‘Abilyn’
J/120 · 1996 · Rod Johnstone design
LOA40 ft
Year1996
DesignerRod Johnstone
Home portSea Cliff, NY / Warwick, RI
Overview
Raced hard, kept right.
Abilyn is actively sailed and hard raced, and I have no plans to part with her. While I race her and look after her, this page captures her results and the meticulous work that goes into keeping her the best J/120 on the water.
Dimensions & details
- LOA40.0 ft (12.19 m)
- LWL34.5 ft (10.5 m)
- Beam12.0 ft (3.66 m)
- Draft7.0 ft (2.13 m)
- Displacement~13,900 lb (6,305 kg)
- Ballast~6,000 lb (2,722 kg)
- Keel / rudderFin w/ bulb; spade rudder
- RigFractional sloop; carbon mast
- EngineYanmar 3JH2E diesel (~38 hp), shaft drive
- DesignerRod Johnstone
- BuilderJ/Boats (TPI, Rhode Island)
- Year1996
Hull, rig and weight figures are standard J/120 model specifications; owner-specific figures (tank capacities, sail dimensions) appear in the panels below.
Gallery
See more photos and videos at instagram.com/abilynsailing
Rigging
- Carbon mast (repainted 2021)
- Rod rigging (replaced 2021)
- Stainless steel rod forestay
- Stainless steel chainplates (new 2026)
- Armare synthetic backstay
- Hydraulic backstay adjuster (replaced 2025)
- Second spreaders reinforced with carbon on the aft edge (2025) to carry a genoa-staysail lead lashing (J/121-style)
- Tides Marine mast track (replaced 2024)
- Aluminum boom (modified 2020 with four sheave boxes for three reef lines plus outhaul)
- Stainless steel lifelines (replaced 2021)
- Two spinnaker halyards (stacked vertically)
- Two jib halyards (one rigged to the forestay; the second to hoist a genoa / jib staysail via a lead lashed to the second spreader)
- 2:1 main halyard
- Genoa-staysail / storm-jib infrastructure built 2025: deck pad eye, under-deck tie rod to the hull, and second-spreader lead lashing
Sail Inventory
New Doyle package (2025)
- Mainsail — Doyle Stratis
- 147% genoa (G1) — Stratis
- 100% jib (J3) — Stratis (reef point converts to J4; foot zipper to tidy the loose foot)
- Genoa staysail / storm jib with structured luff
- A2 with ATN sock
- Code Zero on a Wichard/Facnor FX2500 top-down furler
- Spinnaker staysail on a Wichard/Facnor FX1500 furler
Additional sails
- 2022 UK main (X-Drive), one-side taffeta
- 2019 UK J3
- North A3 in ATN sock
- North G1 (3Di)
- North main (3Di), three reef points, no cars (cars moved to the 2025 Doyle Stratis main)
- Various older spinnakers
On Deck
- Spinlock triple clutches, port and starboard (new 2025)
- Four Constrictor rope clutches, two port and two starboard (new 2024–25)
- Spinlock single clutches (one port for genoa-staysail tackline; two starboard for dual tack lines)
- Additional deck organizers (2025)
- Inhaulers (2025)
- Extra-long jib tracks with adjustable cars
- Six winches: two Lewmar 55 primaries; four Lewmar 44 secondaries (cabin house and helm)
- Center pedestal with binnacle and single Edson aluminum wheel (sandblasted and repainted 2025; new leather wrap 2025)
- Cockpit closed-cell foam mats (GT3 Creative, 2023)
- Deck repainted 2026 (KiwiGrip)
Interior & Accommodation
- Herreshoff styling: white interior with varnished wood trim
- Custom nav-station paneling with an angled section for a 15-inch external monitor
- Marinemat closed-cell foam flooring over the original floorboards (GT3 Creative, Jamestown)
- Four salon berths (foldable seatbacks become elevated bunks)
- Marine head with sink/shower (rarely used)
- Forward V-berth and aft berth
- Cushions for all bunks, berths and the nav station (mostly stored; removed for racing)
- 13-gallon fresh-water tank (port, rarely used); racing uses a 7-gallon portable Reliance jug under the galley sink
- 13-gallon holding tank (starboard)
- Galley sink with faucet (currently removed for racing); foot pump plumbed from the 7-gallon Reliance jug through a 3M filter to the galley spigot
- Isotherm refrigeration in the ice box (2018)
Machinery & Systems
- Yanmar 3JH2E marine diesel; serviced as needed, filters changed regularly, fluids monitored
- 15-gallon centerline HDPE diesel tank
- PYI PSS dripless shaft seal (replaced 2022)
- Two-blade feathering MaxProp (2018)
- New engine mounts (2020)
- New prop shaft (2020)
- Custom sprit-pole nose (2026): two tack leads, 2:1 connection, internal bobstay
Electrical & Power
Full Victron battery / energy upgrade (2024)
- Two Victron Smart Lithium batteries (105 Ah each)
- Victron Lynx BMS
- Victron Orion DC-DC charger (charges the engine battery)
- Four Solbian SP-104-W solar panels (110 W each)
- Four Victron 75/15 MPPT controllers (one per panel)
