cost of j class yacht

Story of the J-Class Yachts:

The J-Class was adopted for America's Cup competition in 1928, looking forward to the next regatta in 1930.  The Class itself, though, dated back to the turn of the century when the Universal Rule was adopted though no J-Class yachts had yet been built.

The Rule used a yacht's various dimensions to calculate an equivalent rating in feet.  Boats of equal rated lengths could then race against each other directly without making other allowances for time or distance sailed.  Even though one yacht might have a longer length or another yacht a larger sail area, their overall configurations had to produce a rated length that met the Universal Rule for that class. Boats in Class J, more commonly today termed J-Class yachts, were the largest constructed under the Universal Rule.  The Rule actually includes provisions for an even larger type of boat, the I Class, though none were ever built.  Inquiries made in the 1930s for a Defense in the smaller K Class were rejected.

The J-Class were the first yachts in an America's Cup match to be governed by a formal design rule.  Previous defenders and challengers were only restricted by minimum and maximum lengths set forth in the Deed of Gift.  Sir Thomas Lipton, challenging in 1930 for the fifth time, had held earlier discussions with the New York Yacht Club in hopes of adopting the Universal Rule for the previous America's Cup match, intended for 1914 but delayed until 1920.  Though an agreement to use the rule was not reached for that match, the 1914 US boats, Vanitie and Resolute, still roughly followed J-Class parameters.

Building Program:

There were only 10 J-class yachts designed and built.  Additionally, several yachts of closely related dimensions, mostly 23-Meter International Rule boats, were converted after their construction to meet the rating rules of the J-Class. 

Only the purpose-built Cup yachts, though, could compete in the America's Cup.  The "converted" J-Class yachts, while acceptable for Class racing events, were not admissible for America's Cup competition.  Responding to issues that surfaced in earlier defenses, the America's Cup rules required that all boats had to be sailed to the event on their own bottom.  Some critics pointed out the possibility that the challenger might, as a result, be disadvantaged by  being of heavier construction than the defender.  In order to avoid a situation that could be perceived as an undue advantage, the NYYC eventually agreed that all America's Cup J-Class yachts would be built to Lloyds A1 standards, ensuring that defender and challenger met the same minimum construction specifications (the nautical term is "scantlings").  Most existing yachts were not built to such standards, so the Cup-eligible boats thus ended up heavier than the ineligible J's.

(The issue of challengers having to build heavier boats due to the ocean crossing was a popular, if uncertain, explanation in the British press for the long string of American victories.  In practice, a number of challengers added internal bracing for the crossing, which was then removed before racing.  And on a few occasions defenders subsequently made the crossing in reverse in search of competition following their successful defense.  The rule requiring that the challenger sail to the event on her own bottom was actually instituted in response to a super-lightweight challenger towed to the match through canals and rivers from Canada.

The J-Class Yachts

Disposition:

Conceived at the height of the affluent 1920's, the J-boats arrived during the Great Depression.  They required enormous crews, and, despite expert attention to their technical details, still broke an astonishing number of masts.  While they were in most regards the most advanced sailing yachts yet built, and they were  indeed powerful sailing thoroughbreds formed in sleek lines that can race the pulse of almost every viewer, the glorious J's proved too extravagant for their own good.  Most had very limited sailing careers outside of America's Cup.  Ranger , whose 1937 cost was upwards of $500,000, was laid-up at the end of her debut season and never sailed again.  All of the American J's were scrapped between 1935 and 1941. Most of the British J's were either abandoned or scrapped.

When NYYC sought to revive the America's Cup in the 1950s, there was a faction that favored returning to the J-Class.  Mike Vanderbilt even stated that not only would he like to see the Cup contested in the large boats, but that if so he would consider rebuilding a new Range r to the design of the original.  Still, another faction hoped for smaller dual-use yachts that could be used in offshore racing when the Cup year was ended.  With cost estimates for a 1958-era J starting around three million dollars, the impulse for a J-Class defense faded away in the face of economic pressures and a compromise was reached to sail the America's Cup in International Rule 12-Meters.

