lionheart america's cup yacht

Charter yacht Lionheart declared winner of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta and J-Class Regatta

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Written by Rachael Steele

After recently being declared the overall winner of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta, luxury sailing yacht LIONHEART has continued her winning streak and maintained a steady performance to finish three points ahead of her next closest J-Class competitors VELSHEDA and HANUMAN  who finished jointly on 14 points.

The LIONHEART crew celebrate winning the America’s Cup Superyacht Trophy (ACEA 2017 Boat International, Carlo Borlenghi)

In the 35th edition of the America’s Cup, the Superyacht Regatta drew more than 20 participants, including J-Class sailing yacht LIONHEART.

Sailing yacht LIONHEART – Built by Claasen Jachtbouw

Proving her ferocity on the water in both superyacht and J-Class events, this 2010 built Claasen Jachtbouw hull is the first generation of ever-evolving aluminium hulls. At 43m/142ft in length with 17m/56ft of overhang towards the bow and stern, she is the largest J-Class yacht in existence and truly unique in terms of design.

Sailing yacht LIONHEART – Alfresco dining in the cockpit

To view S/Y LIONHEART ‘s engineering up close, it’s possible to reserve her for week-long periods in the Mediterranean. Featuring a timeless interior last refitted by Pendennis in 2015 and a comfortable and spacious cockpit for alfresco dining in large groups, sailing yacht LIONHEART is as much a stylish charter vessel as a high-performance regatta winner.

Sailing yacht RANGER – Built by Danish Yachts

Among the J-class participants was another yacht for charter: classic yacht RANGER . Based on the original sailing yacht RANGER built in 1937, Danish Yachts constructed her namesake in 2004 with teak interiors to create a truly classic cruising experience. Able to sleep up to 10 guests over 4 stately cabins, her comfort is matched by her impressive entertainment, providing diving equipment, water skis, and snorkeling equipment as well as Kaleidescape entertainment systems for days packed with enjoyment. Sailing yacht RANGER is available for charter in the Mediterranean from €55,000-€60,000 per week plus expenses.

RANGER and the beautiful classic interior design of the saloon

Contact CharterWorld for a more comprehensive list of contemporary and traditional regatta yachts currently available for charter.

Please contact CharterWorld - the luxury yacht charter specialist - for more on superyacht news item "Charter yacht Lionheart declared winner of the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta and J-Class Regatta".

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Lionheart Wins America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta

• By Boat International Media
• Updated: June 16, 2017

Overall victory in the highly competitive fleet of six J Class yachts earned the crew of Lionheart the top prize at the second America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta. The record sized J Class fleet was the centre of attention amidst the 20 superyacht crews mustered in Bermuda to enjoy competing against each other and to share in the mounting excitement as the 35th America’s Cup draws to its finale.

Lionheart, which has seven times round the world racer Bouwe Bekking as its long time tactician reaped the rewards of their solid, consistent sailing – finishing third today – to win the class which contains dozens of past America’s Cup winners among the crews competing in Bermuda.

“We are delighted. We want to win all the races we ever do. That’s why we do it, isn’t it.” Bekking smiled, “And the boat is going well in the conditions that we have prepared her for.”

Also in the running for the overall trophy was Action, the 37.3m Dykstra design which was built by Royal Huisman which won Class B. Tension prevailed into the final minutes of the last race as Action saved her time on her rivals by virtue of the last two or three windshifts picked out by double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Ian Walker who works in concert with Shirley Robertson, a double gold medal winner who concentrates on keeping the boat speed up.

Bequia, the beautiful Stephens Waring and White 27.6m design won for the second day in a row to win Class C overall. Tom Whidden who first won the America’s Cup with Stars & Stripes in 1980 guided Bequia to the class win, highlighted the range of courses as an outstanding feature of the event.

While in Class A Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling 15, a Nautor Swan 115 which was launched last year, also made sure of the top prize for the division by wining two of their three races. Tactician Stuart Childerley, a past GBR Olympian who is in demand around the world as a top Principal Race Officer, loved his return to the cut and thrust of calling tactics rather than setting courses and laying start lines.

See the full report and results on the Boat International Media website.

