J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/80

BoatsJ Boats Tillotson Pearson J/80

See her sail

The J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/80, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

TrailerableBeam 2.51 m — inside the 2.55 m no-permit tow width across most of Europe, and the 2.59 m US and Canadian limit. About 1,315 kg of hull, so roughly 1,900 kg on a trailer: check that against your own towing rating.

LivelySea-kindly

Her light displacement on a moderate beam gives 12 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 12

CoastalBluewater

At 2.32 she sits above the 2.0 line — beamy for her weight, and happiest coastal.

Capsize screening 2.32

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 122

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 26.6

TenderStiff

48% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 48%

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

Lighter than ~85% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1810 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/80, 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/80 is a 8.0-meter fractional sloop designed by Rodney S. Johnstone and built by J Boats Tillotson Pearson since 1992. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, a 2.5-meter beam, a 1.5-meter draft, and displaces 1315 kg. The J/80 is a one-design racing boat, with regattas seen in anchorages like La Linea, Spain.21:54 Fran Palacio, a world champion in the J/80 class, notes the boat's presence in competitive sailing.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels 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

48.3%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Fractional Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

26.6

Displacement / length

121.6

Comfort ratio

11.6

Capsize screening

2.32

Hull speed

6.3 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

649

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/transom hung rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1992

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.

Abbott Boats Inc. Soling8.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA high-performance Olympic class keelboat designed by Jan Herman Linge for tactical three-person racing

Kristian Nergaard - most medals in 20240:56 from SEILmagasinet

Seaward 258.15 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1984 fractional sloop with a shallow 0.63m draft and fin keel, built for accessible coastal cruising

[OFF MARKET] Seaward 35 (TIPANIE), with Hugh Rayner - Yacht for Sale - Berthon International from Berthon International

Saffier Yachts SE 248.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 2023 fractional sloop featuring a Torqeedo electric motor and versatile sail plans for tailored performance

SEILmagasinet TV Ep. 1 202417:19 from SEILmagasinet

Maxi Yachts Racer7.95 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA lightweight 7.95-metre fractional sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for spirited racing

Martin Kamperhaug wants to gather Half Tonners9:18 from SEILmagasinet

International 8068.06 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Pelle Petterson-designed fractional sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for performance since 1974

Extreme conditions during the Oslofjord Race7:33 from SEILmagasinet

Albin Marine AB Vega 278.25 mSame hull family0.3 m longerScandinavia's most popular production yacht of her size, this 8.25-metre masthead sloop defined coastal cruising from 1965 to 1979

Albin Vega: Enjoying an undeservedly good reputation from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/24A legendary Rodney Johnstone design that defined the modern one-design racer with its high sail-area-to-displacement ratio 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/28A 1986-1988 fractional sloop with a 38% ballast ratio, designed by Rod Johnstone for balanced cruising performance J Boats Tillotson Pearson J/27A high-performance fractional sloop from Rod Johnstone with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for spirited racing

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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