The J-Class Resurgent

J-Class rigs today are no longer built of wood or dur-alumin, but with modern lightweight composites.  Their sail technology is long past being canvas duck, and many other subtle changes have been made to make the ongoing maintenance and operation of these yachts a realistic proposition.  Still, the J-Class owners have gone to great lengths to insure the integrity of the boats.  The J-Class is self-administered, rather than governed by an outside organization as is the case with almost all other classes.  This allows the members to more easily adapt the rules in order to serve the needs of these uniquely historic yachts.

Most of the surviving J's are available for charter.  Cambria was reportedly for sale in 2000.  Endeavour changed hands in 2006 for a reported $13.1 million USD, though as her former owner Dennis Kozlowski said, "No one truly owns Endeavour .  She's a part of yachting history.''

Recreations, Replicas, and a Tender:

For decades, most yachting fans thought that we would never again see the likes of these boats again, the few survivors would sooner or later fade away, and the whole history would be reserved for books and fading photographs, but following the restoration of the surviving hulls rumors grew throughout the late 1990's and early 2000's about building "new" J's.  In 2001, all of this dock talk began to become reality:

Ranger Wooden Boat magazine, March/April 2001, described a "Dutchman" who had commissioned a new Ranger built to the original's plan.  This incredible rumor came true, and a piece of lost sailing history was brought back to life.  The new version of this "Superboat", as Mike Vanderbilt once called her, was officially launched in October, 2003. 

Designed by Studio Scanu and Reichel-Pugh, and built by Danish Yachts, Skagen, Denmark, she is not an exact replica of the original. Some would term her a re-interpretation, as a number of changes were made including greater freeboard, and Ranger 's original designers did not participate in the project.  The new Ranger first competed head-to-head against other J's in Antigua, Spring, 2004.  It took some additional adjustment after launch by her owners and designers to seek the proper trim that would make her float on her lines, an essential step in the process of being officially rated a J-Class yacht.  Visit the Ranger Website for more info.  J-Class Management is also at work on a restoration of Bystander, tender to the original Ranger .

Endeavour II An Endeavour II replica is being built at Royal Huisman Shipyard, with a planned 2008 launch date.  Gerard Dykstra and Partners is leading the project, which features a lightweight Alustar (aluminum alloy) hull and carbon-fiber mast.  See additional photo at Yachtspotter

Lionheart Based on an unbuilt alternate design by Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens II that was considered for 1937's America's Cup defender Ranger , this new boat is being built at yards in the Netherlands for an expected 2008 launch.  Lionheart will be the longest J-Class yacht when completed. See more including photos of the completed hull at the Lionheart Website and the story of sailing onboard including photos and videos Cruising J-Class Style Aboard Lionheart at Yachting World Designer:  Hoek Design Builders: Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw and Claasen Jachtbouw BV

Svea Tore Holm's unbuilt 1937 design, said by some to be faster in the test tank than any of the original boats, is being pursued by Hoek Design

Name To Be Announced In late March 2008, reports of another replica about to begin construction appeared on the Classic Boat website .  Whether this is one of the known projects, such as Svea , above, or yet another replica about to become reality, such as Rainbow , below, should become known shortly.

Rainbow In late May, 2008, Dykstra and Partners announced that a new build of the 1934 America's Cup Defender Rainbow was underway, with an expected launch date of 2010.  Read the Press Release

Other projects: Hoek Design is also studying replicas of 1930's Enterprise and another boat from Yankee designer Frank Paine.  Yankee herself has also been rumored as a new project, as well.  Earlier reports of a Ranger alternate-design carrying the name of Seawolf may have been referring to the project that has become Lionheart , see above.  Whirlwind and Weetamoe are the only two designs of the original ten J's that aren't known to be sailing, building, or under serious consideration as of 2008.  The J-Class website points out that there are 10 unbuilt J designs from the 1930's, so the possibilities for more J-Class yachts are intriguing.