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America II US-42

Represents the contemporary blueprint of the Grand Prix 12 metre yachts. Designed by our Sailing Advisory Committee member Bill Langan at Sparkman & Stephens of New York City, built by Williams & Manchester Shipyard in Newport, RI. and skippered by John Kolius in the campaign to win back the America’s Cup. America II was later featured in the Francis Ford Coppola movie Wind, as Geronimo, that recounted the loss of the America’s Cup to the Australians and the subsequent recapture of the Cup four years later in a Hollywood style finish.

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Lionheart – K-18

Lionheart (K-18) – is a modern America’s Cup class 12m Yacht designed by Ian Howlett and built by Joyce Marine Shipyards of Southhampton, UK in 1978 for Peter d’Savary’s British America’s Cup Challenger syndicate for the 1980 America’s Cup in Newport, R.I.

Lionheart is a single helm 67’ LOA, 54,000lb racing sloop with 12.5ft beam and draft of 9’, constructed of Aluminum.

Freedom (US-30)

Freedom (US-30) is the latest acquisition and restoration project to the growing 12mYDF fleet. Built – 1979 by Olin Stephens & Bill Langan of Sparkman & Stephens in New York City and constructed in aluminum alloy at Minneford Yacht Yard, City Island, NY. Freedom was skippered by Dennis Conner and victorious in her battle against challenger Australia in (the 1980 America’s Cup, Newport, R.I.)

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Lionheart wins the America’s Cup J Class Regatta

Lionheart has won the America’s Cup J Class Regatta hot on the heels of her triumphant performance in the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta where she was awarded Boat International America's Cup Superyacht Regatta Trophy. 

A record fleet of seven J Class yachts all competed for the prestigious title, with Hanuman and Ranger at the top of the leaderboard going into the final day, with seven points each, and Lionheart just behind with eight.

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Big hearted Lionheart crew wins America's Cup J Class Regatta

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Lionheart wins the America’s Cup J Class Regatta

It was a fierce bout of racing on the final day of competition, with the record fleet of seven J Class yachts all determined to come away with the title. Going into the final day, it was Hanuman and Ranger at the top of the leaderboard with seven points apiece, with Lionheart just behind them and primed to pounce on eight.

The crew of Lionheart showed their big-hearted courage as they came back from a flat-footed start to roar down the last run. A penalty for a rules infringement as she approached the last buoy saw Hanuman’s hopes for the title dashed, while Lionheart kept focused in the fickle breeze.

Overhauling the leader, Topaz, and with Velsheda winning the second of the two races of the day, Lionheart was named the winner of the regatta – clear in front by three points.

Last week, she also won the earlier J Class regatta, competing among a wider fleet of 20 superyachts racing across several classes in the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta. Her strong performance was enough to not only be named winner of the J Classes, but winner of the America’s Cup Superyacht Yacht Regatta overall.

Congratulations to all onboard Lionheart who have worked tirelessly in the lead up to the regatta. It’s the latest in a string of titles for the much-loved beauty, including the Menorca Maxi J Class, Palma’s Superyacht Cup and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup for the J Class.

From here, the 40.3 metre which we completed in 2010, will head to the J Class World Championships in Newport in the hope of adding to her list of wins.

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LIONHEART WINS AMERICA'S CUP SUPERYACHT REGATTA

# Industry News

Lionheart, one of six J-Class yachts competing in the America's Cup Superyacht Regatta, sailed to victory over an impressive fleet.

Overall victory in the highly competitive fleet of six J Class yachts earned the crew of Lionheart the top prize at the second America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta. The record sized J Class fleet was the centre of attention amidst the 20 superyacht crews mustered in Bermuda to enjoy competing against each other and to share in the mounting excitement as the 35th America’s Cup draws to its finale.

Lionheart, which has seven times round the world racer Bouwe Bekking as its long time tactician reaped the rewards of their solid, consistent sailing – finishing third today – to win the class which contains dozens of past America’s Cup winners among the crews competing in Bermuda.

“We are delighted. We want to win all the races we ever do. That’s why we do it, isn’t it.” Bekking smiled, “And the boat is going well in the conditions that we have prepared her for.”

