J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/160

BoatsJ Boats Tillotson Pearson J/160

See her sail

The J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/160, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Sweet Ruca

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a narrow beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28

CoastalBluewater

1.85 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.85

LightHeavy

130 — light for her waterline, so she is easily driven and quick to accelerate.

Displacement / length 130

EasygoingPowered-up

22.3 — a lot of sail for her weight; powered-up and eager, a real performer.

Sail area / displacement 22.3

TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

Light and lively — happiest day-sailing and coastal-hopping in settled weather.

What the fleet has seen

The J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/160, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/160 is a 16.1-meter fractional sloop designed by Rodney S. Johnstone and built between 1996 and 2000. It features a fin with bulb and spade rudder hull, a 4.4-meter beam, a 2.1-meter draft, and displaces 14,152 kg. The J/160 has a sail area to displacement ratio of 22.3 and a comfort ratio of 27.9. Aboard *Sailing Sweet Ruca*, the crew mentioned the J/160 while completing a 150-nautical-mile passage to the Rongerik Atoll in the Marshall Islands, navigating light winds and choppy seas.0:51

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

38.5%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

22.3

Displacement / length

130.0

Comfort ratio

27.9

Capsize screening

1.85

Hull speed

9.2 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

2461

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/bulb & spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1996–2000

Units built

35

Designer

Rodney S. Johnstone, Rod Johnstone

Builder

J Boats Tillotson Pearson

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Beneteau Oceanis 5215.75 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 2025 Biscontini-designed fractional sloop featuring dual rudders and versatile keel and sail plan configurations

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Oceanis 51.1 (Benenteau)15.94 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 15.94-metre cruiser with a 2.3-metre bulb keel and a 13,929 kg displacement designed for modern, high-volume living

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Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51915.75 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterAn evolution of the 509 featuring a bow sprit and expanded swim platform for enhanced modern cruising

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Jeanneau Yachts 5316.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed cruiser offering performance rig and shallow keel options, also marketed as the Sunsail 53

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Bavaria Yachts 50 Vision15.70 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 15.7-metre cruiser with a high 24.85 sail-area-to-displacement ratio, designed for powerful, efficient passage-making

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Saga Marine 4815.94 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop built for performance cruising with a stiff 33% ballast ratio

Saga 48 // Boat Shopping18:16 from 59° North Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/46A masthead sloop designed for offshore cruising, featuring a 1.89m draft and a balanced 10,886kg displacement J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/130A 13-metre performance cruiser featuring a deep 2.59m bulb keel and a high-aspect fractional rig for rapid passages J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/145A 14.66-metre fractional sloop with a high 26.26 sail area-to-displacement ratio, built for rapid offshore passage-making J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/120A 12.19-metre fractional sloop with a 2.13m bulb keel, built between 1994 and 2006 with some hulls finished in France

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