Yachting World reported in May, 2003 , that construction was underway on a yacht replicating the famous G.L Watson design Britannia .  Photos showed a nearly completed hull at Solombala Shipyard, in Arkhangel, Russia, and included interviews with the yacht's owner Sigurd Coates of Norway.  The design was adapted by Cesil Stephansen from published plans.  The original designer's modern descendent company, G.L.Watson & Co., Ltd., has no involvement with the Arkhangel boat.  Little was been heard of this ambitious project for years, until the yacht was finally launched only to become subject of a financial dispute, trapping her in Russia until 2009, when she "escaped" to Norway. 

In the Spirit

A similar project to return elegant yachts to competitive racing, the W-class, was set in motion by Donald Tofias, an American enthusiast.  He commissioned naval architect Joel White to design a new class with lines evocative of famous racing yachts like the New York 50's and the J-Class.  The first two boats, Wild Horses and White Wings , were built in Maine of modern cold-molded wood construction and launched in 1998.  It is Tofias' aim that there will eventually be a whole fleet of the beautiful W-class to regularly compete against each other.  The one-design W-76 is actually similar to the New York 50's.  Tofias' long-range plans involve a range of classes including 46, 62, 76, 105, and 130.  The 130's would be nearly identical in basic dimensions to the J-class. See the W-Class Websit e .  

Additional Links: Chris Cameron onboard Ranger at Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, 2010: Photo Gallery

Web Sites of Particular Interest: The J-Class Association J-Class Management, Inc.  

Further Notes:

K-Class: The Royal London Yacht Club made and withdrew its inquiry for a K-Class challenge in 1935.  The intent had been to reduce costs, not the least of which was hoped to be a lower velocity of mast replacement, but the K-Class line of thought was rejected for several reasons.  For one, the K-Class wasn't so much smaller than the J-Class as to have clearly led to significant savings.  Additionally, no K-Class yachts existed on either side of the Atlantic while several J's of various pedigree were available for testing, training, and racing in 1935.  Also a factor was that the NYYC was already actively considering another challenge at the time the RLYC began their communication  about the K-Class and it was the NYYC's policy to consider only one challenge at a time, in keeping with the Deed of Gift.

Sailing to the Event on Own Bottom: This provision of the Deed of Gift was at times strictly interpreted to the the degree of making sure that the challenging yacht actually was under her own sail while traveling to the match, not towed by another boat.  Challengers returning across the Atlantic after Cup matches concluded were sometimes towed for convenience. Eventually the NYYC agreed at various times to permit towing the yachts to the match, particularly when conditions were light, and in 1956, for the coming of the 12-meter yachts in 1958, the Deed of Gift was amended to eliminate the requirement.

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The J Yachts

By John Hanks III

The J yachts came about, believe it or not, because yachtsmen of the late 1920s felt that

the yachts sailing for the America’s Cup had gotten too big and were becoming too

unstable. The prevalent “skimming dish” designs were considered suitable for light to

moderate wind speeds only. As a consequence the J Class was adopted to sail in the

America’s Cup races in the 1930s and beyond.

The J yachts were designed to the American Universal Rule. This rule embodies a

formula that considers, among other things, the waterline length, sail area, and,

displacement to reach a specified answer. This allows the designers to change the hull

shape and sail area within certain restrictions. The boats had to have a waterline length of

76 to 87 feet and were allowed to displace over 160 tons. The resulting yachts were huge

by today’s standards, with the largest having and overall length of over 135 feet and

masts that towered over 150 feet above the deck. (see photo #1)

The development of the Js produced a class of yachts that were large, powerful, and fast.

They had long overhangs, massive rigs, and flowing lines. In short, they were great and

elegant sailing machines, generating a mystique that has carried through to the present

day. I ask you-who can look at a J on the water and not get goose bumps?