Also in the running for the overall trophy was Action, the 37.3m Dykstra design which was built by Royal Huisman which won Class B. Tension prevailed into the final minutes of the last race as Action saved her time on her rivals by virtue of the last two or three windshifts picked out by double Olympic silver medallist and Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper Ian Walker who works in concert with Shirley Robertson, a double gold medal winner who concentrates on keeping the boat speed up.

Bequia, the beautiful Stephens Waring and White 27.6m design won for the second day in a row to win Class C overall. Tom Whidden who first won the America’s Cup with Stars & Stripes in 1980 guided Bequia to the class win, highlighted the range of courses as an outstanding feature of the event.

While in Class A Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling 15, a Nautor Swan 115 which was launched last year, also made sure of the top prize for the division by wining two of their three races. Tactician Stuart Childerley, a past GBR Olympian who is in demand around the world as a top Principal Race Officer, loved his return to the cut and thrust of calling tactics rather than setting courses and laying start lines.

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The J Class has its roots in the oldest international yacht race in the world, the America’s Cup.

Our Heritage

Considered some of the most beautiful yachts ever built, the story of the J Class is defined by fierce transatlantic competition for the America’s Cup, followed by an era of steep decline, and the modern-day revival.

The J Class includes a mixture of refitted surviving yachts along with a number of new yachts faithfully built to original hull lines from 1930’s designs, with more yachts currently in build.

The J Class Association was founded in 2000 to protect the interests of the Class, present and future, and organises an annual calendar of racing for these magnificent yachts.

2024 Calendar

The Superyacht Cup Palma

Palma, Spain

8 - 14 September

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

Puerto Cervo, Sardinia

5-11 October

America's Cup J Class Regatta

Barcelona, Spain

We love them because they are sublimely beautiful, utterly impractical and fiendishly demanding.

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Modern-day saviour of the J Class

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J class duo go 1,2 at the st barths bucket.

The J Class duo Velsheda and Hanuman dominated Class B, Les Elegantes at the recent St. Barths Bucket taking first and second place.

J Class duo Velsheda and Hanuman heading to Saint Barths Bucket

The renowned Saint Barths Bucket superyacht regatta has long been popular with J Class yacht owners and crews, many of whom have enjoyed success at the Caribbean spring showcase event over recent years.

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Return of the J Class yachts

• July 1, 2022

The incomparable J Class returns to Med fleet racing for the Superyacht Cup Palma and beyond. Andi Robertson tracks their form as the class returns to active racing once more

The Superyacht Cup Palma has long proven one of the litmus test regattas in the modern generation of the J Class – a fleet popularly regarded as the finest in our sport. In 2013 and 2014 when five Js lined up on the Bay of Palma, the spirited, close and even fleet racing which was enjoyed by Ranger , Hanuman , Velsheda , Rainbow and Lionheart marked the start of the build up to 2017’s all time pinnacle events – Bermuda’s America’s Cup Invitational Regatta and the inaugural J Class World Championship in Newport, Rhode Island.

With an all time record sized fleet of seven boats racing in 2017, including the newest launches Svea and Topaz in the mix plus Rainbow (present but watching from the sidelines), Bermuda and Newport marked the twin peaks of recent J Class activity.

However, in the immediate aftermath there was a prolonged dip in racing activity and it’s only now that the fleet seems to be on the rebuild. That reduction in racing can be accounted for by a variety of reasons. Hanuman and Lionheart – arguably the top two, best resourced teams – put their programmes on ice and in Lionheart ’s case, went cruising. And John Williams, the enthusiastic owner who commissioned and built Ranger in 1999, sadly passed away in 2018.

However, this spring and summer marks a very definite upturn in J Class racing activity. The St Barths Bucket in March saw the return to racing of Ranger , now in the ownership of a passionate young American. And then in April Svea passed into the well funded, safe hands of a syndicate of experienced Swedish owners.

So the Superyacht Cup Palma 2022 will now see its biggest fleet of Js in eight years, when Velsheda , Topaz , Ranger and Svea answer the starting guns. Also, the word from the J Class Association is that Rainbow looks set to change hands, likely to an owner who wants to go racing. Things are very definitely on the up.

