Today I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Jeff Johnstone, President of J/Boats, to Sailfaster. If you’ve spent any time on the water, chances are you’ve sailed or raced on one of their iconic boats. From the game-changing J/24 to the latest J/99, J/9, and J/45, J/Boats has set the standard for speed, versatility, and pure sailing joy. Jeff has been at the helm of J/Boats since 1988, continuing the Johnstone family’s legacy of innovation and excellence. Under his leadership, the brand remains at the forefront of performance sailing, making it faster, more thrilling, and accessible to sailors of all levels.
In this first part of our chat, we take a deep dive into the J/boats design philosophy and process, we discuss the trends in performance sailing design, and how the different J/boat models came to be. And don’t miss Part 2, where Jeff will share his top tips for getting the most out of your J/Boat on the racecourse!
So let’s crack on—here we go with Part 1!
What is Sailfaster: The Podcast For Racing Sailors?
Sailfaster is the podcast for competitive sailors who want to sail faster and win more races. Each episode, host Pete Boland sits down with Olympic medallists, America's Cup and SailGP sailors, offshore racers and coaches to unpack starting technique, boat speed, race tactics, crew management, regatta preparation and race-day mindset — the details that separate the front of the fleet from the rest. Whether you race dinghies, one-designs, keelboats or offshore, you'll walk away with something to use on the water this weekend.