Modern Yacht Racing - J Class

Introduction by William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill

One of the most opulent and magnificent sailing class of  racing yachts of all time is the J-Class.  The vessels are unique in their combination of dimension and speed with 170 foot masts, 4 foot wide booms, 1,800 square foot spinnakers and 5,000 square foot main sails. This class of yachts was conceived in the 1930's when only 10 were designed, sparing no expense by the wealthy elites of yachtsmen such as Sir Thomas Lipton and Harold S. Vanderbilt vying to bring home the America's Cup in the yachts Shamrock V, Enterprise and Ranger. 

Most of the J-Class yachts were scrapped prior to World War II and left only a memory until the year 2000 with the birth of the J Class Association (JCA) that now makes it possible to race several replicas of the super yachts when the association organizes races for the them in Newport, USA and Falmouth and Cowes, UK.

The presentation below by Superyacht Media illustrates how spectacular these beautifully designed vessels are.  They are towering, elegant behemoths that represent a Golden Age of Cup racing.  Enjoy the video!

Typical Dimension of the J-Class yacht:
LOA: 120 feet (37 meters)
LWL: 80 feet  (25 meters)
Beam: 20 feet  (6 meters)
Sail Area:  7500 square feet  (2286 square meters)
Maximum Draft:  15 feet  (4.5 meters)





Double click on the video for a full screen presentation.



William L. Gills aka Bos'n Bill, webmaster of this site, is the author of the book Lubber's log, published by Llumina Press; a boating journal and adventure story of the author's first time experiences in the preparation, maintenance and piloting of a new, unfamiliar boat. You can visit his website here. Lubber's Log