The new J/40 named best cruising boat of the year

The J/40, distributed in the Balearics by the company J2 Sailing, has been recognized as the best boat in its category by winning the European Yacht of the Year 2025 award in the cruiser/racer category.

This award, announced during the Boot Düsseldorf boat show, highlighted the excellence in design, innovation, and performance of the new sailboat.

The shipyard J Composites, in collaboration with J Boats, has developed this model measuring 13.21 meters in length and 3.86 meters in beam, designed by Alan Johnstone and Frédéric Bouvier. During the trials conducted in Mallorca, the J/40 demonstrated its ability to offer high performance in any wind condition, as Johnstone himself points out: “The new J/40 has the power and stability to sail well both in light wind and in strong conditions, while others have to resort to motor or reduce sails.”

The international jury, made up of specialized journalists, praised the sailboat's performance. According to Sébastien Mainguet (France), it is “a dream boat that sails fast in any condition, at a reasonable price considering its quality.” Roland Regnemer (Austria) emphasized its “high performance and the quality of the deck equipment,” while Morten Brandt-Rasmussen (Denmark) highlighted that J Boats “is one of the few brands that remains true to its DNA.”

In addition to this accolade, the J/40 has been named Boat of the Year 2025 by Cruising World Magazine, included in the Top Ten of Sail Magazine, and recognized by Voile Magazine.

The CEO of J2 Sailing, Juan Company, has expressed great satisfaction with the success of the J/40 and noted that he always trusted its potential after the sea trials conducted in Palma, where it proved that “it performs well, is quite fast and agile to maneuver, as is typical for the shipyard.”

Its main difference compared to other units from the J Boats shipyard, a world-renowned brand in boat manufacturing, lies in that it is a boat more oriented towards cruising than racing. “In this version, there is a bit more interior luxury. It has a high freeboard, which gives it great spaciousness and it has a lot of brightness in the cabin,” emphasizes Juan Company.

The interior design and style are the work of designer Isabelle Racoupeau in collaboration with J/Composites and the handmade wood details are one of its hallmarks. The new J/40 is marketed with a standard layout of three cabins and one bathroom, but a two-cabin and two-bathroom version is also available, suitable for family sailing and extended cruises.

The ideal owner for the J/40, says Company, is someone “with sailing experience, who is looking for a fast boat to enjoy their leisure time, but not necessarily to participate in races,” notes Company, adding that this sailboat “has a good draft, is very stable and has plenty of storage space, making it also suitable for long crossings.”Contenido del blog (en)