Design and Construction
The RJ 85 measures 28 feet 1 inch overall, with a beam of 6 feet 9 inches and a length-to-beam ratio of 4.17. Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass. Displacement is 4,740 pounds, including 2,778 pounds of lead ballast carried low in the hull, for a ballast ratio of 58 percent.
Its production history makes blanket statements about build quality difficult. Tollare Bruk built the RJ 85, but the design was also produced at other yards and sold for completion at home. As a result, individual boats may not conform to a single yard standard. Laminate consistency, the keel-to-hull joint, and the bedding of deck fittings can vary from one hull to another, so buyers and reviewers cannot assume uniform structural execution across the class. A home-finished hull from the late-sixties run should be judged on its own merits rather than assumed to match the yard-built norm.
Rig and Sail Plan
The RJ 85 has a fractional rig. Its ISO reference sail area is 222 square feet, producing a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.4. With a 135 percent genoa, that figure rises to 16.6. By the numbers, it carries more rig than 46 percent of similar sailboats, leaving it slightly underrigged relative to its peers.
The standing and running rigging follow period fractional-sloop practice. The mainsail, jib/genoa, and spinnaker halyards are each 24.3 meters long and 8 mm in diameter. The 10 mm sheets comprise 8.6-meter jib and genoa sheets, a 21.4-meter mainsheet, and an 18.8-meter spinnaker sheet. The 8 mm control lines include a 3.1-meter cunningham, a 6.2-meter kicking strap, and a 6.2-meter clew outhaul.
Performance Profile
The design occupies an interesting middle ground. Its displacement-length ratio of 211 places it among “moderate racers,” while the theoretical hull speed for a displacement hull of this waterline is 6.3 knots. The relative speed performance index is 31.
The Motion Comfort Ratio ranges from 24.7 to 26.4. Its capsize screening value is 1.55, a figure that, by that formula alone, would admit the boat to offshore events.
Draft varies from 4.13 to 4.43 feet depending on load, allowing the RJ 85 to tuck into shallow marinas. Its immersion rate is about 515 pounds per inch, describing how heavily the boat settles as crew and gear are added. Wetted surface is about 182 square feet.
Refits and Ownership
The known rigging lengths can simplify planning for a re-rig and carrying spares. The slightly underrigged sail plan also invites a genoa-driven upgrade for better light-air performance, while the shallow-draft long keel favors gunkholing over deep-water racing.
The mixed build history remains the overriding ownership consideration. Documentation showing how a particular hull was finished matters more than the model’s averages.
The Verdict
The RJ 85 is a compact, lead-keeled fractional sloop from the late-sixties Swedish drawing board of Rolf Jacobssen. It is moderately racer-bred, yet comfort-rated for coastal use and unusually accessible to shallow water.
Its main weakness comes from its history as a kit and multi-yard design: build quality varies across the fleet. Judged hull by hull, a well-executed RJ 85 is a sensible small cruiser-racer. A poorly finished home-completed example is a different boat entirely.
Pros
- Lead long keel with a load-dependent draft of 4.13–4.43 feet, suitable for shallow marinas
- 58 percent ballast ratio and 4,740-pound displacement provide stable, predictable motion
- Known rigging lengths simplify re-rigging and spares planning
Cons
- Home-completed and multi-yard production means quality varies by hull
- Slightly underrigged compared with its peers and dependent on genoa power in light air
