j22 sailboat top speed

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• Last update: 13rd March 2020

J/22's main features

J/22's main dimensions, j/22's rig and sails, j/22's performances, j/22's auxiliary engine, j/22's accommodations and layout.

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• Sailboat Guide

J/22 is a 22 ′ 6 ″ / 6.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Rod Johnstone and built by J Boats and Waterline Systems, LLC starting in 1983.

• 2 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 3 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 4 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 5 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 6 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 7 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 8 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 9 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 10 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 11 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 12 / 18 Houston, TX, US 2002 J/22 $14,500 USD View
• 13 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 14 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 15 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 16 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 17 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View
• 18 / 18 Mooresville, NC, US 1989 J/22 $10,000 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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The J22 is a 22.5ft fractional sloop designed by Johnstone and built in fiberglass by J Boats since 1983.

The J22 is a light sailboat which is a very high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

J22 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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People say the J/22 is the best sailing boat they’ve ever been on. It’s responsive, stable with a fixed lead keel and safe, as much fun to singlehand with main only as it is to plane under spinnaker in 18 knots of wind. J/22 at 1800 lbs can be towed behind an SUV and be launched with the local yacht club hoist. With its easy-to-rig, deck stepped mast, you can be from trailer to sailing in 30 minutes. The key to J/22’s success is its durability. Hulls and decks are built with Baltek cored laminates to withstand years of hard use. 12-15 year old boats routinely win major J/22 championships.

The boat that appeals to all ages and skill levels is now generating more interest than ever before. With new boats under construction and available in Rhode Island, you can have world class speed right out of the box.

J/22 Specifications

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Inside the Classes: J/22

• By David Reed
• Updated: May 6, 2018

As the local J/22 class measurer, Jeffrey Todd, of Annapolis, Maryland, knows the boats far more intimately than he may want to admit. Some say he can practically measure one simply by looking at it on its trailer. He’ll honestly tell you there’s not much difference between them, but still, he knows a fast boat when it shows up on the market.

“From the old TPI built boats there are some good one,” he says. The same is true of those built by Waterline Systems, the last U.S. builder to pull boats from the mold. “There are no superfast boats, but good boats are spread around.” One major difference between the two builders’ runs, he says, are that the mast steps are different. As a result, headstay length is a key measurement and mast rake is something an owner can experiment with.

Introduced in 1983 and now numbering nearly 1,700 boats worldwide, the J/22 is the type of boat that Todd says one can buy and fix up inexpensively. “[A used boat] could be anywhere from 5 to 20 thousand dollars, depending upon on how well it’s been maintained,” he says. “All you have to do is check the bulkheads for water damage, and other than that it’s simple boat to get into.”

Technical differences on the water come down to having a good set of sails and the rig tune right. But sometimes, he adds, the differences are substantial: “We seem to want to have the keel forward these days,” says Todd. “It’s like the J/24 in that you are always trying to get the keel forward. The boats don’t have a lot of helm so you create it with rake.”

Todd bought his first J/22 in 2004, getting out of the more demanding Melges 24, in advance of the J/22 World Championship that same year. “We finished 22nd and they did two fleets. It was always Annapolis-type conditions with current, windshifts, and the wind up and down, but we were very new. It was a lot of fun, a good experience.”

The simplicity of the J/22 is its greatest appeal, says Todd, but that doesn’t prevent the top guys from extracting the one-percent speed advantage, which ultimately makes a difference around the race track.

“They’re simple, yes, but we’re some of the older guys in the fleet and try and share our knowledge. A lot of yacht clubs around the country are buying J/22s as club boats so we’re losing some of our used boats to the clubs.” It’s harder today, therefore, to find one.”

As to his own desire to join the J/22 ranks, Todd says it was an opportunity to get back to boat that was easier to sail and required fewer crew. “It’s faster than the Sonar and it handles a bit better,” he says. “It’s a great little boat to sail; fun and lively with no engine so we have to sail in and out.”

In terms of boatspeed and success in J/22 racing, Todd reinforces the importance of rig tune. “A lot of it is mast rake on your particular boat,” he says. There are good tuning guides to start with then it’s a matter of finding the best sailing characteristics of your boat. “Rake is the hardest thing to calibrate in, but once it’s set, you don’t have to mess with it that much.”

