j series yachts

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

The Rise of the J Class Sailing Yacht

J Class yachts drew gasps of admiration in their 1930s heyday. Eighty years on, they still do .

Nearly 20 years ago, I remember crunching along the shingle to Hurst Castle, jutting far out into the Western Solent, for a glimpse of three huge sailing boats as they fought the ebb tide. It was 2001, the 150th anniversary of the America’s Cup , and the three yachts were Endeavour , Shamrock V and Velsheda – the last of the original J Class. I stood with hundreds of others transfixed as the boats hammered past into the Solent on their way home to Cowes.

Built to contest the America’s Cups of the 1930s, these Js were designed by legends such as Charles Nicholson , Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens . Their names were bywords for romance and luxury; their owners celebrities.

But such is their capacity to entrance, these 36-metre to 43-metre sloops, with their giddy overhangs fore and aft, have actually grown in number since 2001. Today the fleet numbers nine yachts, with a further two on the drawing board. And, if you’d been lucky enough to be in Bermuda in mid-June 2017, you would have seen seven of these magnificent boats vying in the America’s Cup J Class Regatta. “The class has grown because of its incredible history of racing and the America’s Cup – and the sheer beauty of the boats,” Velsheda’s owner Ronald de Waal says. “Sailing on one is an incredible experience and the racing is equally exciting.”

And yet despite its resurgence, the J Class story owes as much to mud berths and rusting hulls as it does to regattas and billionaires. The US fleet was scrapped for materials after the outbreak of the Second World War, but three heavily built British Js survived. As America’s Cup challengers, they had to cross the Atlantic Ocean on their own bottoms to take part. Velsheda spent entire decades holed up on the Hamble, Endeavour was rescued from the scrapyard, while the wooden-hulled Shamrock V was cruised in the Med.

The tide turned fair again for the J Class only as recently as 1984, when American sailor Elizabeth Meyer bought the hulk of Endeavour and set about restoring her. “Elizabeth is very much the catalyst for the revival of the J Class with the renovation of Endeavour in 1984,” Philip Lotz, commodore of the New York Yacht Club, said in 2017. “Her vision and inspiration… got restoration going not only for the J Class but for all classic yachts.”

Meyer was nearly overwhelmed by the task; it took just two years to make Endeavour seaworthy enough for towing to the Royal Huisman  yard in the Netherlands. She famously said that 98 per cent of her net worth was tied up in Endeavour by the time she sailed again in 1989.

Meyer was also the person responsible for refitting Shamrock V in 1989 and that summer, the first J racing of the modern era captivated spectators from Maine to Maryland. At first it was an amateur affair, with crews recruited by skipper Gary Jobson. “We sent forms out to 200 sailors he knew and we ended up with 600 replies,” Meyer recalls. “Sailors were Xeroxing copies and sending them back to us. I told Gary, ‘Well, we will just have to run a lot of regattas.’”

The admiration that had made the J Class and their owners front-page news in the 1930s was as strong as ever. “The J Class boats seemed to be worshipped everywhere,” Meyer says, “venerated like a mix of what might be expected for a film star or something like the Eiffel Tower.”

Velsheda was next in line for a refit and the three Js raced side-by-side for the first time at Antigua Classic Week in 1998. By now the late John Williams, an American property developer, had initiated work to build a replica of the Sparkman & Stephens-designed “super-J” Ranger . Harold Vanderbilt’s original had all but dismissed the challenge posed by Sir Thomas Sopwith’s Endeavour II in the 1937 America’s Cup, and was considered among the fastest Js.

With new boats being built, ground rules were urgently needed to keep the racing fair, and so in 2000 the J Class Association was born. Its first and most important rule was to restrict new J Class yachts to existing lines plans from the 1930s – something that instantly limited their number to 22 hulls. “Not all of the original lines are interesting,” says Andre Hoek, the noted naval architect who was involved in updating the designs for the build of Lionheart , Topaz and Svea . “There are nine boats in the water, and probably only five or six more of interest.”

Then performance limits were determined to prevent extreme design. “You have to maintain the original freeboard and the rig geometry,” Jeroen de Vos, naval architect at Dykstra, explains. “And new boats have to have a functioning interior. You don’t want a situation where the old boats become obsolete.”