Ten yachts were built to the J Class specifications between 1930 and 1937, six in

America and four in Britain. In addition, six other large yachts sailing at the time had

their sail plans altered to convert them to the J Class (Vanitie and Resolute in America;

and White Heather II, Britannia, Astra, and Candida in Britain).While technically

considered Js, these converted yachts did not compete in any of the America’s Cup trials

or the final races, but rather sailed in local and regional regattas with the America’s Cup

The Js employed the latest in metallurgy and yacht design, and were responsible for

several innovations. All but one of the American boats were built of steel above the

waterlines and Tobin bronze below, while the British boats were mostly built of steel.

Bronze was used for the underwater portion of the hull on the American boats after tank

testing showed that polished bronze had 10% less surface drag in the water than painted

steel. Typically the American yachtsmen wanted every advantage that they could get, and

they could afford the additional cost of the bronze hull. The lone all steel American yacht

was Ranger, built in 1937 at the depth of the Depression, when money was tight even for

the wealthiest yachtsmen.

The American J Enterprise was the first big yacht to use an aluminum mast. Her original

mast was spruce and weighed some 5,000 lb., while the aluminum one weighed a mere

4,000 lb. That 1,000 lb. savings greatly improved her performance. Another innovation in

Enterprise’s rig was the “Park Avenue” boom. This was triangular in cross section with

the top of the boom flat and the apex of the triangle pointed down at the deck. The boom

was wide enough (about 4 ft. maximum) so that the foot of the main sail could be shaped

using a series of tracks that ran across the boom. This allowed the crew to control the

shape of the sail at the foot, improving the drive in the bottom third of the sail. Other

yachts accomplished the same thing with flexible aluminum booms which had a strut and

rigging system, which allowed the crew to bend the boom to achieve the desired sail

Other improvements in yachts design occurred during the life of the Js. In 1930

Wheetamoe used just two jibs instead of the traditional triple head rig popular at the time.

The genoa jib was also greatly improved on the Js, increasing in size and progressing

toward the shape that we see today. The spinnakers also evolved during the 1930s,

culminating in the 18,000 sq. ft. monster used on Ranger in 1937. Remember that the J

sails were made of cotton rather than the synthetic fabrics that we have today, so the

typical 5,000 sq. ft. mainsail weighed about 2,000 pounds. It is no wonder that the Js

required a crew of about 35 professional sailors.

Tank testing also became much more important during the J era. It had been used

previously by designers but had been viewed with some skepticism. All of the J design

work used tank testing to some extent but in 1937 the designers of Ranger used the

testing results to select the final design. The design team stated, without the test tank

results, they would otherwise not have selected the final design for Ranger because the

design was sufficiently different from what they accustomed to seeing. In the end, Ranger

proved to be so fast that she was almost unbeatable.

The Js that competed in the 1930 America’s Cup defender trials were Weetamoe

(designed by Clinton Crane), Enterprise (designed by W. Starling Burgess), Yankee

(designed by Frank C. Paine, and Whirlwind (designed by L Francis Herreshoff). The

yacht selected to defend the Cup would sail against the British challenger, Shamrock V,

(designed by Charles Nicholson). The defender trials quickly demonstrated that

Enterprise and Yankee were the faster yachts. In fact the two were so closely matched

that the final selection was not possible until the very last race had been completed, with

Enterprise edging out Yankee by a very slim margin.

The America’s Cup races were sailed in September 1930, with Shamrock V challenging

Enterprise for the “Old Mug”. Unfortunately for Sir Thomas Lipton, his fifth challenge

for the Cup, was no more successful than his previous four. Shamrock V was beaten in

four straight races in the best of seven series by the American yacht Enterprise.

In 1934 the British again challenged for the America’s Cup. This time, T. O. M. Sopwith,

the famous WW I aircraft manufacturer, had Charles Nicholson design a new J,

Endeavour, and sailed across the Atlantic to challenge for the Cup. The American

syndicate, headed by Harold Vanderbilt had W. Starling Burgess design a new J,

Rainbow, for the 1934 Cup series. The defender series, that year, was more of a tune-up

session than a serious defender trial since neither of the older yachts – Yankee and

Weetamoe – were a serious challenge to Rainbow.