It’s a well-traveled class as well, with championships north, south, east, and west, and for Todd, regatta travel has given he and his longtime teammates many a memorable week on the road. His favorite sailing sojourn was a recent class championship in Kingston, Ontario in Canada. “The wind and waves were fun,” says Todd, “but so too was finishing third overall, his best finish at a world championship in Buffalo, New York.

The J/22 World Championships are in September, with 40 something boats entered months out from the first race. Todd is hopeful it gets up to 75 or so and that would be plenty of competition for the already hypercompetitive team. “It should be a good event. I’m the measurement coordinator for the event, so I get to make sure the boats are up to snuff and then sail the event myself.”

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Capri 22 vs. J-22

• Thread starter Brett Hamm
• Start date Jul 19, 2001
• Forums for All Owners
• Destinations

I'm looking for a first boat & want something performance-oriented that is a good racer but can also accomodate a family with toddlers on a day sail. The Capri 22 looks like a good fit, and easily available. I'm interested to hear from anyone with thoughts on how this boat compares to the J-22.Many thanks,Brett  

Capri 25 better for family Brett,get a Capri 25, much better boat for Daysailing with the family. Much more room, big cockpit, very fun to sail.  

Capri 22 I can't comment on the J-22, but we have a toddler and a Capri 22. While there are times that I would like a larger boat such as a Catalina 25, I still have to say that we are delighted with our Capri 22. It works fine for us, and has enough performance to outrun a lot of what is on our lake, not withstanding that I've only been sailing a couple of years.We did add safety netting, and use a tether to keep our daughter from jumping overboard. While the cabin is not as big as it would be on a C-25, it has enough room for her, and is designed such that the seats/berths are at a good height for her to stand in between on the floor and play with things, or to climb up and fool around on the berths if she wants. The forward hatch is also at a great height for her to stand on the v-berth and look out.If I were shopping for a Capri 22 again, I would definately go for the racing package, simply because I think it makes a lot of sailing more convenient than without it. I would struggle over whether to get the fin keel or the wing keel, noting that we have the fin keel now, and love the extra stability it gives the boat. I understand the wing keel can make the boat a bit "tippier", and hence would stay away from the tall rig if I got the wing keel. On the other hand with the fin keel, we need to have the boat lifted in and out of the water, rather than launching from a trailer on a ramp, which is a down side. All in all though, given the fact that we have very little problem with shallow water where we are, I would probably opt for the fin keel again.One other option I would get, is the optional galley that is now available. The primary reason that I think about going up to a C-25 or C-27 is for the extra room when cruising. As a day sailer the Capri 22 is hard to beat.Good luck on the choice.George  

Jamie Downing

J is faster The J/22 is faster, hands down. The J also has a nicer spar, rigging, etc. and is VERY well built. But the J/22 has a small uncomfortable cockpit and can be a bit crouded with more the 3 people. The Capri has bigger interior and more "usable" space. It's a trade off speed vs. comfort. For the money, you can get a nicer Capri 22 (AND never seen a race course!)  

I race in a one design fleet of Capri 22, wing keel standard rig boats. In the PHRF fleet we have some J22s. The Js are faster, however they do not have lifelines, they do have a fin keel and are built for racing. A fin keel and the tall rig would probably make the Capri 22 much more competative with the J. The Capri 22 can acomodate 4 adults while racing and possibly more if cruising. The wing keel draws 2.5 feet and works quite well as long as you keep the boat up to speed. Once you slow down the keel starts to loose effectivnes and more leeway is the result. The standard rig is fairly powerful and the helm is very responsive. I would recomend the Capri over the J for multi pupose use and the J over the Capri for racing only.  

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Add two 29 mm T2 blocks on the clew for a 2:1 purchase. Use Ratchamatic® cheek blocks for free-handed cross sheeting in moderate breeze and the #6 Harken winch when the wind picks up. Total adjustability from the weather rail.

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Class History

The J/22 is a pleasure to own, trailerable and fun to sail. With its easy-to-rig deck stepped mast, crew can get from trailer to sailing in 30 minutes. This weight sensitive boat appeals to all ages and skill levels, with 12 to 15 year old boats routinely winning major championships. Below, two deck layouts help access sheets and control lines so crew can optimize weight placement and avoid movement.