The only major concession has been to allow lighter hulls built from modern aluminium and other materials, instead of the original Tobin bronze or steel and timber, and the rudder shape can be modified. But most of the magic happens from the deck upwards. All the boats sport top-of-the-line carbon sails, carbon spars and hydraulics that can put up to 35 tonnes of tension into the headstay. It’s a huge contrast to the 1930s, when the 50-metre masts were prone to tumbling over the side in anything more than a force 3, so stretchy was the rigging of the day.

Regular refits keep today’s Js at the leading edge of new technology. “We have the chance to play with all of it, and the level of the other teams constantly pushes us to do more,” says Velsheda skipper Barney Henshaw Depledge.

In 2016, Southern Spars shaved an impressive 800kg off Hanuman’s rig weight by using super-thin carbon laminate and ECsix rigging. That’s the equivalent of removing 10 crew members sitting on the second spreaders. “The mast specifications nowadays are expected to be in the same ballpark as the most modern race yachts,” says Steve Wilson, senior designer and co-founder of Southern Spars.

Just as important is a clean deck plan that favours communication between the 30-plus racing crew and facilitates sail changes. “Deck layout is a huge part of it for being able to pull down headsails of 450 square metres and kites of 1,000 square metres,” de Vos adds.

Using an algorithm to predict performance, each hull is rated accordingly – but with only minute differences separating them, the Js are more akin to a one-design fleet. “The racing is very close – it’s won on seconds,” says de Vos. “Because the boats are so close, if you cross the line ahead, you’ve basically won.” This draws some of the world’s top sailors, from Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking (tactician on Lionheart ) to two-time America’s Cup helmsman Ken Read (Hanuman and Topaz ) and a host of young talent.

Off the racecourse, the Js have a different appeal, with lavish panelled cabins, marble-lined bathrooms and cosy deckhouses. “The boats are quite deep in the water and therefore are very comfortable below,” de Waal says of his beloved Velsheda . “There is a lot of deck space as well. You can enjoy very relaxing and quiet moments of cruising with your family and friends.” Some of the boats charter, too, with prices starting from $65,000 (£50,000) per week.

Perhaps the last word about the J Class should go to its modern-day saviour, Elizabeth Meyer. “We love them because they are sublimely beautiful, utterly impractical and fiendishly demanding.” And that, in a nutshell, is it.

Sign up to BOAT Briefing email

Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday

By signing up for BOAT newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy .

More about this yacht

More stories, most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.

Launched January 2017

Design: Tore Holm

Image Credit:

Image Credit: 

Svea is the newest J Class yacht in the current fleet and was launched in January 2017. At 143ft/43.6m Svea has the longest LOA by 15cms.

Her original designs were drawn in 1937 by Swedish Olympian and renowned 6 and 8 Metre boat designer Tore Holm along with compatriot boatbuilder Gustav Plym, but war put paid to any hopes of a Swedish America’s Cup challenge.  The  designs were left untouched in a drawer until they were discovered by Dutch yachting historian and 8 Metre boat enthusiast John Lammerts van Bueren.

Designer Andre Hoek and a group of Dutch enthusiasts including an owner bought the designs and, after careful analysis and refinement in line with their VPP modelling, the hull and deck were built. But the owner pulled out. The project was bought by an American owner who, after having sailed on four other J Class yachts, wanted to compete at the 2017 J Class America’s Cup Regatta and the inaugural J Class World Championships in Newport that year.

While the two halves of the hull and the deck were built at Claasens, the build was completed at Vitters on a very tight schedule in order to be in Bermuda on time for the J Class America’s Cup regatta.

Svea encompasses powerful traditional lines infused with the latest race boat technology. She has a very low freeboard and an extremely clean deck layout and a notably low boom. One trademark is a very large wheel which is set into a deep recess. There are two big working cockpits split by a small doghouse. The halyard and spinnaker trimming winches and crew work out of the forward  cockpit.

Svea’s first races were at the America’s Cup Superyacht regatta in Bermuda in 2017. In 2018 after changes to the keel, a longer boom, bigger main and smaller jibs, Svea won the class at the Saint Barths Bucket in 2018.

