Design Brief & Intent
The Blue Djinn was designed specifically to serve the "randonnée côtière" (coastal trail-cruising) segment, targeting families, couples, and single-handed sailors who value exploration over raw racing speed. Its defining design feature is its fully lifting centerboard ("dériveur intégral"). Unlike competing pocket cruisers of the era that utilize heavy swing-keels or fixed bilge keels, the Blue Djinn draws an exceptionally shallow 0.25 meters of water when its board is fully retracted. This flat-bottom profile allows the boat to be loaded effortlessly onto a standard road trailer without a crane and launched directly from a standard ramp, while also enabling it to sit perfectly flat on the sand when dried out (échouage) in tidal estuaries.
Jacques Fauroux maximized the boat's compact 2.37-meter beam to create a surprisingly habitable interior for a 20-foot hull. By omitting structural bulkheads and partitions, the interior feels bright, open, and unconfined. It accommodates up to four berths: a V-berth forward and two single settee berths extending aft. The fiberglass joinery and simple varnished-wood trim keep the boat lightweight and easy to clean. Storage is incredibly generous, featuring six large lockers under the berths. The central centerboard trunk is cleverly integrated into the living space, serving as the mounting point for a folding and sliding dining table that can easily seat four adults for meals.
Sailing Performance & Handling
With a displacement of 1,984 pounds (900 kilograms) and a generous sail area-to-displacement ratio of 21.81, the Blue Djinn is remarkably lively and responsive at the helm. Drawing from its Micro 5.5 racing lineage, the hull slips through the water with minimal drag, making it a joy to sail in light air. However, because the boat relies on a relatively light ballast configuration—a 150-kilogram cast-iron sole plate embedded in the hull and a 50-kilogram galvanized steel pivoting centerboard—it possesses a relatively low ballast-to-displacement ratio. This means the boat is initially tender and requires early reefing to maintain an upright, efficient sailing angle as the wind rises.
Its capsize screening ratio of 2.48 confirms that the Blue Djinn is designed firmly as a Category C coastal cruiser, meant for sheltered waters, bays, and lakes, rather than blue-water offshore passages. Despite this limitation, French maritime tests, such as those by Voiles et Voiliers, have praised its forgiving nature under sail. The single, transom-mounted pivoting rudder offers precise, dinghy-like steering. To make short-handed sailing effortless, all control lines, including the halyards and single-line automatic reefing systems, are led aft to the cockpit, which features a deep, secure coaming.
Variations & Configurations
While the core hull and accommodation layout of the Blue Djinn remained highly consistent throughout its production run, several distinct equipment packages and cosmetic iterations exist. The standard fractional sloop rig is fitted with a fully battened mainsail and a furling genoa. For sailors looking to optimize downwind speed, B2 Marine offered the "Sport Pack," which includes a retractable bowsprit and a gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker on a continuous-line furler.
The most recognizable aesthetic variation is the "Yves Parlier" edition. Released in collaboration with the famous French single-handed offshore racer, this version replaced the early rectangular side windows with two modern round portholes on each side and incorporated upgraded deck hardware. This deck styling was eventually standardized on later production models. Regardless of the model year or trim package, the draft configuration remains identical, utilizing a simple winch and differential drum system to adjust the draft between 0.25 meters and 1.10 meters.
Known Issues & Triage
Although the Blue Djinn is structurally robust, there are several known maintenance areas that buyers must inspect. The primary triage point is the galvanized steel pivoting centerboard and its lifting mechanism. If the boat has been kept in salt water without regular zinc anode replacement, the centerboard can suffer from heavy corrosion. This rust can cause the plate to swell, jamming it inside the fiberglass centerboard trunk. Additionally, the stainless-steel lifting cable and the internal pulleys are subject to wear; a snapped cable will drop the 50-kilogram board completely, which can crack the housing or make it impossible to retrieve the boat onto its trailer.
The rudder and its transom-mounted cassette should also be checked for play. Over years of beaching and grounding, the mounting pintles, gudgeons, and the pivot bolt can wear down, leading to a loose, vibrating helm. Finally, while the hull is solid hand-laid fiberglass, the deck is a balsa-cored sandwich. Owners should inspect high-load areas—specifically around the mast step, chainplates, and the cabin top handrails—for soft spots or flexing, which indicate water intrusion through compromised sealant.
Modernization & Upgrades
Modern owners have developed several standard retrofits to make the Blue Djinn even more self-sufficient for multi-day pocket cruising. A common sailplan upgrade is the addition of a third reefing point on the mainsail. Because the boat is lightweight, having a third reef allows owners to handle sudden coastal squalls of 20 to 25 knots comfortably while maintaining a flat, controllable heel angle.
On the electrical side, the original 12V system is easily updated by installing a small lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery and a flexible 50W to 100W solar panel. This panel is typically mounted on a custom-built stainless-steel stern arch, which often doubles as a convenient support cradle for the mast when trailering. This solar setup provides more than enough power for modern LED lighting, USB charging ports, a depth sounder, and a tiller-mounted autopilot. Finally, because the boat’s auxiliary power requirements are modest, many owners are replacing older, heavy 4 hp or 5 hp petrol outboards with quiet, low-maintenance electric outboards. These electric units eliminate the need to carry flammable gasoline in the cockpit lockers and significantly lighten the load on the transom.
The Verdict
The B2 Marine Blue Djinn stands out as an exceptionally designed coastal weekend cruiser that successfully balances easy trailering, low maintenance, and genuine cabin comfort. It is a forgiving, lively sailboat that serves as an affordable gateway to coastal exploration, allowing owners to bypass expensive mooring fees by keeping the boat on a trailer at home. While its lightweight nature limits its safety to Category C coastal and inland waters, its ability to easily slide onto a sandy beach makes it a premier explorer for tidal flats, shallow lakes, and estuaries.
Pros:
- True "dériveur intégral" design with an ultra-shallow 0.25-meter draft when the centerboard is fully raised.
- Easy to transport, ramp-launch, and retrieve using a standard mid-sized family vehicle.
- Lively, responsive, and fun to sail in light air due to a highly efficient hull shape and generous sail plan.
- Strong owner support and parts availability through the highly active Aspro Djinn association.
- Extremely low cost of ownership, as the boat can be dry-stored on a trailer and run on a small, cheap outboard motor.
Cons:
- Lightweight and lightly ballasted hull makes the boat tender in a breeze, requiring early and proactive reefing.
- The steel centerboard and its internal cable lifting system require diligent maintenance to prevent corrosion and jamming.
- Cramped interior headroom of just 1.40 meters requires crouching and limits comfort during extended liveaboard trips.
- Restricted to Category C coastal waters, making it unsuitable for open-ocean passages.