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Boat Specifications

LOA: 22.5 ft (7 m) LWL: 19 ft (5.7 m) Beam: 8 ft (2.4 m) Draft: 3. 8 ft (1.1 m) Displacement: 1790 lb (811.7 kg) Lead Keel: 700 lb (317 kg) Sail Area: 223 sq. ft (20.7 sq. m)

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• Sailing Anarchy

23.1 knots in a J22?

• Thread starter Irish Temper
• Start date Jul 22, 2005

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Irish temper.

• Jul 22, 2005

Last sunday we had quite a blow - 25 knots sustained with the weather service reporting top gusts into the mid 40's. I knew we would be planing all day long, so I turned on my handheld GPS and threw it in the spinnaker bag so it would record our top speed for the day. We were floored when we looked at it after the race. The maximum speed recorded was 23.1 knots! Needless to say, there have been some disbelievers and I have to admit that I had not heard of, nor would I have believed that a J22 could ever go that fast. But my GPS has always been very accurate - never any more than +/- .5 knot from the actual knotmeter on any of my boats I have owned in the last 6 years. I took it in my car to see how accurate it was, and it was dead on. Heck, we were seeing boatspeeds over 10 knots with just the main up on the way back to the dock. Going upwind, our speeds were right about where I would expect it to be - just below hull speed. I realize that the GPS is simply recording speed over the ground. But we sail on an inland lake with no current. So is my GPS completely screwed up, or were we really going that fast? Is that kind of speed believable on a J22 going downwind with a spinnaker in a really strong puff? -IT  

spencerogden

Even though most GPS do some sort of averaging over several samples, it seems likely that quick accelerations and deccelerations could give you a high instantaneous reading. Any waves? I wouldn't have trouble believing high teens on a planning J22.  

• Thread starter

Any waves? I wouldn't have trouble believing high teens on a planning J22. Click to expand...

Ditto.. That was porobably the speed recorded whne you threw it into the bag.  

Super Anarchist

If it was dead on in the car me thinks MPH instead of knots  

Hike Bitches!

knots...mph..doesn't matter....it is still damn fast. NICE WORK dude. B)  

I was doing bow on a J22 on Eagle Mountain Lake in Fort Worth once where we had just set the kite at the top mark in close to 30 kts. As the kite filled the accelleration threw me into the cockpit from the cabin top where I was attempting to do "house cleaning" (i.e. making sure the halyards were clear). I can believe 23.1 easily on a 22.  

Ditto.. That was porobably the speed recorded whne you threw it into the bag. Click to expand...

Maybe. But to be truely believed the GPS would have to me very near the center of motion of the boat and be using an averaging interval of at least 10 seconds. Shorter averaging intervals can result in occasional large errors in readings.  

GPSs work by finding your distance traveled over a small-ish amount of time and then dividing that distance by that time. You can probably check its refresh rate by just seeing how often the speed updates itself. Anyone who knows anything about calculus could tell you that this isn't an 'instantaneous' velocity. It's an average. I think that MarkS is right about the averaging time, but I don't think that it matters where the GPS is in the boat considering this is only a J22. Unless the GPS was mounted on the transom of your maxi when you rounded up, I think it would give you just about the same #s. If you look at the error on a modern GPS, you have +/- 2m or thereabouts. That means that if the GPS is messing up the calculation as much as it possibly could, that would have you off by 4 meters (2 meters off on both ends of the measurement). Assuming it calculates every 5 sec, 4m/5second is 1.5 knots. If it measured every second, it would be 7.8 knots. That's the MAXIMUM fuckup in either direction. Worst case, you were going about 16 knots. Best case, you were going 31 knots :lol: I would take the 'off by 1.5 knots' number and say you were hitting 20.  

Maybe. But to be truely believed the GPS would have to me very near the center of motion of the boat and be using an averaging interval of at least 10 seconds. Shorter averaging intervals can result in occasional large errors in readings. Click to expand...

I've come up with some higher than expected max recorded speeds. I think sometimes what happens is that if you're moving at a pretty good clip and someone moves over the GPS and blocks the signal for a moment, the GPS will assume you have stopped and then when it gets a signal again you'll jump up for a moment. I've no doubt you were screaming along, but getting that kind of speed without big waves to surf down would be a trick. We were on a J24 in similar conditions a while back and our speedo spent most of the time in the low to mid teens.  

