J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Smack Introducing myself, and looking for a boat.

Doug - the smack section is as good of a place as any to discuss this. Here is what you find for advantages of a J/30 over a J/29.

• The J/30 Class Association is active - you discovered that yourself in trying to register for an account on both the J/29 and J/30 sites. We have held the J/30 North American Championship every year except 2005 when they were scheduled in New Orleans. Another national level event called Katrina took precedence over the NAs
• There is a wealth of information on the J/30 Class website and on this forum. If you have a question about the boat, systems, maintenance, racing tips, etc. you'll find it has probably already been discussed with references for you, or people here are willing to share ideas with you.
• People - we've got a great group of folks scattered all over the place. No matter where I go, I can find a J/30 owner that I can join on a boat or at the bar.
• A great boat at a reasonable price - the J/30 is a great balance between racer and cruiser. The J/29 rates faster but if you do any cruising or have a family, you'll find the amenities of the J/30 better suited.
• True One Design - no such thing a MHOB, MHIB, FRIB, FROB - we are all fractional with inboard diesel and all boats rate the same. There are some cockpit and interior option differences, but nothing that has differentiated sailing performance of one configuration over another. The national championship has been won by old boats and "new" boats (last hull made in 1986)

You can find a reasonably priced "race ready" boat or if you are handy, one that may need some TLC for a lower cost. These boats were all made 1978 - 1986 and some (like mine) had issues with wet balsa core. This isn't a show stopper, just realize that some may require more work than others, and once properly fixed, that problem won't occur again. The J/29 has the same issues.

There are some J/30s in the Cleveland area. Let me know if you want contact info and We can put you in touch with local owners to talk with them and maybe get together to see their boats. Good luck with your search.