an international success but a total pos. The other a west coast classic with a cult following.

 

Two friends of mine raced a Moore 24 in a Double Handed in Pacific Cup. They were crazy. They also raced a Hobie 33 in the TransPac.

 

I love my J80 and the J105s I race on in terms of how easy they are. The thing I hate is the balsa core and light construction.

 

Small world. What year did they double hand the Pac cup?

I double handed a moore 24 in the 2016 Pac cup. We had a great trip a little over 10 days.

 

I think the best j boats built were the j90, and the j125. They were truly amazing designs without care for luxury. I have driven a j125 to almost wind speed in flat water, we hit 24 knots of boat speed in 26 knots of breeze.

 

Probably 20 years ago. 25 maybe. We were living in Oxnard at that time. Kevin Miller ran a North Sail loft there. He and a buddy, can't remember his name at this moment, did it.

 

J-boats did turn into a huge corporation, and they suffered all of the problems fat American corporations suffer as far as quality control and build quality. What do all of you think of Tartan Do you think they are well made?

 

Never got to sail one. I was big into sailing, and delivery, and instruction, 25 years ago, and then they were nice boats. Used to have to make the Boat Show Circuit in SoCal back then, and they really had some pretty boats. Don't know what most of them are doing these days.

 

Tartans are typically sturdy and good looking boat. But every manufacture has some builds to be look at. Before I bought my J80 I was seriously looking at a old tartan 41 S&S design. Wonderful boat for a cruiser/ racer but it was to much of a project and owner was delusional. As it had wet core above the waterline and 20 year old sails.

The next boat I want is a quest 30 or 33s. I got to drive a 33S around a bunch a few summers ago. Exactly what I want in a boat.

What ever you buy a survey is almost always worth the money. Even if it’s just for the typical inflated replacement value to use for the insurance.

 

J/125's are amazing. I raced on Snoopy 20 years ago.

 

I think Tartans are good boats, both past and present. Tim Jackett has designed almost all Tartans in the past 25 years. They are on my shortlist of retirement boats for some planned world cruising.

 

We had a close cross with Snoopy at midnight on the 3rd night of Transpac. We were on port and had to luff up at 15 knots of boat speed to keep clear.