J/29 FR

BoatsJ/29 FR

See her sail

The J/29 FR, on the water

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

Footage from BoatworksToday

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 beamy beam gives 13 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 13

CoastalBluewater

At 2.50 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.50

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 157

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 23.4

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.

Beamier than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2384 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The J/29 FR, as the fleet has seen it

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

The J/29 FR is a 9.0-meter fractional sloop designed by Rodney S. Johnstone and built by J Boats Tillotson Pearson from 1982 to 1987. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, a 3.4-meter beam, a 1.7-meter draft, and displaces 2494 kg. The J/29 model was available with either a fractional or masthead rig, and inboard auxiliary power was an option. Aboard *BoatworksToday*, a 1983 J/29 showed cockpit coaming crazing, attributed to a resin-starved initial layup where gel coat lacked a stable substrate.6:39 Repairing this requires sanding to bare fiberglass, applying 1.5-ounce chop strand matting with laminating polyester resin, and then a layer of waxed gel coat before fairing with an epoxy compound and painting.9:38

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

38.2%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

23.4

Displacement / length

157.1

Comfort ratio

13.2

Capsize screening

2.50

Hull speed

6.7 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

983

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/transom hung rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1982–1987

Units built

298

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.

Hinterhoeller 309.14 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA slender, George Hinterhoeller-designed masthead sloop built for performance and ease of handling since 1969

Junk Sailboat, or Great Cheap Boat? - Ep 302 - Lady K Sailing0:46 from Lady K Sailing

Sunbeam 298.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Schoechl-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio, built for performance over two decades

SEILmagasinet TV Episode 5-20243:44 from SEILmagasinet

Jeanneau Rush 319.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ron Holland-designed IOR half-tonner that served as the official boat for the Tour de France à la Voile

August 30, 202513:36 from Piratas Aderiva

RM Yachts 8908.90 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA high-performance fractional sloop with a deep bulb keel and dual rudders, optimised for speed and stability

RM 890 - Fora Marine - Video Proof0:33 from SVN solovelanet

Beneteau First 3009.05 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Groupe Finot-designed fractional sloop with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited club racing

First 303:54 from SEILmagasinet

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 30i8.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed fractional sloop built for coastal cruising with a balanced, modern hull form.

How We Live Working on a Boat in Madeira 🌊 + Responses to Subscribers10:13 from Piratas Aderiva

The family

Boats like this

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

J/29 MHA Rod Johnstone-designed masthead sloop built for speed, featuring a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio.J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/28A 1986-1988 fractional sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed by Rod Johnstone for balanced cruising performance J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/30A 1979-1986 production racer-cruiser featuring a fin keel and transom-hung rudder for responsive handling J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/27A high-performance fractional sloop from Rod Johnstone with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited racing J/41 FRA 12.44-metre IOR 1-ton level racer featuring a high 23.24 SA/displacement ratio for competitive speed J/40 ClassicA 12.19-metre masthead sloop with a 1.98m draft, balanced for offshore cruising and production stability

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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