J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Dripless seal yes/no?

I think the switch was done mostly for vibration, rather than pure strength. The larger shaft will be much stiffer and less prone to vibrating. However, upgrading from the 3/4" shaft to the 1" is not a simple change. To do so, both the stern tube and the strut need to be replaced with larger versions.