2009 and the J24 Worlds sees thirty years of J24 competition sailing arrive at the 2009 worlds to be held in Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A.
There is no doubt that there a many reasons the J24 has thrived and survived so many years in competitive yacht racing. It is certainly an incredibly honest sailing boat. If you sail it well it sails well if you sail it with less skill it will respond as such. For a world class racing yacht the J24 is cheap to get into and chap to own compared to some of the larger and more exotic rughs of today. But most of all the J24 is fun.
When sailing in Japan you will really have to try hard NOT to see a J24. There are hundreds of these boats tied up to docks or sitting on hard stand trolleys all over Japan. I would say that anybody thinking to start sailing in Japan would be very wise to include the J24 in their “boats to buy” list.
Take a god look around as there are many available. I suggest buying one that is a little (not a lot) run down and bringing it back to a high gloss well tuned rig yourself. The cost of refurbishment is not so great and you will very much enjoy both the repair project and the added sense of ownership of “your boat” once your J24 back to it”s original glory.
A J24 can be raced at many clubs across Japan and across the globe. if you think you would eventually like to sail in a world championship then the J24 offers a chance to sailors in japan as the actual number of competitors is dropping making it a little easier to get to the top in Japan. Do understand that being top in Japan does not say you will be top when sailing against the top sailors racing J24s from other countries.
If you think you would like to try out on a J24 drop us an email and we will try and line you up with a crew position to try out. It’s fun so come on and give it a go. You will not need any money or special equipment to try. Come on email us today and give it a go. mark@sails.co.jp