In 2022 post pandemic Svea passed into the hands of two passionate Swedish yachtsmen, both accomplished racing enthusiasts, who were inspired to bring Svea – which translates as Mother Sweden – under her native Swedish flag.

After a short, intense week of training under tactician Bouwe Bekking, Svea proved her speed and power over the two main regattas they sailed that year, winning The Superyacht Cup Palma in June 2022 and then winning the class title at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup.

Svea is helmed by the owners at events sharing steering duties between them. Seven times round the world racer Bouwe Bekking is tactician, Steve Hayles is navigator and Tim Powell is project manager and mainsheet trimmer.

Length at waterline

displacement

upwind sail area

spinnaker sail area

2017 America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta, Bermuda

‍ 2018 saint barths bucket, ‍ 2018 superyacht cup palma, ‍ 2022 superyacht cup palma, ‍ 2022 maxi yacht rolex cup.

This site uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you consent to the use of cookies. View our Privacy Policy for more information.

• Nautic Shows
• America’s Cup
• Classic Yachts
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Superyachts
• Yachts News
• Destinations
• Yacht Clubs
• Boat Racing
• Meta Yachts

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.

• Americas Cup

RELATED ARTICLES

Challenging conditions persist in barcelona for louis vuitton cup and cancels day 6, day two of the the louis vuitton cup round robin, sir ben ainslie: ‘winning the america’s cup is one of the toughest things in sport’.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

LATEST ARTICLES

Editor picks, nautic magazine and duward watches announce prestigious collaboration: introducing the aquastar summer sailing 2024 bcn edition, canadian beau lake introduces the tahoe ’14 and lugano ’14 electric runabouts, underwater adventure and exploration with deepflight’s super falcon 3s, popular posts, mirabaud sailing video of the century: celebrating 2 decades of passion, young designer of the year 2022: ioana valentina corcodel reveals 65m ophelia concept, the nacra15 world championships open in la grande motte, france, popular category.

• Regatta 840
• America's Cup 488
• Motor Yachts 264
• Boating 220
• Superyachts 191
• Sailing 184
• Yachts News 174
• Sailing Yachts 167

Everything You Need to Know About J Boats (With Prices)

J boats are a series of sailboats designed and manufactured by J/boat company. Because all J/boat company’s sailboats models start with J, people call their boats J boats.

Table of Contents

What are J boats?

J boats are a series of sailboats designed and manufactured by J/boat company. Rod Johnstone-a salesman of a sailing magazine and his brother Bob Johnstone are co-founders of J/boats company.

J/boats company is a privately held US company. its head office is in Rhode Island, New port, U.S.

In his garage, Rod Johnstone designed and built his first sailboat named ” RAGTIME” in 1975. This is the prototype of a very popular J boat model J/24.

Why are J boats called J boats?

All sailboat models manufactured by J/boats company start with J, which is why any J sailboats are called J boats.

Are J boats good quality?

The majority of people think J boats are good quality sailboats. in addition, J boats have above the average resale value of any sailboats out there.

J boat has pretty high customer retention, and most J boat owners have owned multiple Js. this is proof of their excellent quality.

Based on jboat.com that in 2019 their J/99 model won the SAIL Magazine Best boat award, British Yachting Awards, Sailing World Boat of the year, etc. Besides J/99, their other popular model J/121 also won lots of awards.

In addition to their awards at the different sailing magazines, and yacht clubs, you probably notice J/125 model sailboat showed up on the movie TOP GUN: Maverick (based on jboats.com)

How many J boats are there?

There are roughly 5500 J/24 owners, and 9500 other models of J boats, so the total amount is approximately 15,000 J boats there on the water.

Current popular models and price range

below models are in production.

Classic old model and price range

The below models are no longer in production. You can purchase second hand of these models

Are J Boats blue water?

There are many models of J boats. Different models of J boats have different purposes. Yes, several popular J models are blue water sailboats.

The first blue water J boat was J/40. J/40 was introduced to the market in 1984. J/40 is 40.30 feet long and 12.10 wide blue water offshore cruising boat. J/40 won multiple prizes in 1984, but the J/boat company stop manufacturing this mode in 1994. The average price of a second-hand J/40 is $55000 ~ $12,000.

