OnBoard Magazine - Issue XI - Summer 2019

J upiter’s popularity has soared through the years thanks to a reputation for solid construction, yacht-grade fit-and- finish and even some celebrity recognition. As we celebrate with Jupiter on their 30 years of boat building and innovation, let’s take a closer look at how it all started and what truly makes each Jupiter boat special. In 1989, a handful of offshore racing enthusiastsgot togetherwithavision to take the best performing aspects of racing hulls and apply them to a fishing boat. The result was the very first Jupiter 31 center console fishing boat equipped with a bracket and outboard power. Although stepped hulls were gaining some popularity in the 80’s, this original hull form featured a deep-v forward with a generous sized hull “pad” in the center aft. Jupiter’s National Sales Manager, Lester Ares explains, “Jupiter's founders originally figured out that if you build a much larger pad-bottom hull, the boat will track straight with minimum effort at the helm.” In contrast, hulls with a deep-v throughout the stern tend to shift more to one side or the other of the center of gravity. In the pad design, effortless straight-line tracking is joined by drama-free turns and exceptional handling. “These boats truly handle like a sports car on the water,” says Ares. GROWING AND EVOLVING The Jupiter nameplatewas derived from the Jupiter Inlet onFlorida’sAtlanticCoast. This inlet is at times treacherous and routinely puts both captains and their vessels to the test with a rough, unpredictable sea state. The original Jupiter 31’s unique hull pad bottom proved her place in the market on Jupiter Inlet’s tough passage. Over the next decade, the 31 garnered attention from celebrities and sportfishing enthusiasts alike while other models like the 21 Flats and 27 were introduced. Jupiter’s original founders honed their skills in design and construction, but left much room for improvement on the A SALUTE TO JUPITER’S 30 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE ONE OF A DESIGN The time-tested Jupiter 31 Carl Herndon shows off a new Jupiter back in 2009 Bluewater's recent Jupiter factory tour "...the boat will track straight with minimum effort at the helm." 36 BLUEWATER