September 1934 saw the two magnificent Js, Endeavour and Rainbow, come together off

Newport to sail for the America’s Cup. This time the Americans were in for a little

surprise, the British had built a truly fast boat. Endeavour won the first two races and

appeared to be on the way to winning the Cup for England. In the third race, however

Rainbow came back to win and carried her momentum through the next three races to

retain the Cup for America. This was probably the first time that a faster yacht had lost to

a slower but better sailed competitor.

The 1937 America’s Cup challenge again produced two new Js, the American yacht

Ranger, designed by W. Starling Burgess and Olin J. Stephens, and the British challenger

Endeavour II, designed by Charles Nicholson. The defender trials pitted Ranger against

Rainbow and Yankee and demonstrated that Ranger was by far the superior yacht. She

easily defeated the other two by wide margins for the right to defend the Cup.

In late July and early August Ranger met Endeavour II for the best of seven series. Again

Ranger demonstrated her superior speed by defeating Endeavour II in four straight races.

Ranger won the first two by margins of almost 20 minutes each, and it is rumored that

Harold Vanderbilt slowed Ranger down in the last two races to keep the finishes closer.

Sadly, this was the last time that the magnificent Js would sail for the America’s Cup.

Most of the Js only sailed for one season. Enterprise and Whirlwind were laid up after the

1930 America’s Cup series, never to be sailed again. Yankee sailed for several more

years and even sailed crossed the Atlantic in the summer of 1935, to participate in the

Royal Yacht Squadron’s summer cruise in England. All of the remaining American Js

were laid up following the 1937 America’s Cup series, never to sail again. Weetamoe

was broken up in May 1938. Ranger, the greatest J ever built, sailed only four months.

She was launched in May 1937 and laid up in August of the same year. She survived until

WW II began, at which time she was broken up, with her materials contributing to the

war effort.

By the time the next Cup races were scheduled in 1940, war in Europe had broken out

and priorities had shifted from friendly yacht racing to a life and death struggle for

survival. All of the remaining American Js were broken up to feed the U.S. industrial war

needs. In England, however, only Endeavour II did not outlive the war. Endeavour and

Shamrock V both survived, as well as a third J, Velshida. All three of these original Js

have been restored and are sailing today.

When the America’s Cup racing resumed in 1958, time and progress had passed the Js

by. They were too big and too expensive to build and race, so a smaller class of less

costly yachts was designated to be sailed in the America’s Cup competitions. The 12

Meter era was born and the Js faded into history.

As a footnote, the three remaining Js have created so much interest in the last ten years or

so that new Js have been built. Replicas of Rainbow, Ranger and Endeavour II have been

built as well as several designs that were designed for the America’s Cup but never built.

Lionheart, and Chevyo were built from two of the five designs in the series that were

tested for Ranger and Seva was the intended Swedish design to challenge in 1940. All of

the original and the new Js sail together at various events around the world throughout

the year. All of them were built to meet current safety standards for charter and are

available for charter if you are so inclined. The modern J web site is www.amyajclass.com .

Although most of the original Js have passed on into history, they will continue to live on

in the form of R/C models. Appropriately enough, the models are as large and impressive

as the full size yachts are in real life. That is what makes the J Class so unique in the

Photo #1 – Ranger under sail in 1937. Photo by Morris Rosenfeld

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A story of decadence: the history of the J Class yacht

Words: Hamish Roy

The story of the J Class yacht is dominated by tycoons, aviators and those who built empires of tea; it is a story of fervent transatlantic competition, in which vast sums of money were spent to both challenge and defend the coveted America’s Cup; and it is the story of some of the most beautiful yachts ever built, which provided some of the most closely-run racing of their day.

