J/80 Class Rule Change Status

Rule Chance for only Proposal #2  to take effect January 1, 2021. Change to rule will be reflected in the J/80 Builders Specifications.
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J/80 Rule Amendment Proposals 2021

REJECTED
PROPOSAL #1 – Jib Material and Construction - Proposed by France J/80 NCA Class Rule: #G.4.1(b) Headsail Construction Current Rule: The body of the sail shall be constructed of either: woven ply and/or laminated ply made from one or more of the following materials: polyester, aramid, HMPE. Sail reinforcement shall be made from one or more of the following materials: polyester, aramid, HMPE, glass fiber. Aramid is marketed under trade names such as Kevlar and Twaron and HMPE under trade names such as Spectra and Dyneema. #5 or #6 luff tape shall be used for the furling system attachments. Proposed Rule: The body of the sail shall be constructed of either: woven ply and/or laminated ply made from one or more of the following materials: polyester, aramid, HMPE. Sail reinforcement shall be made from one or more of the following materials: polyester, aramid, HMPE, glass fiber. Aramid is marketed under trade names such as Kevlar and Twaron and HMPE under trade names such as Spectra and Dyneema. #5 or #6 luff tape shall be used for the furling system attachments. Effective for new sails delivered after January 1, 2021, all materials used to make the sail and the sail manufacturing process must be widely available to the sailmaking community. Reason for change: to level the playing field for suppliers and encourage more competitive (lower) pricing for the jibs.

APPROVED
​PROPOSAL #2 – Spinnaker Halyard Cleat Use – Proposed by North America J/80 NCA Ref: J/80 Building Specifications Line #52 Current Specification: Spinnaker halyard 150 cam cleat on starboard side of mast OR one cheek block on deck (outboard of mast) and one cam cleat aft on starboard cabin trunk. Proposed Specification: Spinnaker halyard 150 cam cleat on starboard side of mast AND/OR one cheek block on deck (outboard of mast) and one cam cleat aft on starboard cabin trunk. Reason for change: to allow concurrent installation and use of the two different cleats currently permitted in the building specifications. The aft cam cleat near the cockpit was standard on USbuilt boats for several years before the mast cleat became standard. The official building specifications have always allowed for either cleat but not both. For racing in normal conditions, the mast cleat is preferred as it keeps the crew weight forward; however in very windy conditions and with less athletic (i.e. older) crew, the cockpit cleat is safer for handling. Cost impact is minimal.