J-class yacht

From SpottingWorld, the Hub for the SpottingWorld network...
File:Velsheda solent (416500624).jpg
The J-Class Velsheda (1933)

The J-Class serves as a rating for large sailing yachts designed between 1930 and 1937. Reserved for a wealthy elite of yachtsmen, these boats were used to compete with the best sailing talents in three races of the America's Cup.

The 1930s

The J-Class is a development of Nathanael Herreshoff's Universal Rule for racing boats. It was established in 1929, two years after it was agreed between Britain and America that the Universal Rule would be used for large boats, where the International Rule would be used for 12mR boats and smaller. As a result, the 1930s America's Cup races were all fought in the J-Class.

Following Sir Thomas Lipton's near success in the 1920 America's Cup, he challenged again for the last time at age 79, in 1929. The challenge drew all the novelties developed in the previous decade on small boats to be ported onto large boats, and pitted British and American yacht design into a technological race. Between 1930 and 1937, the improvements brought to the design of sailboats were numerous and significant:

  • the high-aspect bermuda rig replaces the gaff rig on large sailboats (1930)
  • solid-rod lenticular rigging for shrouds and stays (1930)
  • luff and foot grooved spars with rail and slides replace wooden hoops (1930)
  • multiplication of spreader sets: one set previously (1914), two sets (1930), three sets (1934), four sets (1937)
  • multiplication of the number of winches: 23 winches, Enterprise (1930)
  • electronic navigational instruments borrowed from aeronautics with repeaters for windvane and anemometer, Whirlwind (1930)[1]
  • "Park Avenue" boom (Enterprise, 1930) and "North Circular" boom (Rainbow, 1934) developed to trim mainsail foot[2]
  • riveted aluminium mast (4,000 lb (1,814 kg), Duralumin), Enterprise (1930)
  • Genoa Jib (Rainbow, 1934) and quadrangular jib (Endeavour, 1934)[3]
  • development of nylon parachute (symmetric) spinnakers, including the World's largest at 18,000 sq ft (1,700 m2) on Endeavour II (1936)
  • Duralumin wing-mast, Ranger (1937)

All these improvements would not have been possible without the context of the America's Cup. The competition was a bit unfair because the British challengers had to be constructed in the country of the Challenging Yacht Club (a criterion still in use today), and had to sail on their own hull to the venue of the America's Cup (a criterion no longer in use today): The design for such an undertaking required the challenging boat to be more seaworthy than the American boats, whose design was purely for speed in closed waters' regattas. The yachts that remain in existence are all British, and probably log more nautical miles today than they ever did. This would not have been possible if Charles Ernest Nicholson did not obtain unlimited budgets to achieve the quality of build for these yachts. Yacht designer Clinton Hoadley Crane noted in his memoires that "America's Cup racing has never led to good sportsmanship. The attitude of the New York Yacht Club [...] has been more that of a man in the forward position at war who has been ordered to hold his position at all costs – at all costs."[4]. In 1930, Thomas Lipton spent $1,000,000 for his Shamrock V challenge when America was facing a stock market crash, but the NYYC still built four cup defenders. The rivalry lead both countries to put a display of true technological demonstrators using the maximum load waterline length authorised by the rule for Endeavour II and Ranger in 1937. This seems to concur with J.P. Morgan's famous quote about yachts: "If you have to ask how much it costs, you cannot afford it."

Most J-Class yachts were scrapped prior or during World War II because steel and lead had become precious to the war effort. In the post-war era, J-Class racing was deemed far too expensive, so no challenge for the America's Cup was placed until 1958 with the smaller third International Rule 12mR class. A revival of the J-Class was triggered in the 1980s when Elizabeth Meyer refitted Shamrock V and Endeavour.

List of J-Class yachts

Ten yachts were built to the J-Class rule between 1930 and 1937, six in America and four in Great Britain. All three which survived were designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson: Shamrock V, Endeavour and Velsheda, of which the latter never served for an America's Cup challenge.

