JPK 10.80 Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

JPK Composites, a boat builder from Brittany, is helping to redefine performance cruising sailboats. In 2013, the father and son team of Pascal and Alexis Loison won the biannual Fastnet Race on corrected time, sailing their 33′ Night and Day, a JPK 10.10 double-handed in a fleet of of 336 starters in the 611-mile race. It was the first time in 88 years that the race had been won by a double-handed crew. They were not, however, the only JPK 10.10s in the race.  Crews sailing JPK 10.10s also placed second, eight, ninth, tenth and eleventh.

In this year’s race, Géry Trentesaux and his 35′ Courrier Du Leon, a JPK 10.80, won the Fastnet on corrected time. This was Trentesaux’s thirteenth Fastnet race. Another JPK 10.80 placed second, while JPG 10.10s placed third, fifth and ninth. An impressive showing.

The JPK 10.8 was also awarded the title of 2015 European Yacht of the Year in the performance cruiser category. Below decks the design is spacious, simple and open, with a vee berth forward, port and starboard settees in the cabin, a functional galley, chart table and after cabin with a double berth to port.  Quite nice for a race winning speedster.