Harold Vanderbilt’s Ranger, launched in 1937. Image: Getty

The birth of the J Class

In 1929, Sir Thomas Lipton, the Scotsman who built an empire of grocery shops and tea, commissioned a new sailing yacht in a final effort to wrestle the America’s Cup from its host nation (the race had been won by the Americans every single year). His previous yacht, Shamrock IV , had come closer to winning the race than any other British contender, but had lost to Resolute , the defending yacht competing on behalf of the New York Yacht club. This would be Lipton’s fifth and final attempt to achieve a British win.

Lipton’s Shamrock V as she is today. Image: Pendennis.com

Designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson of Camper and Nicholsons, Shamrock V was the first of the J Class yachts. This new category of yacht would come about about as a result of the introduction of the so-called Universal Rule; introduced a year later in 1930, it provided a standardised formula for calculating which yachts could compete with one another. Prior to this, yachts had been growing larger and larger, with the differences between boats making some races unfair. The introduction of the new rules and the formation of the J Class, however, created a category of yacht racing famed for its closeness – one in which competitors sometimes crossed the finish line within seconds of one another. Yet for all this evening of the odds,  Shamrock V  did not bring a change of wind for the ageing Lipton. Having spent a reported $2,000,000 on his final race attempt – an enormous sum at the time – Lipton still lost to Harold Vanderbilt’s  Enterprise. Having failed to claim the victory that he so desired, Lipton retired to his estate, where he died shortly afterwards.

A newspaper cutting showing America’s Whirlwind in action. Image: yarrowthorne.blogspot.co.uk

America fights back

To understand the extent of the rivalry between the British and the Americans is to see the response to Lipton’s 1929 challenge. Pooling together enormous sums of money in a syndicate, the Americans built no fewer than four yachts for the 1930 race: Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee  and  Weetamoe , all of which were launched within a month of one another. Whirlwind was the most revolutionary of the four and, at 86 feet long, was built to within an foot of the limits set by the Universal Rule. Clearly, Shamrock V had caused more of an upset than Lipton could have known.

Aviator Thomas Sopwith, whose firm built the Sopwith Camel during WW1. Image: icollector.com

Of the British offerings, it is Endeavour , built in 1934 for aviation pioneer Thomas Sopwith, that is seen to be the worthiest of all the British challengers. Charles Nicholson’s third J Class design, Endeavour showcased innovative technology added by Sopwith himself, much of it influenced by his aviation expertise. Often said to be the most beautiful of all the J Class yachts, Endeavour  was not, however, the fastest. Believed by some to have been hampered by her excessive gadgetry, she too lost out to one of Harold Vanderbilt’s yachts,  Rainbow,  in the 1934 race.

Harold Vanderbilt at the helm of his yacht, Rainbow, in 1934. Image: marinersmuseum.org

An era of American Dominance

The inheritor of a railroad empire, Harold Vanderbilt lived a life of great privelidge. As a boy, he sailed the world with his father, and by early adulthood, was an adept yachtsmen. He would helm  Enterprise, Rainbow and Ranger turn, sailing each of them to victory, thus safeguarding America’s grip on the trophy.  Ranger , with her riveted steel-plated hull, enjoyed particular success, winning 35 from 37 starts during her racing career. She easily saw off the British challenger Endeavour in 1937, winning all four America’s Cup races. The era of the J Class became a story of American dominance – one in of valiant but ultimately failed British challenges. In fact, America retained the America’s Cup trophy from 1870 right the way through to 1987, when they were finally dethroned by an Australian crew.

Decline and Fall

1937 marked the last America’s Cup race for 21 years, and with it the start of a steep decline for the J Class. Weetamoe was scrapped that very year, and others would soon be cannibalised for their steel during the coming war. As Europe slid towards conflict, the J Class faded away with the decadence of the 1930’s. By the 1980’s, only three of the 10 original J Class yachts remained – Shamrock V, Endeavour and Velsheda – two of which had lain derelict for decades. Now unrecognisable, they crouched in muddy inlets, the worn out husks of a golden era.

