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

Neptunus 650F Review

By Andy Adams

Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario.

The Other Virgin Islands

By Mark Stevens

I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.

A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.