1986 J Boats J/27 Boat in Little Elm, TX 75068 US

The J/27 is a 27.5 foot high-performance racer designed by Rod Johnstone and built by Tillotson Pearson between 1983 and 1992. Known for its exceptional speed, stiffness, and responsiveness, it remains a highly regarded choice for club racing and fast weekend cruising.

 

Performance & Handling

• Speed: Highly competitive under PHRF handicaps, easily capable of sustaining double-digit speeds downwind in heavy breeze. 
• Stiffness: Features a heavy lead keel with a low center of gravity, making the hull remarkably stable and fast uphill. 
• Crew Requirements: Optimal racing requires a crew of 5 to 7 to hike the boat flat in a heavy breeze. It can be difficult to sail shorthanded compared to modern sportboats. 
• Rigging: The standard design uses a traditional symmetric spinnaker, though some owners modernize them with a custom asymmetrical spinnaker setup

 

Interior & Comfort

• Cabin Layout: Stripped down but functional, featuring 4 to 5 berths, a simple galley with a small water capacity, and a basic head area.
• Headroom: Limited below-deck headroom of 4.5 feet.
• Cockpit: An 8-foot-long open cockpit provides plenty of room for active crew maneuvers.

From JBOATS.COM:

Its hard to imagine that a modern 27 foot sailboat with a classic look, superb stability, and easy to manage rig is such a fast boat. 123-126 PHRF. No longer do you have to substitute speed for comfort, or own separate boats for racing and cruising. The 8’ long cockpit seats 4 to 5 comfortably. Below deck you can sleep 5. And with head and stove, the J/27 is the perfect weekend cruiser.

Fun and Fast. There are some impressive victories to back this up, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The J/27 is fun and responsive. Nothing is more exhilarating than popping the J/27’s kite in a good breeze for a downhill sleigh ride. 15+ knots planing off the wave-tops is easy. And most importantly, this off-wind speed doesn’t sacrifice upwind performance. Going to windward in the J/27 is a dream, it has the solid, balanced "feel" of a traditional keelboat. The J/27 points higher and goes faster than many 30-35 footers!