I was out that day....we had the boat almost fully out of the water planning before the shit went down..... We have always presumed 19-20 knots was possilbe.... and to your point, we were planning with main only back into the club... so i think 23.1 is doable.. just so you know... if you were going 23.1 I think we've gone faster, once in Texas once on Lake Poncitrain.. wonder what our speeds were ??? need to get one of those fancy GPS thingies...  

We were floored when we looked at it after the race. The maximum speed recorded was 23.1 knots! Click to expand...

I simply don't believe that the boat can go that fast. Last night we were disputing a J22 claim of 16 kts registered on hand-held GPS. Take out a power boat with a good speedometer, rev it up to 23.1, and swear that you've gotten a J22 moving that fast.  

I had a hell of a time convincing people I saw 12kts on my J/24. Got caught by a squall line running off the wind with a 150, in a pretty good series of wind driven waves. I've been to the 20kt mark on a Kiwi 35 and an Elliott 770. I can not imagine J/22 or 24 pulling it off. Sounds like you had fun either way. Do you really need a number to show how much fun it was?  

Take out a power boat with a good speedometer, rev it up to 23.1, and swear that you've gotten a J22 moving that fast. Click to expand...

ease hike trim

I can believe 23.1 easily on a 22. Click to expand...

The real question is: 23 knots for how long. I've seen plenty of strange results on GPS (8000 miles an hour driving down I-80). And I've also seen bursts of 23-30 knots for 2-3 seconds in the middle of a long track of 6-7 knot average. It all goes back to what someone else said, when you are down to minimum number of satellites to track you can be off by +- 50-100 feet. Two readings: 1 100 ft backwards then 100 feet forwards and the GPS is going to record some pretty inaccurate numbers. Also, It is pretty tough to tell actual speed when you are surfing down the face of a wave (typically the burst of speed is only 10-20 seconds long)  

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Single hand cruising a J22

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So, I bought my first sailboat a couple of years ago, a J22, because of its reputation as a great performer. I intended just to cruise around for awhile and maybe later ease into racing. Had hoped this would be a hobby that my wife and I would enjoy together. But a problem - she likes sailing as long as she doesn't have to constantly participate in handling the boat. I am a reasonable sailor, but there is no way I can handle jib, main, and tiller on this boat alone. To save my sailing hobby I'm now looking for ways to make the boat a little friendlier to get out on the water and single hand. I've already painted the bottom and put it in a slip. I'm now looking at installing a furling jib (has anyone here put one on their J22) and buying an outboard. Would love to hear comments and more ideas on how to help make this a single hander.  

I'll second eMckay. The roller furling jib alone would make a big difference. And the unit for a J22 is pretty small, so it could be a reasonable-priced but major upgrade. Of, course, you'll have to have a sailmaker modify the jib to work with roller furling, so there's some extra expense there. But still well worth it. Alternatively -- If cruising is exclusively what you plan to do, maybe this is a good time to evaluate whether the J22 is the right boat for your circumstances? I love those J22s and frequently recommend them for folks looking to get into sailing and one-design racing. But there are better choices for laid-back cruising. Is it time to take the next step? P.S. Welcome to SAILNET!!  

I used a tiller tamer type of device on a small lake for years and it was a big help, but on a larger body of water, or when you want to get away from the tiller for longer periods of time, an electronic autopilot would be an excellent aid, but, then you have to start thinking about recharging your battery. I agree with John in suggesting it might be time to think about moving to a more cruising oriented boat.  

I have definitely considered moving to more of a cruising boat, certainly will do that in the future. But I guess I'm hoping for now that it's less trouble and expense to just make a few modifications to the J, despite the snickers. Thanks for all the good advice!  

single hand cruising a J22 Jeremy, I singlehand a Catalina 22. The most important modification I made to make singlehanding possible was to install a tiller controller (tiller tamer). The next was to rig a means of doing virtually everything from the cockpit. Then, I rigged lines to ensure I could get back into the cockpit if I went overboard. Finally, I will often forego the 150% genoa (flying just the 110% because it's easier to handle)--and I always use a jib downhaul to keep the jib on the deck when I douse the sails. I now have 6 lines leading back to the cockpit, organized to stay free of each other, 2 jibsheets, travellor and mainsheets, 3 winches, and a number of blocks and cleats to handle it all. I purposely chose not to use a roller furler because of weight, windage, and aerodynamics. I cruise and race this boat, but she's primarily a weekend cruiser. With a few mods, you can make your J22 easy to singlehand and cruise without hurting her racing capability. I'm sure there are other J boat owners out there who have made similar mods to their boats. Best wishes, Pat  