Besides J/40, J/122, and J/133 are all blue water sailboats. J/133 is another popular blue water J boat.

J/133 is 43′ long and 12.78 ft wide equipped with 2 cabins. J/133 has plenty of room for a team of crew members or family. The average price for a second-hand J/133 is about $210,000.

What is the largest J Boat?

The largest J boat is J160. J160 is an over fifty feet yacht. J160 is 52.70 ft long and 14.50 ft wide. The first J160 model was introduced to the market in 1995. J/boat company stop the production of this model in 2004.

The average price for J/160 in the year 2000 is around $300,000

What is the smallest J boat?

J/70 is the smallest J boat that currently is in production. J/70 is 22.75 ft long and 7.38 ft wide. J/70’s key feature is it is easy to tow, easy to rig, and can launch at a ramp. You can store this boat at home because of its convenient size.

The new J/70’s price is around $50,000. The used J/70 in the year 2014 is around $38,500.

What is the fastest J boat?

According to Jboat company, their J/35 is the fastest J boat. J/35 beat Beneteau 42, Swan 44, and C&C 41 on the speed.

J/35 is 35.5 ft in length and 11.80 ft in width. PHRF rates the J/35 an average of 72. Normally the lower the PHRF number is the fast is the boat. The lower PHRF rating of J/35 is also proof that this model is pretty fast.

What is PHRF? PHRF stands for the performance handicap rating factor Most boat are in 50~250 range Your PHRF rating is the number of seconds per mile your boat is supposedly slower than a theoretical boat which rate zero cite from: http://cs.brown.edu

The first J/35 was produced in the year of 1983, and this model was stopped by the J/boat company in the year of 1992.

The 1984 J/35 sold at a price of around $ 22,000~$40,000.

below is a good video of J/35 on 16,9 knots top speed

The lifespan of J boat?

The average lifespan of a sailboat is between 15 ~ and 25 years.

J boats are made of fiberglass. Many boat owners say that fiberglass can last forever but the system on the boat needs update and replacement.

It is hard to say the lifespan of the J boat. It depends on how often you use it, where you use it, and how well you maintain it. Some J boats are over 40 years old and still cruise on the water. Such as model J/24, which was first produced in the year 1978, till today there are still many of them on the water.

Where to buy J boat Parts?

J boat company website: https//www.jboats.com is a good resource for everything about J boat. Whether you want to purchase a new J boat or a used J boat you can find them on this website (under the “brokerage” tab).

There are many models of J boats that are no longer in production, you can also find parts under the tab “Resources” and then tab “parts and equipment”.

The other great feature I like about this website is their Jboat owner resource. They provide you with all information about sailing schools and racing events worldwide.

https://www.jboats.com/

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

J Class picture highlights: spectacular images of 7 J Class sailing together at the 35th America’s Cup

• Toby Hodges
• June 21, 2017

The largest collection of J Class yachts yet – seven of the now nine strong J Class fleet – raced during the America’s Cup in Bermuda in June.

It is a sight many sailors have looked forward to as much or even more so than the America’s Cup itself – Seven J Class , the largest fleet to ever assemble in the 87 history of the class, raced in their own regatta either side of the first weekend of the America’s Cup finals.

The J Class also performed a stunning exhibition race on the America’s Cup course on the Great Sound on Saturday, shortly before the first America’s Cup match, for the thousands of fans in the America’s Cup village. (The shallow, reef-strewn depths of the Great Sound make it very tricky to set a proper course for the J Class, hence the actual races were held off the north coast of the island).

A combination of having some of the world’s best photographers here and the J Class racing on translucent turquoise blue seas means the resultant photographs (below) make for a visual treat.

Lionheart scored a first and second on the final day to win the J Class regatta, which concluded in a light breeze off the north coast of the island. It was reduced to a two day, five race event after Friday’s racing was canceled due to light wind.

The fleet was also without its newest member Svea for the final three races, after she suffered rig damage durig the second race (pictured below). But the crews at the prize giving were all delighted with how close the racing was in the light, flat water conditions – a fleet divided and decided literally by seconds.

