J/47
Description
The J/47 is a rare American high-performance cruiser-racer designed by Rod Johnstone (of the J/Boats family) and built by J/Boats in partnership with Tillotson-Pearson (TPI Composites) in the United States, using advanced fiberglass sandwich construction (balsa core with SCRIMP infusion for lightweight strength and durability). Introduced around 1990–1991 as an evolution/extension of the successful J/44 platform (adding length via an extended stern, taller rig, deeper keel modifications, and increased displacement for better offshore capability), it was aimed at fast cruising, short-handed handling, and competitive racing under rules like IMS/PHRF/CHS. It features a masthead sloop rig (with some references to modified setups), deep fin keel with bulb (often updated, e.g., Mars Metal modifications in examples reducing draft from ~8'10" original to ~7'4"), spade rudder for responsive steering, spacious cockpit, and a comfortable three-stateroom interior (with high-gloss varnished soles, LED lighting in refits, galley, nav station, and storage) suited to extended passages or family use—praised in owner reports for exceptional upwind pointing, light-air speed (often outsailing windspeed), stability, and ease for 1–2 people. Production was extremely limited (only a handful built, with estimates of 3–5 hulls or fewer, as a semi-custom extension of the J/44 line rather than a full production model), making it one of the scarcest J/Boats designs today—surviving examples (like "Tenacious," a 1991 hull in Marion, MA, or refitted ones in Rhode Island) are occasionally listed as classics with strong performance pedigrees.
Construction Details
| Designer | Rod Johnstone |
|---|---|
| Builder | J/Boats |
| Length | 47.000 ft |
| LOA | 47.000 ft |
| Max Draft | 7.400 ft |
| Year Built | 1990 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 60.53 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 17.18 ft |
| p | 53.50 ft |
| e | 20.39 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60.53 ft | 17.18 ft | 53.50 ft | 20.39 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
J/47 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 53.5 ft - (16307 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20.39 ft - (6215 mm) |
| Leech | * 56.41 ft - (17194 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88.01 ° |
| Diagonal | * 56.59 ft - (17249 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 544.91 ft² |
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J/47 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 50.34 ft - (15344 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.34 ft - (6809 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.53 ft - (13573 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.76 ft - (6023 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 497.23 ft² |
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J/47 - GENOA
| Luff | * 59.77 ft - (18218 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 27.4 ft - (8352 mm) |
| Leech | * 56.67 ft - (17273 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.77 ft - (7855 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 770.24 ft² |
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J/47 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 59.77 ft - (18218 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 30.92 ft - (9424 mm) |
| Foot | * 30.92 ft - (9424 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1570.88 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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