- Victron Cerbo with N2K (2025) — battery, current and charging data to the racing laptop and Expedition
- Wakespeed alternator regulator
- Electromaxx Cruiser 140 alternator (2024)
Electronics & Instruments
- B&G H5000 CPU (2024)
- B&G H5000 Sailpilot primary AP computer (2026)
- B&G H5000 Sailpilot keypad (2026)
- Two AP rams: primary Hy-Pro ML+40 (equivalent to the B&G T2; HyPro builds B&G’s rams), new 2025; secondary B&G T2 ram (2018). Both wired for quick-connect swap; spare ram pins included (ram connects to the Edson rudder-stock mount)
- Simrad NAC-3 secondary AP computer (2024)
- Simrad AP44 secondary AP controller (2024)
- B&G Precision 9 electronic compass (2024)
- B&G ZG100 GPS (2024)
- B&G WR10 AP remote BT1 base station and two WR10 AP remotes (2024)
- B&G RF25 rudder-feedback unit (2024)
- Airmar ST850 speed sensor (2024); Airmar DT200 depth/temperature sensor (2024)
- Garmin Cortex AIS/VHF with wireless (interior) and wired (exterior) handsets (2024); wired handset replaced under warranty 2026
- LMR-240 cable between AIS/VHF and mast; LMR-400 (low-loss) up the rig to a PL-259 connection at the antenna
- B&G WS710 wind instrument on a vertical carbon wand with N2K (primary), 2024, new chip 2025; B&G WS310 wind instrument on the mast (secondary), 2024
- B&G 3D motion sensor (2024)
- Fusion WB675 black-box stereo with NRX300 wired remote at the helm (2024)
- Ciel et Marine Mer-Veille radar-detector system (2024)
- Actisense NGX-1 USB-to-N2K interface (2024)
- Beetronics 15-inch 16:9 external display (HDMI to the racing laptop)
- Netgear router (links the H5000 CPU to the boat computer via Ethernet and distributes internet); GL.iNet GL-AXT1800 router (bridges Starlink WiFi to the Netgear router)
- Three Garmin GNX120 displays (2023/2026) on a custom carbon plate
- Starlink Mini: cable modified to a Marinco trolling-motor male port; Marinco female socket on the transom; AWG-10 cable to the VHF circuit with a bulkhead switch at the nav station
- Expedition / Adrena ready
- No onboard chartplotter other than Expedition; a Zeus 2 is used for troubleshooting, software upgrades and bench testing
Refit History
- 2024 — major lithium-ion battery and energy-management upgrade
- 2025 — major sail upgrade (new Doyle inventory)
- 2023 — full bottom job (VC Offshore); bottom maintained and dived weekly in season by me
- Ongoing — other upgrades and replacements during routine inspections
Restoration & History
- October 2020 — starboard deck and topside damage from a pier south of the Hinckley yard (Portsmouth, RI) after coming off a mooring; no keel damage
- 2021 — fully restored in Bristol, RI by a professional team that included builders of American Magic’s AC75 and the 100-ft Comanche; not sailed in 2021
- Topsides were vinyl-wrapped by GT3 Creative rather than repainted
- New full standing rigging, plus new starboard lifelines, pulpit and starboard stanchions (2021)
Notable Race Results
- 2019 Bermuda 1-2 — 1st, Class 1 (solo leg)
- 2019 Larchmont YC Edlu — 2nd, PHRF Plus 1
- 2019 Indian Harbor YC Gearbuster — 3rd, DH
- 2020 Stamford YC Vineyard Race — 2nd, DH
- 2020 Indian Harbor YC Gearbuster — 2nd, DH
- 2023 Bermuda 1-2 — 4th, Class 1 (DH return leg)
- 2024 Sea Cliff YC Around Long Island Regatta — 1st, DH (6th in PHRF overall)
- 2024 Newport YC Offshore 160 (solo) — Line Honors; 2nd on corrected time
- 2025 Bermuda 1-2 — 1st Class 1 (solo leg), 1st Class 1 (DH leg), 2nd overall
- 2025 Sea Cliff YC Around Long Island Regatta — 2nd, DH (Around the Islands course)
- 2025 Sea Cliff YC Haustblót Shorthanded Regatta — 1st, SH
- 2025 Indian Harbor YC Gearbuster — 2nd, DH (solo)
- 2025 Larchmont YC Bitter Ender — 1st, DH
- 2026 Larchmont YC Edlu — 2nd, DH
- 2026 Storm Trysail Club Block Island Race — 2nd, DH
- 2026 Sea Cliff YC Around Long Island Regatta — 1st, DH (2nd in PHRF overall; traditional course)
- 2026 Stamford YC Vineyard Race — 3rd, PHRF DH
- 2026 Haustblót Shorthanded Regatta — 1st, SH
Ratings & Documentation
- ORC-Club certificate
- PHRF (YRALIS): 39 spin, distance
- PHRF-NB: 52 spin, distance
- Federally documented
Miscellaneous
- Four Aire inflatable fenders with fleece covers
- Mooring lines
- Force 10 stove/oven; propane tanks
- Cushions (see Interior)
- Custom offshore canvas racing dodger
- Cruising dodger frame and cruising dodger canvas
- Winter canvas cover with aluminum frame
- Harbor Freight Apache case for storing wind instruments, masthead antenna and Garmin displays
- Full running rigging and spare lines, including a custom genoa-staysail handy-billy
© 2014-2026 Abilyn Sailing. All Rights Reserved.