Velsheda in 1996. Image: Phil Wiston

Resurrection

In the 1990’s, salvation appeared in the form of Elizabeth Meyer, the founder of the International Yacht Restoration School. Meyer oversaw the comprehensive renovation and refitting of both Endeavour and Velsheda . She can, ultimately, be credited with saving these illustrious yachts from being consigned to the history books.

The recreated Rainbow. Image: yachtworld.co.uk

The creation of the J Class Association in 2000 further bolstered this revival, which has since shown no signs of abating. New yachts are now being faithful reconstructed from 1930’s designs; Vanderbilt’s Rainbow , the winner of the 1934 tussle with Sopwith’s Endeavour , was one of those recently recreated. In keeping with the original 1930’s yacht, the replica retains a mahogany interior with Art Deco detailing – making for a tasteful and true recreation that is almost identical to its forefather.

A wood-panelled bedroom aboard the new rainbow.Image: yachtworld.co.uk

Today, there are 8 J Class yachts in existence – just one short of the total number of original yachts built in the 1930’s. The 3 surviving British yachts have been supplemented by another 5 replicas in recent years, 3 of which have been launched since 2003. A brand new yacht,  Svea , is set for completion some time next year, which will bring the total up to 9. If anything, this rejuvenation demonstrates the continuing pull of a yachting era characterised by drama and romance – a story of industry captains, 1930s glamour and cut-throat competition. That, and the fact that J Class yachts remain some of the most beautiful ever built.

Main image: Boat International, featured image Daniel Forster.

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The allure of the America’s Cup is set to be enhanced by the majestic presence of the J Class fleet as organizers extend a prestigious invitation for their participation in the upcoming event. Scheduled to take place from October 7th to 11th, 2024, the J Class World Championship in Barcelona promises to be a spectacle of grandeur and nostalgia.

Comprising three meticulously refitted original yachts and six newly constructed vessels designed to replicate the iconic hull lines of the 1930s, the J Class fleet boasts a total of nine active yachts worldwide. Among them are the renowned Endeavour, Topaz, Ranger, Svea, Velsheda, Shamrock V, Rainbow, Hanuman, and Lionheart, each bearing a storied history dating back to the illustrious America’s Cup races of the 1930s.

Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events, expressed his excitement for the inclusion of the J Class in the regatta, emphasizing their integral role in the Cup’s rich heritage. “Seeing those boats being raced just off the Barcelona waterfront will be a spectacle for everyone on the water or watching from the shoreline – we cannot wait to see them in action,” remarked Dalton.

Stuart Childerley, Class Secretary of the J Class, echoed Dalton’s sentiments, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to showcase the fleet’s legacy amidst the prestigious America’s Cup regatta. “The boats will arrive at Port Vell and be situated right in the heart of the superyacht basin, giving spectators a fantastic opportunity to see these historic yachts up close,” noted Childerley.

The Class Association is actively encouraging J Class owners to commit to the 2024 event, with five confirmations received to date. As anticipation builds for this unparalleled gathering of maritime history and contemporary excellence, the J Class World Championship promises to captivate audiences both on and off the water, offering a rare glimpse into the timeless elegance and enduring spirit of these iconic vessels.

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Revival of the Q Class – a mini J Class without all the costs and crew hassles

• August 17, 2016

The J Class may be the most famous yachts designed to the Universal Rule, but they are by no means the only ones. Rupert Holmes reports on the embryonic revival of the Q Class

Photo: James Robinson Taylor

Imagine owning a yacht with all the class, style and history of a J Class , but without the monumental costs and logistical challenges. This dream is well on the way to becoming a reality with the resurgence of the Q Class – the purchase and running costs of a Q are a whopping two orders of magnitude less than for the big yachts.

Anyone doubting the appeal of the Q Class has only to look at a list of former owners, which features two multiple America’s Cup winners, including Harold S. Vanderbilt in the 1920s and Dennis Conner, who undertook the first full restoration of a Q Class yacht.

