BOAT REVIEW J Boat 112E Ticketty Boo

Anecdotally, the 11m J112E has something of an international reputation for revealing conflicting traits in a man’s character. There’s a bit of Jekyll-and-Hyde in all of us – this sleek speed demon appears to have a way of accentuating it.
And that’s probably because the vessel herself carries a bit of Jekyll-and-Hyde. At once an unapologetic racing machine and a stylishly-appointed, comfortable cruiser – she panders to the weekend cruiser’s go-fast fantasies. Cunningham will enjoy cruising in her, but it’s her skittish agility on the start line that gets his pulse going.

Though designed by J Boats in Newport, Rhode Island, the 112E is built by J Composites Shipyard in France (a licensed manufacturer building various J Boat models). Conceived as a versatile racer-cruiser blend, I suspect she’s exceeded even designer Alan Johnstone’s expectations.
She’s considered one of the most successful models in the J Boat range, quickly ratchetting up a stellar racing track record after her introduction a few years ago. In 2018, the J112e was class winner at the IRC Europeans in Cowes and she also won the overall event title.
She then went onto the IRC/ORC Worlds in Holland and won her class again. J112es topped their class at Spi Ouest Regatta and Cowes Week in the same year. Last year a J112e won her class at the ORC Europeans in Sweden and later, at Cowes Week, J112Es took first, second and fourth places in their class. So yes, the design comes with an impressive reputation.
And, says Cunningham, it’s what attracted him to the model. His previous boat was a cruiser that he ‘shoe-horned’ into racing trim – Ticketty Boo is her polar opposite: a dedicated racer which, he says, works perfectly for occasional cruising with friends. It’s worth noting that the ‘E’ in J112E stands for ‘elegance’ and evolution – and, taking a peek down below, it’s an appropriate suffix. As her owner enthuses, “she’s just the ticket!”

Race mode
I joined Cunningham and Ticketty Boo for a Saturday afternoon race on the Waitemata Harbour in June. And though conditions were very light the modest puffs were enough to offer a glimpse of the yacht’s racing genes.
Even from the wharf the J112E projects speed. Her low, streamlined profile is enhanced by a plumb bow – delivering a LWL and LOA that are pretty near identical. There’s a retractable carbon prod for the asymmetrics, 8mm rod rigging, an open transom, six Harken winches surrounding a spacious cockpit and a battery of clutches on the coach roof.

Note the inboard position of the genoa tracks with their adjustable cars – designed for hot pointing angles – and complemented by jib sheet in-hauls. She’s equipped with Dyneema halyards. It’s hard to ignore the 1.5m-diameter helm (there’s a cavity in the cockpit floor to accommodate its bottom arc).
Add in a full-width traveller on the cockpit floor, the 3DI sails, the large read-outs on the companionway hatch, the hydraulic tensioner on the back stay – its’s all part of an inventory designed to keep a hyper-ventilating skipper’s fingers twitching uncontrollably.
Hidden from all the on-deck action is a shallow-bilge hull displacing 5,125kg, carrying a 2.1m keel with 1,731kg of ballast – and a balanced spade rudder.
We were nine on board – not bad for an 11m vessel – and I was immediately struck by the space in the cockpit. Plenty of elbow room for those trimming/grinding/adjusting – responding with alacrity to Mr Hyde’s barking.

While the large wheel (combined with the spade rudder) delivers super-sensitive, finger-tip control and impressive agility, it has a secondary benefit: its size is perfect for perching your butt on either gunwale. This gives unobstructed views of the tell-tales and the shape of the main. Similarly, perched on the gunwales in cruising mode means easy access to the primary winches just forward of the wheel. A definite advantage when short-handed sailing.
So how did we do in the race? Now, how do I phrase this politely…
Though we were sailing in very modest conditions Ticketty Boo showed plenty of promise: she’s ultra-responsive, moves easily in the light airs and after nailing a decent start we were lying well up in the fleet, pointing higher than many of our competitors. But it all unravelled with the first hoist of the gennaker – can’t get bloody decent crew these days! I won’t bore you with the details, but while we were afforded a detailed, extended view of the uncooperative gennaker’s neat stitching, the rest of the fleet sailed by. Re-routing the sheets fixed the problem – but we had a LOT of catching up to do. A formidable ask.

Still, by the last leg we’d made up quite a bit of ground and, with the unfamiliar crew now more familiar with the gennaker’s subtleties, our downwind gybing became a model of slick efficiency. Happily, decorum (and a little pride) was restored as we swept past a few of the stragglers to the finish. So no, we didn’t win – but, if the crew hadn’t been drinking before the race…
Certainly, that last leg demonstrated her slippery attributes. She points well and tacks on the proverbial dime. In time, as Cunningham and crew get to know her preferences, I’m confident Ticketty Boo will be super-competitive.

Interior
Back in the berth provided an opportunity to explore the J112E’s cruising comforts – and for a racing-oriented yacht she presents really well.
This is a two-cabin boat, with accommodation divided between the forepeak master and a double in the aft, starboard quarter. They share a single bathroom (toilet, vanity and pull-out shower) to port, opposite the aft cabin. For overnight racing the two, full-length settees in the saloon will also function as ‘hot’ berths.
It’s a fairly large saloon and those two bench settees will easily accommodate a decent complement of friends/crew for celebrations/parties/dinners. The twin-leaf table’s size ‘matches’ the available settee space very well – you could even have a formal dinner with real knives and forks – for up to eight.

Serving the guests will be simple thanks to the spacious L-shaped galley to starboard, complete with a two-burner gimbled cooker/oven, twin sink and 90-litre fridge/freezer, all supported by ample bench space. Storage lockers abound. Opposite the galley, to port, is a nav station with a dedicated seat and the electrical panel.
Above all, for a race boat she offers a cosy, welcoming interior, with white vinyl ceilings and cabin sides offsetting the timber cabinets and flooring.Natural light streams in through an overhead skylight and the large side windows. At night, over a romantic, secluded anchorage dinner, discreet LED lighting creates the appropriate ambience.
There’s one J112E interior feature I particularly like: a large hatch built into the bathroom’s aft bulkhead. It provides access to a vast storage locker (typically accessed via the port cockpit seat) for storing all manner of accessories. Internal access to this area is very useful – particularly when it’s miserable outside.
The yacht’s powered by a 30hp Volvo diesel with a two-bladed folding prop on the saildrive.

Options
As with all models in the J Boat range, the J112E comes with various upgrade options. Cunningham ticked a few of these to enhance cruising comfort – such as the electric toilet and the electric winch on the companionway for hoisting sails. Ticketty Boo is equipped with an extra battery (for a total of 300Ah) to cater for the heavier electric demand.
Other variations include leather interior cushions, a composite wheel, teak decking (cockpit seats/sole/sidedecks), pop-up mooring cleats and a 1.75m shoal-draft keel. You can also swap the alloy rig for a carbon alternative.

At the end of the day, I took my time assessing the J112E. What is she – a racer imbued with a cruising flavour? Or a cruiser that morphs into a spirited thoroughbred at the whim of the skipper? Personally, I’d opt for the easy answer – she’s both. Certainly she’s supremely versatile, slipping easily between the two roles. In either mode she’s a blast.
But if you push Cunningham to answer the same question his eyes take on an unnatural glint and his fingers begin twitching.