Dennis,

When I say that the boat doesn't go any higher than 70 degrees to the wind I'm talking about the boat loaded as it is when cruising around the world and in an unsheltered sea. This is the COG read by the GPS, and this is the angle I take into consideration when calculating the course when I have to tack. Sometimes we are happily surprised when we make a better course thanks to the current or flat sea.
This course takes us three times the course to reach the windward target with reasonable speed and drift. Trying to sail further upwind would not be profitable.
If we managed to gain 10 degrees upwind by making changes we would only have to sail twice the course and that would be fine.
So far we have not been able to achieve this result despite our best efforts, but it must be said that we still have flat sails !
To sail close hauled, both sails are set backward by the meaning of running tack parrels.
In certain conditions, (light winds or heavy seas) it happens that the boat has difficulty to tack and we have to keep the foresail against it to achieve this. In case of emergency we had used the engine to help.
But with the method of trim flat the mainsail and releasing the foresail running tack parrel during the tack we are able to tack without further intervention and without the foresail sheets getting caught in the battens of the mainsail.
All these problems occur in long distance sailing configuration, I remind you of this because during the first trials with the light boat and with flat seas the upwind run was much better and the tacking easier.
The possibility of moving the sail plan forward and backward is a great advantage for adjusting the balance under sail and relieving the effort on the helm, even if we prefer to take one or more reefs in the mainsail to achieve this. We have found that this does not make us lose speed, but makes reaching downwind more comfortable. At the latter point of sail we can set the sails at about 1/3, which is good for balance and also for gybing.

I am ready to give the most  possible objective informations about Dimitri Le Forestier's junks.
Obviously I don't think this boat is perfect (which one is?) and I can share the modifications I have made and those I am considering.
Yes Arne, the section of the masts is not the one specified in the PJR bible, but I think it is sufficient if they are well made.
There is weather helm when the wind increases, so moving the centre of the mainsail forward by releasing the tack hauling parrel or taking a reef makes things better.
Like Annie, I prefer to have a boat that is ardent (but not too ardent !), just to feel she alive and let she follows the wind with a lashing helm ( upwind) .
Indeed, the foresail sheeting sometimes tends to get caught in the front of the mainsail battens when tacking, but Lakatao's fore mast is 50cm further back than on the last drawings.
Otherwise, the boat is pleasant to handle, with little heel she  can keep a good sail area upwind and show good power downwind.

I remain at your disposal for further information.

Dennis
Some years ago I was contacted by a French-man  about one of these vessels, owned by a friend of him. There were several snags with the rig. The wooden masts were surprisingly thin at the partners and thick at the top, there were snagged sheets and there was a lot of weather helm. The sails were flat, of course.

As I understand it, Pete has designed a new JR and he and Linda have built new sails and are only waiting for the country to open up again for sailing.

Arne