The Q Class was the first built to the Universal Rule, which was adopted with the aim of providing more level racing by the New York Yacht Club after the 1903 America’s Cup. Prominent American designers, foremost among them the legendary Nathanael Herreshoff, drew up the Rule, and leading designers from around the world, including Charles E. Nicholson, Tore Holm and Johan Anker, were involved in drawing many of the boats. At least 16 Q Class boats were built between 1904 and 1937.

Most Q Class designs are a little under 50ft, with a beam of just over 9ft and a deep draught, although later boats tended to be a little longer and narrower. Although slightly beamier, they were very similar in terms of dimensions to the 8-metres built to the International Rule favoured in Europe at the time.

The revived class has a number of high-profile proponents, including French legend Bruno Troublé, former J Class secretary David Pitman and California-based yacht designer David Fladlien.

Restored examples

One boat that has already been making waves at classic regattas in the Mediterranean and UK is Pascal Oddo’s Jour de Fête . One of the later Q Class, she was built in 1930 to a design by Frank Paine and W. Starling Burgess and originally named Falcon ll . Jour de Fête underwent a complete restoration in 2007/08, retaining as many of the original fittings and timbers as possible.

She won a slew of prizes at last year’s Panerai British Classic Week , including 1st overall in Class 5 and the Lallow Cup for the best-presented new entrant. This followed a long run of successes in Mediterranean regattas including Marseille in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Les Voiles de St Tropez in 2014 and Panerai Antibes in the same year.

After World War II many of the boats migrated from the New England coast to the Great Lakes, particularly Chicago and Milwaukee, where a number were eventually lost. At one time it was thought that only three of the original boats were left, however Fladlien says: “I have information of various degrees of certainty about eight existing Q boats, including some which are sailing and others which are being restored.”

Leonore , a Johan Anker design built in Norway in 1925 and called Cotton Blossom ll for much of her life, was the first boat to undergo a full restoration. This was carried out in 2003/04 by Dennis Conner and she has been racing in classic regattas ever since. Grayling , a 1923 boat, is still racing in Canada’s Puget Sound, while Robin (from 1928) is available in California and ready for restoration.

Fladlien has developed a set of rules for the design of a modern-era Q Class, with the aim of bringing the class back in a modernised form. The vision is for two classifications: Vintage for pre-World War II designs and New Construction for those designed in very recent or contemporary times.

These would retain the same long overhangs, along with deep hulls to provide lots of headroom. Both classifications are included in a revised Universal Rule for the Q Class, with limitations imposed to keep the boats, old and new, reasonably close in performance.

The handicap system is based on a velocity prediction program (VPP) under which both new and vintage boats can race together with time allowance in a similar manner to the one currently used very successfully by the J Class.

SEA&SEE/Guido Cantini

The new rule also introduces a number of changes to make Qs both faster and more capable: modern wood construction, broader stern sections to provide a longer sailing length and better downwind stability, lower centre of gravity keel and higher aspect ratio sail plan for upwind efficiency.

At the same time, design restrictions have been increased, to discourage extreme shapes, while mandatory accommodation arrangements are intended to ensure cruising capabilities in the new boats. The rule allows for modern Q Class yachts to be built from wood epoxy, aluminium or composite, by any designer and any yard.

They are stunning boats that stand every chance of gathering an enthusiastic following.

Dimensions (Jour de Fête)

LOA 15.85m/52ft 0in

LWL 10.20m/33ft 7in

Beam 2.74m/9ft 0in

Draught 2.13m/7ft 0in

Displacement 10 tons

www. qclassyachts.com

At around 50ft the Q Class is still sufficiently large and powerful to have a good turn of speed, while even the best racing crews will have plenty to tweak and manoeuvres to perfect. This is Leonore .

Greater beam than typical European designs of the same period allows for more accommodation space

After Dennis Conner’s ownership, Cotton Blossom ll reverted to her original name of Leonore and her hull was painted white. She is in outstanding condition

Robin is an unrestored original Q Class. She’s lying at Rutherford’s Boatshop in Richmond, California and has the potential to make a hugely rewarding project