I agree that the tiller tamer is a great accessory. But so is the ability to trim the sails so that she steers herself (no good for foredeck work but it allows you to tend to other things) Neither of these books are new, but I found helpful advice in both: Amazon.com: A Manual of Single Handed Sailing: Tony Meisel: Books Amazon.com: Singlehanded Sailing: The Experiences and Techniques of the Lone Voyagers: Richard Henderson: Books For the record, I single-hand much larger boats without difficulty, but with a lot of preparation. One is a '70s cruiser-racer with a huge J measurement, hank-on foresails and the halyard winch at the mast. I will motor out, go head to wind, crank up the main, leave it centered, pre-wrap both jib sheets on the winches loosely for when it is fully out on a reach (you can mark your sheets to indicate this), and then I will motor fast into the wind, throw the throttle back, throw the engine into neutral, and haul up the jib halyard (pre-loaded at the dock and with the sail either loose on the deck or barely held down with cotton thread) as fast as I can. Usually, the jib is up and flogging before the boat can coast to a stop or fall off in either direction. I can get back to the cockpit and fall off one way or another and can trim or unwrap either winch, during which I steer with my legs or "by the seat of my pants". I'm middle-aged and the opposite of petite, so I figure most people can manage this, especially if the jib halyard runs back to the cockpit. The bigger boat is a full-keeler with furling and hydraulic steering, making all this much easier (and more stately), as it tracks much better than the lighter fin keeler. The difference is that I get the main up at the mast, and simply unfurl the jib from the helm.  

I really enjoy sailing my J22 single-handed. Yesterday I made a short coastal hop around the Dubai Palm in 10 - 12 knots, sailing solo. While a tiller minding device like the one pictured would no doubt be great, I use a simple elastic bungee on the tiller to hold course while I go forward to attend to the jib(or the cool box!). The elastic is tied between the two stern cleats with a central loop fitting over the end of the tiller. By taking extra loops of the elastic over the tiller, it's pretty easy to adjust the tension to maintain course. I always sail in and out of the mooring on the mainsail - I've never yet used the outboard! I always rig the jib flaked on the foredeck and retained with another elastic cord and a quick release snap shackle line back to the cockpit - it's usually not a problem to raise the jib when you're under way. Having said all that, the J22 undoubtedly sails best with more than one person crewing. When it's blowing more than about 10 knots close hauled and sheeted in, I find my weight (187 pounds) isn't really enough to keep the lee gunwale out of the water, and my new Quantum main doesn't have a reefing cringle. I have to spill wind, or end up making too much leeway. The return trip today with a friend crewing with me was much faster in similar wind conditions, just because of the extra weight keeping the windward rail down!  

Food for thought...while rigging your boat to be single-handed friendly, you should put some serious thought into how your significant other would handle the boat in cases of emergency. It is policy on my boat, if you are out with me...you are crew. The more you participate, the more you learn.....my .02.  

Some more thoughts... Single handing a J22 is NOT crazy. But you need to establish some simple rules on modifications. First, NEVER make any permanent alteration that will take the boat out of class rules. The only one I think that may be broaching that is adding slugs to the main. In that case you can likely find a used main to replace it with if and when you decide to sell her. I don't know if adding deck hardware would be a big no-no or not, but adding gear to bring the halyards to the cockpit and adding a furler (I am sure this would be frowned upon but hey assuming you get a furler that can be as easily removed as it is add then no harm no foul. You may not be able to switch out winches for ST winches but with some cam cleats you can make do. I don't race and have no plans to race. My boat is rigged with a roller furler and halyards led aft and I added lazy-jacks. I am considering a tiller pilot next (I have some nice big 30ST 2 speed winches for my spring projects. One key to single handing (or perhaps more correctly, short handed) sailing is pre-planning. If you forget to get the chart-plotter out and plugged in before you hoist sails you may be stuck without it. Well, you get the idea. Of course you might want to get yourself a discreet bucket for those times when nature calls and the head is a long way off...  

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