A Fleet of J-Class Sailing Yachts Heads to the Mediterranean This Year
When the J-Class yachts unfurl their sails—up to 7,500 square feet of them—the already striking vessels become impossible to ignore. Those towering spinnakers, genoas, and mainsails billow above sleek, curved hulls—introduced nearly a century ago—as each craft’s 25-person crew moves in the choreographed precision required during a race.
“To see four, five, or seven yachts racing is simply so beautiful it takes your breath away,” says Louise Morton, class secretary of the J-Class Association. That sight was more common in the 1930s, when these fast, vast yachts, ranging from 119 to 140 feet, competed in the America’s Cup and other regattas and were owned by some of the world’s wealthiest sailing enthusiasts of the time.
This year witnesses a resurgence of sorts, as a fleet of both new and historic Js descends on the Mediterranean. This navy includes a fresh group of owners, many of whom take the helm themselves. Despite the enormous costs for support and maintenance, this new generation of stewards not only understands the critical heritage in sailing history the J-Class plays but also believes that a J is, according to Morton, “the ultimate yacht to own and race.”
Among the armada is Rainbow, a 2012 replica of the 1934 original commissioned by railway tycoon Harold Vanderbilt, now captained by its new owner Peter Harrison, C.E.O. of Richard Mille EMEA. Hanuman, a 2009 replica of 1937’s Endeavour II, was commissioned by Netscape founder Jim Clark, though Italian sailor Giovanni Lombardi Stronati recently acquired the yacht and has taken over the responsibilities of piloting it. Both yachts will provide fierce competition against Svea, owned by Swedish entrepreneur Niklas Zennström, when the trio meet at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez in late September. (Rainbow and Svea sailed against each other in June at the Superyacht Cup Palma Richard Mille.) Based on 1937 plans by a Swedish naval architect and taking eight decades to finally be realized, the 143-foot Svea is the longest J ever built. Launched in 2017, it has enjoyed sustained success on the race scene. Lionheart, built in 2010 to historic plans, is also a crowd favorite.
Locked in competition, Svea, Rainbow, and Velsheda are all replicas that showcase the original J-Class’s graceful lines and expansive sail plans.
Sailing Energy
In the 1930s, 10 original J-class yachts competed on the regatta circuit. Of those, Shamrock V, Endeavour, and Velsheda, all British boats, were the only survivors, while the six American examples were broken up for scrap. In the early 1980s, stateside heiress Elizabeth Meyer brought Shamrock V and Endeavour back to form, prompting renewed interest. Originally built for Sir Thomas Lipton, Shamrock V remains the most famous of the Js. It has recently completed a four-and-a-half-year restoration, involving 247,000 man hours, and there are plans for it to participate in two regattas in Greece and make a guest appearance next year at the 38th America’s Cup in Naples. “You come off the boat feeling as if you’ve honored the elements and the core of our sport,” says Shamrock’s new owner, a longtime sailor who admits to wearing an “ear-to-ear grin whenever we’re sailing in a blow.”
In general, such restorations have remained faithful to the original lines while incorporating modern engineering and operating systems, plus larger interiors. Six modern replicas have also been completed, combining century-old plans with the latest in aluminum hulls, composite rigging, and sail technology. Now under construction, a replica of the 1930 America’s Cup defender Yankee could return the J fleet to 10 strong.
The Js have proved their mettle as cruising vessels. Velsheda, for instance, sailed its way to New Zealand via the Panama Canal, while others have put thousands of miles under their hulls. Wick Hillege from Dykstra, the Dutch naval architects involved in the refit or rebuild of six Js, plus Yankee, believes the central mission should remain racing, just like the glory days. “We focus on making sure their maximum performance potential can be achieved,” he says. The replicas may be faster, but the slender hulls and immense sail plans remain the visual draws of the entire fleet. “That’s the styling that somehow always works,” Hillege says. “Especially that link to the past.”
Top: After a meticulous four-and-a-half-year restoration, the 96-year-old Shamrock V is back as queen of the J-Class fleet.
