JPK 1180

IRC Racing

Getting a boat to win in all race formats is never easy ... but that is the ambition of the shipyard and Jacques Valer for the JPK 1180.

Designing a 100% inshore or ORC boat is quite simple: thin sections, high weight ratio, small wetted area, generous sail area and fairly high displacement.

Designing a 100% offshore boat is also fairly straightforward: increased hull power allowing for less weight in keel and a lighter overall displacement. The rest is up to the architect, who, through his talent, optimises the design.

In the case of the 1180, the subject becomes more complicated ... to win a Middle Sea Race or a Fastnet, you need an offshore hull; but to win a Cowes Week or a Spi Ouest France, you need an inshore boat!

Jacques Valer is probably the best architect so far to combine the two, and he has already proved it with his previous boats (JPK 960, JPK 1010, JPK 1080).

With the 1180, the emphasis has been placed on crewed sailing (8/9), which allows the boat's trim to be played with and exploited to the full.

Naval architect J. Valer

LOA 11,78 m
LWL 10,39 m
BOA 3,95 m
Displacement 5,9 t
Volvo engine 30 cv
Keel 2,65 t
Draft 2,34 m

Main 49 m²
Genoa 40 m²
Asy spinnaker 160 m²
Symetric spinnaker 140 m²

The JPK 1180 is the first JPK Racer 100% dedicated to crewed sailing. Powerful, lively, ultra versatile, it is a real winning machine that has already won almost everything! With its reversed sheer, its moderate freeboard and its roof in whistle, it has a devastating look.

Jean-Pierre Kelbert

A boat designed to win it all, inshore and offshore

On this boat, the front sections are fuller than on the JPK 1080 but less than on the JPK 1030.
The tensioned water lines, when the boat heels over, are sufficiently banana-shaped on the axis to clear the ends, drag less water and allow the nose to be lifted well on very strong windy downwind.
The boat speed record is 28 knots, with Sunrise!

Not too light to avoid the traps of the rules and to remain efficient upwind, the boat is yet very lively and planing.

The results are giving reason to Jacques Valer, our architect, because after some great overall victories in the Fasnet, the Middle Sea Race, the Cowes Week and the Spi Ouest France, the proof is there that the hull of the 1180 is more than just attractive: it is terribly efficient.

Jacques Valer is truly a magician!

Construction

Made of Airex / glass / vynilester sandwich, the deck, hull and all accommodation structures are made under vacuum by infusion.

The draping plan and the choice of the different layers of fabric make it possible to optimise the weight, with substantial reinforcements in the areas subject to stress and very light structures at the top of the shell and on the deck.

Keel

The IRC favors a type of keel known as "flat", without a bulb. The centre of gravity (CG) of this type of keel is therefore higher and requires more powerful hull sections.

The large surface area of the center of efforts allows the profiles to engage very quickly, even at low speeds.

Our keel is a cast iron-lead combination with a sophisticated construction made by the Lemer foundry. The inner insert and the GS cast iron flange provide a lot of rigidity to the assembly and allow to keep a thin profile until the base of the hull.
The insert is then placed in an outer profile mould at the foundry for the casting of the lead.
On each boat, the sole is laser aligned with a moulding in the bottom of the hull before being fixed.
The keel profiles are jigged and the epoxy coatings are "shimmed" before painting.

In the event of a heel strike, the long base of the keel distributes the load over all the floor and the lead absorbs the energy of the impact.

A bulbous keel of 250 kg, lighter for the same draught, is adapted to the reduced crew but will be less favourable for the IRC.

Ballasts option

For short-handed crews, the boat can be equipped with two 600-litre ballast tanks to compensate for the weight of a full crew when hiking out.

Inside the ship

The large volume of the hull allows an interesting level of accommodation for cruising or crewed racing.

In the cruising version, hull portholes can be added and provide light in the saloon area. Some additional storage modules are also available with a wide choice of woodwork or lacquered surfaces.