The JHYC One Design Elite Class

Keelboat racing at its best. Beautiful to look at and sail. Simple to crew and maintain. Beautiful handling.
Finger light steering and 60% ballast ratio make the Elite a joy to sail.

Fine bow, long narrow hull, balanced rudder and easily controllable rig ensure the boat is easily driven
High pointing and fast upwind – downwind pace that surprises many

Excellent VMG around the race course. Low maintenance – means more time on the water. All GRP construction – encapsulated bulb keel – simple systems.  Small crew – typically sailed by three, so finding crew is easy. Anyone can race – low loads and weight tolerant design allow mixed teams across the age range
No hiking rule – finesse rather than strength is required.

One design – Elite racing is close and tactical. Win on the water, not at the bank.
Production controls and Class Rules ensure all boats perform the same – out of the box
Self draining and unsinkable.  The narrow hull and no hiking rule mean that crew weight is unimportant. As soon as the boat heels the crew are virtually above the centre of gravity, contributing little to righting moment.
Solid GRP laminate for impact resistance and durability. Sub-floor moulding to distribute the rig and keel loads
GRP moulded keel and rudder skins mean all foil shapes are identical.

Encapsulated lead keel bulb with stainless steel support structure – slots into a hull recess and through bolted from the cockpit – exceptional strength. Single lift point for easy launching.
The easily driven hull does not require a big rig to attain great performance. This in turn helps to make the shallow draft possible and the rig manageable by both sexes. The light, carbon fibre mast has a pivoting heel plug and can be raised by hand. Rigging is fast – ready to sail around 30 minutes after arriving at a regatta
Single swept back spreaders and no backstay give a simple, responsive rig that can be easily tuned.
Rig tension is applied to the forestay via a cascade purchase concealed under the foredeck and adjusted in the cockpit. Boom and spinnaker poles of aluminium alloy for durability.

Sail handling systems.  Jib hanks onto the forestay – tack downhaul lead to the cockpit – self-tacking for simple manoeuvres – 4:1 sheet purchase keeps loads in check. Mainsheet track across the aft deck – sheet leads forward along the boom to a jammer in the centre of the cockpit – helm or middle man can trim. Vang and cunningham lead to the middle of the cockpit on both sides. Spinnaker launching from a chute forward of the forestay – hoists and drops take seconds. Pole system operated from the cockpit – stowed on the boom
Spinnaker sheets lead to the middle of the cockpit within reach of all crew.