Here is the best of the Js in Bermuda in pictures

Seven J Class hit the startline for the first time ever. The smaller Shamrock chose port hand starts to keep clear air – Studio Borlenghi

JK7 Velsheda and JS1 Svea add some colour to the otherwise black and white sail wardrobe – Studio Borlenghi

The long aft overhangs of JK6 Hanuman during Monday’s triple race day – Chris Cameron

The precarious pointed bow of a J Class highlights the skill of the bowman. Topaz on the greener, clearer waters of the Great Sound – Ricardo Pinto

The Js dance elegantly around the Great Sound off the America’s Cup village during the J Class exhibition – Ricardo Pinto

The exhibition saw staggered starts in a light breeze but a perferct opportunity to see the skills involved with getting the vast sails up and down around a simulated race course – Ricardo Pinto

Hanuman leads Ranger and Svea during the first day of the windward/leeward J Class Regatta. The final results came down to seconds. Chris Cameron

The view from the weather rail of Shamrock as the six other Js round the mark ahead, Velsheda leading. The smaller Shamrock can only try and compete with the others on handicap.

Preparing to hoist on the foredeck of Hanuman. She has been highly optimised and is the only J to use a snuffer to allow faster kite drops on mark roundings. Ricardo Pinto

The view from the America’s Cup village as the J Class perform their exhibition race. Sander van der Borch

Kristy Hinze Clark, Hanuman’s owner, enjoys helming the boat during the exhibition match – Studio Borlenghi

Onboard the newest J Svea, with her clean deck layout and extra large wheel, with Ranger and Hanuman chasing – Studio Borlenghi

Velsheda’s foredeck crew, led by Jeff Reynolds and Eduard van Lierde prepare to hoist the red white and blue spinnaker – Ingrid Abery

Weight forward on Lionheart on their way to winning both the Superyacht Regatta and J Class regatta in the light airs of Bermuda – Ingrid Abery

The seasoned competitors Ranger (left), Velsheda and Lionheart find their lane at the leeward end of the line – Studio Borlenghi

A seven strong fleet means it’s a gutsy affair at the pre-start and a good reason why the top pros are needed aboard to make the split-second calls  – Studio Borlenghi

Bermuda’s picture postcard conditions. The combination of enticingly clear, flat water, ideal temperatures, light breezes and welcoming locals makes for a spectacular venue – Ricardo Pinto

The newest J Class, a Hoek rework of a Tore Holm design, looked superb in her first regatta and was going well until she suffered rig failure (below) in her second race. Studio Borlenghi

There was a loud bang as Svea approached the top mark – the headstay swivel broke and the stay and genoa collapsed. The crew reacted quickly to release the mainsheet and runners and crank on halyards to the foredeck to keep the mast standing. It is hoped Svea will be fixed in time for the J Class Worlds in Newport in August. Studio Borlenghi

The race to the downwind gate and who can get the vast genoas up and kites down quickest – Ingrid Abery

The red socks of Ranger in support of Emirates Team New Zealand (famously worn by Sir Peter Blake) – Gilles Martin-Raget

Following a poor start and a tense finish to the last race, Lionheart wins the America’s Cup J Class Regatta. It marked triple success for the JH1 team in Bermuda, after also winning their class and the overall prize in the Superyacht Regatta. Some of her Falmouth based crew hoist the Cornish flag in celebration – Ingrid Abery

• SI SWIMSUIT
• SI SPORTSBOOK
• Drivers / Teams

2024 NASCAR Cup Series Standings After Atlanta

Toby christie | 5 hours ago.

Here are the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Driver Playoff Standings following the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the first of three races in the Playoffs Round of 16.

With his win at Atlanta , Joey Logano has locked in his advancement to the Round of 12, regardless of his points position at the end of the Round of 16. Ty Gibbs (+1 point) is currently the final driver inside the Playoffs cutline, and Brad Keselowski (-1 point), Harrison Burton (-16 points), Martin Truex Jr. (-19 points), and Chase Briscoe (-21 points) are on the outside looking in with two races left in the round.

TOBY CHRISTIE