Other boats raced in J-Class regattas: The yachts Katoura (Starling Burgess, 1927), Resolute (Nathanael Herreshoff, 1914) and Vanitie (William Gardner, 1914) served as trial horses and most International Rule 23mR yachts were converted to the J-Class, of which three remain in existence: Astra, Cambria and Candida.

A replica of Ranger in 2004 accelerated the revival of the J-Class. Several replicas and original designs were subsequently planned for construction.

J-Class conversions    did not compete or qualify    Challengers    Defenders    replicas
Launch Sail Name Designer First ship-owner and Yacht Club Description
1893 K1 Britannia Template:Country data SCO George Lennox Watson Prince Albert Edward, RYS converted to the J-Class (1931). scuttled after King George V's death (1936). replica in construction
1907 K7 White Heather II Template:Country data SCO William Fife III Myles Burton Kennedy, Royal Albert YC 23mR converted to the J-Class (1930). scrapped to cast the lead for Velsheda (1932)
1928 JK2 Astra Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson Sir Adam Mortimer Singer, RYS 23mR converted to the J-Class (1931). refitted (1987)
1928 K4 Cambria Template:Country data SCO William Fife III Sir William Berry, RYS 23mR refitted (1995, 2001). Re-rated as a J-Class (2003)
1929 K8 Candida Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson Hermann Anton Andreae, RSYC 23mR converted to the J-Class (1931). refitted (1989)
1930 JK3 Shamrock V Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson Sir Thomas Lipton, RUYC Challenger (AC1930). refitted by Elizabeth Meyer (1989).
1930 1 Weetamoe Template:Country data US Clinton Hoadley Crane George Nichols syndicate, NYYC eliminated (AC1930, AC1934). sold for scrap (1937)
1930 JUS2 Yankee Template:Country data US Frank Cabot Paine John Silsbee Lawrence syndicate, NYYC eliminated (AC1930, AC1934, AC1937). sold for scrap (1941)
1930 3 Whirlwind Template:Country data US Lewis Francis Herreshoff Landon Ketchum Thorne syndicate, NYYC eliminated (AC1930). sold for scrap (1935)
1930 4 Enterprise Template:Country data US Starling Burgess Harold Vanderbilt syndicate, NYYC winner 4:0 (AC1930). sold for scrap (1935)
1933 JK7 Velsheda Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson William Lawrence Stephenson, RYS refitted (1997) with World's tallest carbonfiber mast (56m)
1934 JK4 Endeavour Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson Sir Thomas Sopwith, RYS Challenger (AC1934). refitted by Elizabeth Meyer (1989)
1934 J5 Rainbow Template:Country data US Starling Burgess Harold Vanderbilt syndicate, NYYC winner 4:2 (AC1934). eliminated (AC1937). sold for scrap (1940)
1936 JK6 Endeavour II Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson Sir Thomas Sopwith, RYS Challenger (AC1937). sold for scrap (1947)
1937 J5 "77C"-Ranger Template:Country data US Starling Burgess & Olin Stephens Harold Vanderbilt, NYYC winner 4:0 (AC1937). sold for scrap (1941)
2004 J5 "77C"-Ranger Template:Country data US Template:Country data DNK Reichel/Pugh & Fred Elliot John A. Williams, NYYC United States Starling Burgess & Olin Stephens replica ("77C"-Ranger, 1937)
2009 JK6 Hanuman Netherlands Gerard Dykstra James H. Clark Template:Country data ENG Charles Ernest Nicholson replica (Endeavour II, 1936)
2010 JH1 "77F"-Lionheart Netherlands Andre Hoek Template:Country data US Starling Burgess & Olin Stephens original design ("77F", 1937)
building J7 Atlantis Netherlands Andre Hoek United States Frank Cabot Paine original design ("A", 1935)
building JH2 Rainbow Netherlands Gerard Dykstra Chris Gongriep Template:Country data US Starling Burgess replica (Rainbow, 1934)
in design JS1 Svea Netherlands Andre Hoek corporate syndicate Template:Country data SWE Tore Anton Holm replica (1937)

