The Yachting Year 2018

THE YACHTING YEAR 2018 | 23

T

he biggest ever gathering of J-Class yachts took

place in Bermuda in June, with eight of the cur-

rent J fl eet in attendance. The event was part of

the 35th America’s Cup, with the class invited

back for what turned out to be two spectacular days of J

racing. It took place 80 years after the 1937 America’s Cup,

which was the last one in which the J-Class raced.

Those present were Shamrock V (launched 1930),

Velsheda (launched 1933), and the modern builds Rainbow,

Hanuman, Ranger, Lionheart, Topaz and Svea. Rainbow de-

cided not to race in the regatta. Only Endeavour (launched

1934) did not attend.

After close racing, Lionheart took the top spot on the

podium, just a week after she beat a fl eet of 20 modern

ABOVE: Js going

head to head in

Bermuda’s waters

superyachts in a separate event in Bermuda.

The fi nal day in Bermuda was particularly competitive,

with Hanuman and Ranger at the top of the leaderboard

with seven points apiece, Lionheart just behind them. A

fl at-footed start looked to have cost Lionheart any chance

of the race, but she came back to roar down the last

run past Topaz. In a dramatic turn of events, Hanuman’s

hopes were dashed when she suŠ ered a penalty for a

rules infringement approaching the last buoy. One of the

original Js, Velsheda, took a popular line honours victory,

but the race and regatta crown went to Lionheart. Built in

2011, to Olin Stephens and Starling Burgess lines that were

drawn, but never realised, for the 1936 Ranger project, her

modernday design was overseen and optimised by Hoek

T

he biggest ever gathering of J-Class yachts took place

in Bermuda in June, with eight of the current J fl eet in

attendance. The event was part of the 35th America’s

Cup, with the class invited back for what turned out to be two

spectacular days of J racing. It took place 80 years after the 1937

America’s Cup, which was the last one in which the J-Class raced.

Those present were Shamrock V (launched 1930), Velsheda

(launched 1933), and the modern builds Rainbow, Hanuman,

Ranger, Lionheart, Topaz and Svea. Rainbow decided not to race

in the regatta. Only Endeavour (launched 1934) did not attend.

After close racing, Lionheart took the top spot on the podium,

just a week after she beat a fl eet of 20 modern superyachts in a

separate event in Bermuda.

The fi nal day in Bermuda was particularly competitive, with

Hanuman and Ranger at the top of the leaderboard with seven

points apiece, Lionheart just behind them. A fl at-footed start

looked to have cost Lionheart any chance of the race, but she

came back to roar down the last run past Topaz. In a dramatic

turn of events, Hanuman’s hopes were dashed when she suŠ ered

a penalty for a rules infringement approaching the last buoy. One

of the original Js, Velsheda, took a popular line honours victory,

but the race and regatta crown went to Lionheart. Built in 2011,

to Olin Stephens and Starling Burgess lines that were drawn, but

never realised, for the 1936 Ranger project, her modernday de-

sign was overseen and optimised by Hoek Design, while she was

built at Claasen Shipyards.

TYY4 Americas Cup+J-class 2.indd 23 04/12/2017 17:02