New OZ sportsboat

JS 9000 makes its European debut at Dusseldorf Boat Show next week

The JS9000 was specifically designed as a fast, easy to sail and inexpensive racing yacht. The aim was for it to be raced by two well-intentioned, keen, but not particularly fit sailors in their 40s who didn't want hard work, didn't want big crews, didn't want to hike. Also it had to require absolutely minimal expenditure and most of all be a boat that was fast, very fast. This was the simple brief, along with being first in the bar.

The JS 9000 is also a direct development from John Swarbrick's America's Cup and Whitbread design work (he designed one of Chris Dickson's two Whitbread 60s for the 1993/4 race). She is small in volume and sail area. Long and skinny you can fit a number these boats into a container if the need arise.

She is made using GRP infusion as this allows for quick and quality production. The rig is extremely straight forward with minimal controls:

- self tacking / furling jib
- assymetric spinnaker flown from the bow - no bowsprit
- below deck lines with a single central control pod and a single winch
- the only surface lines are spinnaker sheet and jib sheet forward

The motion of the boat through the water is very easy, it points well, it runs deep and in a puff it just goes faster. The windward/leeward crew positioning makes little difference in performance.

There is nothing particularly novel about any aspect of the boat, it is just a highly developed product with a very specific objective. We are not trying to be everything to everyone but we do give ourselves a big tick under FAST, EASY TO SAIL and ECONOMICAL.

Our preliminary retail price is likely to be £17,500 (28,200 Euro/55,200DM) including VAT, shipping from Australia, full rigging, main and jib

Dimensions:

LOA: 9.12m (30')
Displacement: 730kg
Draft: 2.15m
Sail area (main and jib) 23.5sqm
Mast: tapered aluminium
Foils: Lifting keel & removable rudder
Hull & Deck: GRP Composite Infusion