We came across the J21 about 5 years ago, & then we were impressed. The J21 was new then, we in fact met the prototype. Now the 21/23 are the new generation of Jaguars built in Canvey Island & designed by John Mullins. (In fact, the 21 was his first commission…)

An opportunity to borrow a 21 for a w/e Thames Estuary cruising came our way; exactly the role for which she should be suited. The 21 is a performance oriented cruiser, available with either fixed fin or lifting daggerboard. She has a simple loose footed fractional rig with swept back spreaders & no runners. The hull is clean & pretty, & a moderate coachroof which sweeps down to the bow. There is no foredeck as such, but a secure anchor/footwell, & a boon it proved for crew changing headsails. The cockpit is relatively large, to allow the yacht a dual purpose life as a w/ender/racer.

The performance is nippy without being unduly lively; on our w/e we had several impromptu duels with those we chanced upon, & were more than satisfied with the results. The loose footed mainsail is responsive to tweaking for those with a mind to it, but others will find the sloop easily handled. (Originally the 21 came with hanked on headsails, but many will have been changed for foils or roller reefing/furling by now - Laurie)

The outboard arrangement is a well at the back of the cockpit, & worked perfectly. It is possible to stow the outboard in a cockpit locker & close off the well with a blanking piece, for racers, but we left the outboard shipped all the time, & apart from the odd happy gurgle as we sped along, noticed no great ill effect. The positioning of the well means that progress under engine is also very quiet. In the stillness of early morning, we crept aay from our lonely haunt on the first making of the tide, gliding along the inches deep gutway with the keel right up & the rudder raised, & the outboard ticking over, barely audible even in the cockpit. An oystercatcher on the mud nearby was unperturbed by our passing……

All this shows, we hope, that we greatly enjoyed the 21. Below she is simply laid out in an open plan style, the lifting keels version being necessarily dominated by the lifting mechanism/keel case. However, its intrusive effect is mitigated by using the space on one side for the galley.( a 2 burner stove, originally meths, & sink) There is rudimentary stowage for crockery, & further stowage is in trays behind the bunks & underneath. The cabin table stows neatly under the cockpit floor, providing further stowage…..

The 21 is a grand boat from a sailing point of view, but perhaps let down a little by some aspects of the interior; perhaps a few minor mods would not be difficult*, the lifting keel version in particular would make a very good small cruiser.

* some drawings of modifications to the 21/23 below decks are available from me, & will hopefully appear in SEACATS or on the website in due course - Laurie