Specifications of the J-Class

File:J Class sail plan.svg
sailplan of a J-Class yacht

The Universal Rule was established in 1903 by Nathanael Herreshoff and the NYYC to normalise the sailing sport at every size of boat. The J-Class was first developed in 1929 from the Universal Rule and rates boats with the following criteria:

  • rating: <math>65<\frac{0.18\cdot\textbf{L}\cdot\sqrt{Sail~Area}}{\sqrt[3]{Displacement}}\le76</math>
    where:
    • <math>\textbf{L}=L.W.L.+.5(q.b.l.-\frac{100-\sqrt{L.W.L.}}{100}\cdot L.W.L.)</math>
    • <math>L.W.L.</math> is the Load Waterline Length in feet
    • <math>q.b.l.</math> is the quarter-beam length in feet
    • <math>Sail~Area</math> is measured in square feet
    • <math>Displacement</math> is measured in cubic feet[5]
    • 76 ft (23.16 m) <math>\le L.W.L.<</math> 88 ft (26.82 m)
  • maximum draught: 15 ft (4.57 m)
  • minimum mast weight: unrestricted in 1930; 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) in 1934; 6,400 lb (2,903 kg) for the whole rig in 1937
  • standards: Lloyds' A1 scantling rules
  • build: aluminium hull forbidden in the 1930s, authorised today
  • design: 1930s (replicas are only rated to the J-Class provided their design dates back to the 1930s)
  • racing: elapsed time (1930s), Velocity Prediction Program ratings (today)
Launch Name Builder LOA LWL Beam Draught Displacement Sail area
1930 Shamrock V Template:Country data ENG Camper and Nicholsons 119 ft 1 in 81 ft 1 in 20 ft 14 ft 9 in 134 tons 7,540 ft²
1930 Weetamoe United States Herreshoff Manufacturing Company 125 ft 9 in 83 ft 20 ft 14 ft 6 in 7,550 ft²
1930 Yankee United States George Lawley & Son 126 ft 83 ft 22 ft 6 in 14 ft 6 in 148 tons 7,288 ft²
1930 Whirlwind United States George Lawley & Son 139 ft 86 ft 21 ft 9 in 15 ft 6 in 7,335 ft²
1930 Enterprise United States Herreshoff Manufacturing Company 120 ft 9 in 80 ft 23 ft 14 ft 6 in 128 tons 7,583 ft²
1933 Velsheda Template:Country data ENG Camper and Nicholsons 127 ft 6 in 83 ft 21 ft 6 in 15 ft
1934 Endeavour Template:Country data ENG Camper and Nicholsons 129 ft 6 in 83 ft 6 in 22 ft 14 ft 9 in 143 tons 7,651 ft²
1934 Rainbow United States Herreshoff Manufacturing Company 127 ft 6 in 82 ft 21 ft 15 ft 141 tons 7,535 ft²
1936 Endeavour II Template:Country data ENG Camper and Nicholsons 135 ft 6 in 87 ft 21 ft 6 in 15 ft 162 tons 7,543 ft²
1937 Ranger United States Bath Iron Works 135 ft 87 ft 21 ft 15 ft 166 tons 7,546 ft²

Bibliography

  1. Jacques Taglang. "1930–1934: Electric instruments". America's Cup AC-Clopedia. http://32nd.americascup.com/en/acmag/features/tech_design/index.php?idContent=13079. 
  2. Jacques Taglang. "1930–1934: An exchange of ideas, from the 'Park Avenue' to the 'North Circular'". America's Cup AC-Clopedia. http://32nd.americascup.com/en/acmag/features/tech_design/index.php?idContent=13082. 
  3. Jacques Taglang. "1934: The quadrilateral jib". America's Cup AC-Clopedia. http://32nd.americascup.com/en/acmag/features/tech_design/index.php?idContent=13074. 
  4. Clinton Hoadley Crane (1952). Clinton Crane's Yachting Memories: 60 Years as Yachtsman, Designer and Racing Authority. D. Van Nostrand Sporting, New York. 
  5. Earl Boebert. "The J-class rating rule". Yankee III. http://brawner.net/universalrule.pdf. 

de:J-Klasse (Segeln) fr:Classe J pl:Klasa J sv:J-båtar