J121 debuts at Newport and Annapolis

Oct 26, 2017

The NEW J/121 made her boat show debut at the Newport International Boat Show last month and took home the award for Best New Sailboat.

Making its debut at the United States Sailing Show in Annapolis last week the J121 (pronounced 1-2-1) has taken the sailing scene by storm. Easy to sail in around-the-buoy and long distance off shore races with five crew or less and capable of winning meets many of the requirements for today’s modern sailor. It brings fun back into the game with speed and a much reduced focus on athleticism and a specialist’s knowledge of mechanics.

The key to the success is a water-ballast assist system run from the cockpit that adds almost 400 kilos (four hefty sailors) of crew weight to the rail. Also noticeably different are headsails with their own dedicated furler, meaning fewer hands on the foredeck, and a mainsail that can be quickly adjusted to three different sizes.

Photos by Katie Coleman Nicoll

Four Winns H9

By Andy Adams

Stunning new flagship in Four Winns’ bow rider line. Next Wednesday, October 30, at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the public will get its first in-person look at Four Winns’ stunning new H9 model, the flagship of their bowrider series. But we were invited to the dealer unveiling in Charlevoix, Michigan earlier this past summer to run Hull # 2.

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Destinations

Hiding Out in Belize

By Zuzana Prochazka

Dodging holiday havoc in the tropics

Getting out of town was top-of-mind as it was only November and I was already saturated with Christmas traditions – the music, the glitter, the cookies, the sales. A week in relatively remote Belize was the siren song so we booked a 45-foot catamaran with The Moorings and packed our bags.

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