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Quality Hardware: The best quality hardware
makes sailing the J/108 easier and owning the boat more trouble-free.
Standard hardware includes centerboard system, custom cast epoxy-coated
iron keel with FRP centerboard, leather covered wheel and twin-rudder
steering system components, aluminum spars, dyform continuous rod
rigging and forestay (nitronic 50), solid boom vang, Harken headsail
furling, European mainsheet system (dual winches aft by helmsman), jib
winches and deck hardware, analog binnacle compass, 30 HP Volvo
auxiliary engine with saildrive, glass mat battery, integral hydraulic
backstay, custom SS mast collar, mainsheet base, & pedestal guard and
much more.
Performance Materials: The J/108 is molded with a vinylester
barrier coat applied behind the durable gelcoat finishes. This
combination in the outer hull layer allows for the best hull blister
protection available. The aircraft grade end-grained balsa core is
sandwiched between carefully selected and placed inner and outer skins
of bi-axial and triaxial e-glass fabrics and is infused under vacuum for
resulting composite parts that are stiffer and lighter than hand-layup.
This construction system improves sailing performance due to better
strength to weight ratios in the part and improves sailing comfort by
reducing weight and lowering the vertical center of gravity (VCG) of the
boat.
Infusion Construction: The J/108 hull, deck and main bulkhead are built
with SCRIMP resin infusion construction. Infusion is a method of
introducing catalyzed resin into a pre-layout of dry material under
vacuum. Dry fibers are placed in the mold, with the core material and
then covered by a special flow cloth and a flexible vacuum bag, a high
pressure vacuum is then applied and a series of resin tubes draw
catalyzed resin into the part. The result is a high quality method of
production which produces results repeatedly and consistently. This
allows dimensional control and regularity of weight and unlike a
pre-impregnation process, infusion does not require special materials
storage conditions, nor an oven.
An economic and reproducible process, direct positioning of dry fibers
is easier and more precise than in traditional hand lay-up processes. It
also allows controlled placement of fiber direction, as it is not
impeded by gel times etc… The perfect control of the quantity of resin
infused and the dry placement cloth make it possible to obtain extremely
homogeneous finished parts.
The weight variation of the hull and deck are very small (1 to 2%), a
performance which is impossible to achieve with hand lamination.
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