J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Rudder search

John, thanks for your work with Idasailor. I am going to give them a call today about the Optimized rudder. I had my OD rudder reparied by A&B in Annapolis this summer. I would love a rudder with corrected balance; sick of the weather helm. I believe I will place an order. This will give me both rudders and a lot more satisfaction cruising.

Loco Lobo #507

For what little it's worth, there's a brand new Columbia 30 in Chicago whose rudder failed this year. It fractured just below the rudder cassette. It was likely a design flaw, and not a manufacturing problem.

John,
Give Mike Austin or myself a call.

I wonder if the class should purchase the Intellectual property rights from J/Boats/TPI and source to three manafacturers to promote a competative price. To me, $900 is way to low and $2000+ is too high.

Maybe "Mojo" would be interested in this business?

I guess I owe the list a performance report on my new rudder for BlewJ. Idasailor did a fantastic job on a "look alike" rudder that actually fit right out of the shipping box and works great. Other than not cracked and not full of water and no rotten balsa, it looks identical to the old one. I can not tell if they weigh the same as the old TP unit is soaked all the way to the bottom and weighs more than the new dry one. If they were both dry it would be a toss up I think...the headstock fittings and tiller mount work exactly as the old. For over $2000 savings, this is the deal! Is the boat faster? Hard to say but I would bet it may be due to the horsepower added to the driver!
Anyway, I can see no reason not to go this direction as this foil was built from the "factory specs" provided by TP. See you on the water.

The J30 Class has not approved a new builder for rudders but we are working on it.

Larry Christy
National Class Measurer

I purchased a balanced rudder from Ida Sailer based on John Ritgers research. I'm very happy with it. Weighed in at 48 pounds versus 76 pounds for the balsa soaked original. I have refurbished the old one and it now weighs 71 pounds. If anyone is interested in purchasing my old one and/or a set of original gudgeons and pintels, email me at herbertclifton@hotmail.com.

Black Kight, #237, Panama

Larry, PLEASE let us know when a solution is approved. There is a J/30 in New Orleans Cuba Libre, looking for a rudder.

Looks like I need to act on this soon. Any updates on class rudders?

Have the Idasailor rudders held up?

Thanks

Eric et al:
Larry Christie is your man. He too feels the importance of a "spec" rudder as the Idamarine one is. It is built to original drawings that I supplied to them. The original specs do not state a weight or a material, just dimensions. Our rudder weights are listed in another post as I recall and they were not dramatically different for a 7000 lb boat. The one on Blue J is doing well, not as much weather helm as before. Again my feedback has told me that the "OEM" rudders were re-manufactured from a pop mold of the first rudders and thus were thicker. I know mine was thicker by 1+" than the factory spec! A study of the shape will tell you about the stalling speed of the new thinner section is more critical but aren't J30 drivers more critical sailors!? Personally I like a fine groove and feedback that this shape gives me.
If the Holy Fathers would get together and make a determination it would sure help the fleet...oh by the way, isn't that why they are there??!! Fair winds, John