Another great achievement for the new J/99, winning SAIL magazine Best Performance Boat 31+ Award.
Here is some commentary from the SAIL Best Boats Judges:
“It was a fun year for SAIL’s Best Boats judges with a number of mid-sized performance boats to sail trial. Alas, the downside to having so many boats to choose from is also having to pick a winner. This was especially tough because of the variety of boats involved. In the end, our judges decided to give the J/99 the nod for two reasons: build quality and breadth of sailing ability.
With respect to the build quality, the J/99 is wonderfully constructed: top to bottom, stem to stern. Topsides, the boat continues designer Al Johnstone’s use of plumb ends and elegantly sculpted cabin trunk to create a look that is all business, yet still elegant.
Belowdecks, the saloon and accommodations are well laid out, with just enough woodwork to keep things from looking sterile while still saving owners a lot of maintenance headaches. The rig is aluminium with a fixed sprit for flying an A-sail. The layup, overall finish and hardware installations are top-notch.
With respect to sailing ability, what most impressed our judges was the combination of performance and versatility, all in a surprisingly low-key package. On the one hand, with its tiller and carefully apportioned cockpit, the boat is perfect for such offshore events as the Chicago-Mac race, whether fully crewed or shorthanded. On the other, it’s also the perfect boat for beer-can racing or just tooling around the harbour on a sunny day. Successfully combining these two types of sailing in a single 32ft sloop is no mean feat— and the reason our judges chose the J/99 as the winner in a very strong field.”
J/BOATS AUSTRALIA 