J/24

Specifications Under Current Rules
Number of crew 3-5 LOA 7.32 m 24 ft (7.3 m) LWL 6.10 m 20 ft (6.1 m) Beam 2.71 m 8.9 ft (2.7 m) Hull weight (with fittings) 1,406 kg 3,100 lb (1,400 kg) Sail area with 100% headsail 261 sq ft 24.25 m I 8.00 m 26.25 ft (8.00 m) J 2.90 m 9.5 ft (2.9 m) P 8.53 m 28.00 ft (8.53 m) E 2.97 m 9.75 ft (2.97 m)

The J24 Ragtime

The J/24 is an International One-Design keelboat class as defined by the International Sailing Federation^[1]. The J/24 is a one design class created to fulfill the diverse needs of recreational sailors such as cruising, one design racing, day sailing and handicap racing^[2].

The J/24 is the world's most popular One-Design keelboat as measured by hulls produced^{[3][4][5][6][7][8]}.

History

In the summer of 1975 Rodney Johnstone designed and built hull number 1 in his garage in Stonington, Connecticut. "Ragtime" would serve as the master mould for the subsequent hulls. This design allowed him to start the very successful J-Boat company with his brother Bob Johnstone. By 1978 the class was popular enough to hold a one-design regatta in Key West with twenty boats on the line.^{[citation needed]}

Current Status

As of January 2009 approximately 5,475^[9] J/24s have been produced. Approximately 20 new boats were produced in 2008, the average price of complete new boat without sails was approximately GBP20,000^[9].

The International J/24 class has more than 50,000 people^[7] sailing 5,300 boats worldwide; is established in nearly 40 countries with well over 150 active fleets; and is still considered the "gold standard" for modern one-design keelboats around the world.

Authority, rules and regulations

The international authority for the class is the ISAF, which shall cooperate with the International J/24 Class Association on all matters regarding these rules. Interpretations of these rules shall be made by the ISAF, which in coming to its decision may consult the International J/24 Class Association and the copyright holder^[2].

The International J24 Class Association (IJCA) has the sole authority worldwide for the conduct and management of the International J/24 Class. The IJCA Constitution, the By-laws and other regulations are binding on all members, and all registered J/24s shall conform to Class Rules and any limitations imposed by the IJCA and ISAF^[10]. IJCA is a "not-for-profit" organization.

Current rules (as well as the history of changes) for the International J/24 Class is available from the International Sailing Federation web site^[11]

Crew requirements

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 882lbs (400kg).

Reasons for it's popularity

While some of the world's best J/24 sailors have the latest version J/24, a well-prepared 1977 model, built to the same shape and weight with rigid end-grained balsa core construction can still win sailing the class world championship even after 30,000+ miles of trailering^[7]. This is one of the many advantages of One-Design sailing.

It is fairly easy and inexpensive to get hold of a used boat due to the number of boats produced. There are 136 active fleets in the US alone^[12], which offer a lot of race competition. This makes the J/24 a popular boat for beginners and experienced sailors.

Manufacturers / Builders

The boat is not manufactured by the designer. The manufacturing is done by multiple companies around the world in France, USA, Italy and Argentina^[13]. J/24s shall be built only by builders licensed to do so under the copyright of J Boats, Inc., and shall comply with the building specifications detailed by the copyright holder^[11].

See also

• Sailing
• J/22
• J/27
• J/105
• sloop

References

External links

• International J/24 Class Association
• USA J/24 Class Association
• List of all national J/24 Class Associations
• J-Boat Website

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