JPK 1180
Designed by Jacques Valer, the JPK 1180 is a pure racing boat designed with the crew in mind. A formidable performer both inshore and offshore, she has won it all: Fastnet, Middle Sea Race, Cowes, Spi Ouest France...
© RORC/Alex Turnbull
A pure machine made for winning
The JPK 1180 has been designed to meet a dual offshore/inshore crewed programme, which is in itself a contradiction in terms as the qualities required are not the same.
On inshore courses, narrow, heavily-weighted boats have an advantage when it comes to VMG courses. Offshore, on the other hand, the boat must be able to accelerate downwind and plane in strong winds, while ensuring a good passage in heavy seas.
With several overall victories in the Fastnet, Middle Sea Race and Sydney Hobart (in its class), as well as in transatlantic races, the JPK 1180 has become a real showpiece. On inshore courses, her multiple successes at Cowes Week and the Spi Ouest France also demonstrate that the boat remains extremely competitive on three-buoy races.
Jacques Valer is extremely proud of this boat, which he sees as the culmination of all his research into hulls.
Onboard video of the crew of the JPK 1180 "Sunrise" after they broke their own speed record: "27 knots, not bad for a cruising boat..." | © 2022, Sunrise Racing Team
The JPK 1180 is the 1st JPK racer 100% dedicated to crewed sailing. Powerful, lively and ultra-versatile, it's a real winning machine that's already won almost everything! With its inverted sheer, moderate freeboard and whistle roof, it has a devastating look.
© RORC/James Mitchell
Design by Jacques Valer
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).
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's speed record is 28 knots, held by Sunrise!
The JPK 1180: a powerful, lively and ultra-versatile racer
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!
© ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo
© ROLEX/Arthur Daniel
Building process
Made from Airex / glass / vynilester sandwich, the deck, hull and all accommodation structures are vacuum infused. The draping plan and the choice of the different layers of fabric allow the weight to be optimised as much as possible, with substantial reinforcements in areas of stress and very light structures at the top of the planking and on the deck.
Keel
The IRC favours a type of keel known as 'flat', without a bulb. The large surface area of the anti-drift surface allows the profiles to grip very quickly, even at low speeds.
Our keel is a cast-iron-lead combination with a sophisticated construction by the Lemer foundry: the result is very rigid, with a fine profile and precise shimming by laser.
In the event of a heel strike, the long, recessed sole distributes the load over all the struts and the lead absorbs the energy of the impact.
A 250 kg bulb keel, lighter for the same draught, is suitable for a reduced crew but will be less favourable for the IRC.
Ballasts option
For smaller crews, the boat can be fitted with 2 x 600-litre ballast tanks to compensate for the weight of a full crew when abseiling. In the photo, "Frida", fitted with this option, finished the BALTIC 500 in 2nd place.
"This configuration makes the boat ultra-competitive: upwind, with the ballast tanks full, power is optimised, while downwind, with the ballast tanks emptied, the boat is lighter, making it easier to get on planning. However, this type of management requires the right deck hardware to control manoeuvres effectively." – JP Kelbert
Inside the ship
Le volume conséquent de la coque permet un niveau d’aménagement intéressant pour le cruising ou la régate en équipage.
En version croisière, des hublots de coque peuvent être ajoutés et diffusent de la lumière au niveau du carré. Quelques modules de rangement supplémentaires sont également proposés avec un grand choix de boiseries ou de surfaces laquées.
© ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi
JPK 1180 technical details & documentation
Find below key information on the JPK 1180, technical and commercial documentation, and press articles.
Dimensions
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Architecture Jacques Valer
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Length 11,78 m
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LWL 10,39 m
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BOA 3,95 m
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Draft 2,34 m
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Displacement 5,9 t
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Keel 2,65 t
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Mainsail 49 m²
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Genoa 40 m²
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Asy spinnaker 160 m²
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Symetric spinnaker 140 m²
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Engine Volvo 30 CV
Documents
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À l’approche du Fastnet, tir groupé des JPK …
Sur la Cowes Dinard St Malo 2025, les JPK ont signé un joli tir groupé : victoire en IRC 1 ; victoire en IRC 3 ; victoire en IRC 4 ; et deux places sur le podium en IRC double. Depuis quelques semaines, les courses s’enchaînent pour tous les équipages […]
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An anthology Fastnet Race 2023 and a full JPK podium in the double-handed IRC!
This 2023 edition of the Fastnet will go down in history as the terrible weather conditions, particularly at the start, gave the competitors no respite on a demanding, technical and tactical course that took them around Cornwall and then up to the tip of Ireland, around the Fastnet lighthouse before [...].
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JPK 1030 "Hinden" wins and 1180 "Frida" takes 2nd place in the Baltic 500
Jonas Halberg and his crew won the prestigious BALTIC 500 on their JPK 1030 "Hinden", ahead of the JPK 1180 "Frida" driven by Tim Behrendt and Andreas Bucheim. On a fabulous 500-mile course between Kiel, Copenhagen and Göeteborg, 'Hinden' outclassed all her [...]
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Vidéos des JPK 1180 « Sunrise » et « Cocody »
L’équipage de « Sunrise », JPK 1180, a publié une vidéo embarquée sur sa page Facebook, que vous pouvez regarder ci-dessous. (Mise à jour : la vidéo est temporairement inaccessible). L’équipage de « Cocody », JPK 1180, a également publié une vidéo prise en drone de son entrée dans le […]
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Rolex Middle sea Race : scénario improbable pour la victoire overall finalement attribuée au 100 pieds « Comanche » devant « Sunrise »
Si la victoire de « Sunrise » était sans équivoque au regard des temps d’arrivée, il aura fallu un scénario météo improbable pour qu’une règle des instructions de course soit appliquée avec des temps d’arrivée calculés 15 milles avant le port de Malte. En cause la météo violente annoncée pour […]
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© RORC/Alex Turnbull
