Australian beauty

One of the best looking 'sheilas' at Southampton Boat Show is the JS9000

JS9000

One of the most attractive keelboats at Southampton Boat Show is the Australian-built JS9000.

This is what might be termed a modern classic. Designed by John Swarbrick (right) the JS9000 was first featured on madforsailing back in January, and we were thoroughly impressed seeing this boat in the flesh at the show. The boat has extremely pleasing lines and is very slender with a beam of 1.72m - just 0.9m at the waterline - on her 9.125m overall length. Judging from the reaction of passers-by at the time of our visit, we were not alone in our reaction.

"We wanted to design an offshore racing yacht that was spectacularly fast yet easily controlled by only two or three crew members without having to rely on crew strength, agility or weight", says John Swarbrick of her concept. "With the JS9000 we have been successful on all counts and at a very affordable price. In fact, she is so well mannered she can safely be sailed single-handed."

JS Yachts who now market the boat from Poole say she is easily sailed by two and this gives her an advantage over Etchells, 707s, 1720s, J/24s and other boats of this size where you comfortably need more than this.

Her sail plan is relatively modest at 27.2sqm, but has a high aspect ratio with a square cut head to the mainsail - like a Tornado and a small self tacking blade jib. This may mean she is a bit underpowered when it is light.

She has an asymmetric spinnaker tacked to the bow and launched from a 'turtle' secured in the companionway. The mast has a single set of swept-back spreaders with upper and lower shrouds and no backstay. All lines from the mast are fed back to a business-like centre console where there is a central winch.
The standard boat comes with a fixed keel and spade rudder, although options are available to have both lifting. The boat is sold without pulpit, pushpit, stanchions and lifelines, although this perhaps added to her looks when we saw her on the marina at the show.

Unusually for a boat of this type - there is the option of having two bunks down below, a head and small galley, although this is hard to imagine even for unfeasibly slender crew covered in a suitable lubricant.

The JS9000 costs £17,500 inc VAT. Among the extras are sails (available in polyester/mylar or mylar/Kevlar), jib roller reefing, outboard bracket and outboard and a trailer. At the show JS Yachts had a special package deal for the standard boat, plus jib roller reefing, outboard and bracket, companionway hatch, deck operated bilge pump for £19,995 inc VAT.

We want one...

Vital statistics

LOA: 9.125m
LWL: 8.05m
Beam: 1.72m
Draft keel down/ keel up: 2m/0.55m
Displacement/ Ballast: 750Kg/500Kg
Sail area, main and jib: 27.2 sqm
Asymmetric spinnaker: 45 sqm

More photos on the following pages:

Note the high aspect ratio, square topped main