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There are revivals—things like Broadway musicals,sixties-era mini-skirts and classic automobiles—then there are revivals. The heralded return of the J-Class to international yacht racing is a Renaissance worthy of Brunelleschi, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael rolled into one. As stunning as the three 1930s-era Js and the new 21st century replicas appear to be in photographs, they are masterpieces in motion when together they cross the line at the starting gun. The rebirth of the J-Class racing yachts, soon to be a fleet comprised of eleven rebuilds and replicas, is the same multi-million dollar sport of royalty and gentlemen of extraordinary means it was over 70 years ago during the era sometimes called the "Great Age of Sail." This time, the yachts are just as beautiful, the races are just as exciting, the venues are just as exclusive, and the stakes are just as tempting – a silver trophy and all the prestige and glory money can buy. J-Class racing yachts were developed in 1929 using the Universal Rule (the usual Einstein-level formula where LOA had to exceed 120 ft; LWL had to be between 79 and 87 ft. And displacement up to 160 tons). They were the first America's Cup yachts to be governed by an official design rule. At the time, the Rule inspired the most advanced designs in Racing yachts, and it gave some innovative designers, such as Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens, a real competitive edge. The calculation was amended a few years later to strengthen the breathtakingly beautiful rigs of these racers because even in light air, there had been disastrous and dangerous dismastings. The Js typically carried upwards of 7,000 sf of sail (not counting spinnakers).
The fairy godmother of the J-Class revival is Elizabeth Meyer, of Newport, Rhode Island and Hog Island, Maine. She bought and rebuilt Vanderbilt's Endeavour in the 1980s and she was a key figure in the rebuild of Lipton's Shamrock V. One grand morning, on August 26, 1989, Ted Turner took the helm of Shamrock while Gary Jobson steered Endeavour as the two yachts challenged each other on the legendary America's Cup course off Newport. Hundreds of Super8 cameras rolled from the jam-packed spectator fleet, and just about everyone who saw the two yachts together grasped the historical impact of the moment. In subsequent years, the two vintage Js match-raced again in Boston, Baltimore, Annapolis and Marblehead, and there were other willing and eager celebrity skippers, among them, Sen. Ted Kennedy vs. Sen. John Kerry. In 2004, the launch of a replica of Ranger from Danish Yachts shipyard in Skagen, Denmark, suddenly made the impossible seem possible – the reincarnation of the entire fleet of J-Class boats. Today, there are 6 in the water and 5 in planning or construction. As part of its ongoing efforts to promote this level of traditional-style yacht racing, the J-Class Association, founded in 2000, allows newly constructed yachts to be members and race, provided they are built according to original pre-1939 plans. The review board also approved aluminum hull construction . Racing under handicap, of course . And in 2010, Lionheart became the first aluminum J (using the lines by Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens for Ranger). The Association believes that J-Class yachts "command respect from yachtsmen worldwide and are a marker for quality, advanced technology and performance." The first event in the J-Class global calendar in Newport, June 15 to 19, is on a course within the lower Narragansett Bay, which means there are excellent viewing opportunities for shoreline spectators. Plan on seeing Ranger, 135 ft. LOA, vs. Velsheda, 129 ft. LOA, and a possible late entry of an additional yacht. Their dockage is at Newport Shipyard and the event is managed by Sail Newport, New England's largest public sailing center and Rhode Island's premier public sailing venue.
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David Pitman, secretary of the J-Class Association said, "We selected Newport because of the historic ties to the J-Class fleet and chose Sail Newport to manage the race because of their experience in running major regattas. We are looking forward to spectacular, close racing." This race, says the Association, is the preview for a 2014 regatta in Newport, and up to 10 J-Class yachts could be in the line-up. That is three years out, but if you're smart, you'll make your mooring reservations for a spot in the harbor right now, and see if your old Super8 still works. As the Association likes to say, "The legend lives." 1929:
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