40 years ago, the J/24 made its boat show debut at the Hartford Boat Show.  It was a memorable occasion for many reasons, including the fact that the main roof of the Civic Center had failed in several areas due to heavy snow accumulation.  The show had to be staged in the wings of the building, and the low ceilings prevented the mast from being stepped.  The sleek, bright red J/24 attracted a ton of attention over the weekend, with the most popular question being – “how much horsepower does this boat have?”  Little did anyone know at the time just how much horsepower the J/24 would prove to have.
We’re looking forward to a great year ahead and are already out of the blocks with a busy January including: a record J/Boats attendance at Quantum Key West Race Week (64% of the fleet), Sailing World Boat-of-the-Year for the J/112E, the largest J display yet at BOOT Dusseldorf, and the new J/121 project quickly taking shape in Rhode Island.