Hoofer Sailing Club

The light keelboat fleet is composed of six boats representing four different designs. These boats are, thanks to their keel, more stable than small dinghies yet still fast and responsive. Designed as racers and daysailers, they are a great place to begin learning big boat racing skills.

J/22s: Shaken, Minnow

People say the J/22 is the best sailing boat they've ever been on, including other J's. It's responsive, stable with its fixed lead keel and safe, as much fun to sail with main only as it is to plane under spinnaker in 18 knots of wind.

Since its introduction in 1983, the J/22 has blossomed into an International class now with 1550+ boats sailing in 65 fleets in 18 countries. On the merits of its sailing characteristics, widespread popularity and small crew number (3-4), J/22's continue to be an integral part of the Hoofer's fleet.

J/24s: Estrella, and Off Call

Whether your style is weeknight beer-can racing or competing on the world stage; the J/24 is undeniably the most popular racing keelboat to make waves around the world. This appealing keelboat started with one man's desire for a sailboat to accommodate his family and to be a competitive racer. Twenty-seven years later, the J/24 has become a legend. A stable sailboat for family togetherness, the J/24 has also been the competitive launch pad for the careers of numerous America's Cup professionals.

While some of the world's best sailors have the latest version J/24, a well-prepared 1977 model, built to the same shape and weight with rigid end-grained balsa core construction can still win the J/24 Class world championship even after 30,000+ miles of trailering. That's "One Design" racing! The International J/24 is presently built in the U.S., Argentina and Italy and has more than 50,000 people sailing 5,200 boats in 27 countries.

Capri 22: Onward Bound

The Capri 22 was introduced in 1983 as a high-performance family racer/cruiser that could be trailer-sailed or kept dockside. Designed by Gary Mull (of America's Cup lineage) and Frank Butler, it was intended to be Catalina Yacht's answer to the highly successful J-24. More than 1,000 Capri 22s have been built in the last 20 years. The CP22 has proven to be a stable, safe boat, yet one that is fast and fun to sail.

J/29: Eclipse

The key to the J/29 is simplicity. Class president and sailmaker Will Keyworth describes the J as "user friendly." The decks are wide, uncluttered and relatively uninterrupted by winches, stoppers and cleats. The sails are moderately sized and the loads do not demand excessive strength. The J/29 is known as an excellent light-wind racer.

For more pictures of this fleet, click here.