Big changes in the J Class

Svea will start the Superyacht Cup on the strength of only a week’s practice in Palma, having sailed back to Europe in early May from the US. So the expectations of her team are firmly in check.

Full glam of the J Class. The return to racing of Ranger will help boost the class. Photo: Martinez Studio

Completed in a record time of just 17 months in order to be ready for the 2017 Bermuda events, Svea has had multiple, successive changes since she was launched. She has not raced since a collision with Topaz in Antigua 2020. Alterations since then include moving the forestay aft to try and correct persistent, remaining lee helm and trim issues. That has also meant re-cutting headsails.

“We will certainly have some work to do in a short space of time but we are looking forward to being back out on the race course,” enthuses Paul ‘PK’ Kelly, who has been Svea ’s boat captain since the yacht was in build.

“But we will have a completely new crew and the boat has changed hands. One of the issues for us has been that because we’ve made so many changes – from ballast to changing trim to adding jib tracks for example – we have very little in the way of base data from the same configurations and so we are aiming to achieve that.”

“Palma will be about learning as a team,” Kelly continues. “It will be awesome having Bouwe [Bekking] with us and one thing we learned from him and the Lionheart crew is that success is about consistency [Bekking was a long term tactician aboard Lionheart ]. They won the worlds in Newport not winning a race but made as few crew changes as possible year-on-year. But right now it will be a huge learning curve.”

Svea’s return should help ignite the class once again. Photo: Claire Matches

The new custodian of Ranger , meanwhile, a first-time big boat owner, enjoyed a dream racing debut at March’s St Barths Bucket.

With America’s Cup winner Ed Baird sailing and steering a J Class for his first time, and a crack crew including fellow Cup winners John Kostecki on tactics aided by Jordi Calafat, Ranger sailed a solid first outing to win on their competitive debut.

“They are amazing machines, and I can’t help wondering how on earth they did this 100 years ago?” Baird enthused in St Barth “They are so big and there are so many things to be coordinated.”

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J Class Ranger returns

As the slowest rated boat but with just a few days of crew practice, Ranger was able to hang on close enough in the brisk Caribbean tradewinds and lumpy seas to win overall. While she sailed smart and clean, there was a reminder that although these giants are often handled like modern inshore TP52s , pushing them too hard can result in costly penalties.

Team Hanuman , which has lost major regattas before because of rules transgressions, was given two penalties, for example, which effectively terminated their chances of a winning return.

Greg Sloat, who runs the Ranger programme was especially pleased to win off the bat in St Barth. “We wanted to put together a crew which got on with the job. It has never been about themselves but about the team and so it was not ‘shouty’.”

“Winning was a reward for three years of hard work, of long days and nights working on the boat. But we have a very happy owner. We worked a lot on the hydraulics so we have much more winch power than before.

Racing at the Superyacht Cup Palma. Photo: Claire Matches

“We worked on weight distribution and removed about six tonnes for the same righting moment. The main thing was to get weight forward as Ranger has always sat stern down, so with tankage, removing batteries and a lighter rudder we focused on weight out of the back.”

He believes the best of the updated Ranger is yet to come, perhaps ever more so on the flatter water and sea breezes of Palma. “St Barth conditions are not our best. We get slaughtered in the waves because we are so heavy and with the pitching moment. So I think we can do well in Palma in less swell.”

Ranger ’s new owner was obviously delighted with the performance and recalls how he fell in love with the boat and the J Class history: “I saw Ranger first when the America’s Cup came through New York City. The previous owner did a wonderful job of building her and carrying on the historic tradition of (the original) Ranger and I followed and stalked her for years. When she became available we were able to navigate the purchase process. Then she went in for a long refit to really renew and refresh a lot of the infrastructure. It was a labour of love.

“It was a funny thing – very rarely do you get to match your aspirations and your passion with actual execution. This is one of these moments and I’m incredibly grateful for it. I love the history, the lines, the beauty, the tradition. It is about the special nature of the J Class and the special nature of Ranger .”

We haven’t seen four Js or more at the Superyacht Cup for eight years. Photo: Michael Kurtz/Pantaenius Yacht Insurance

The tradewinds in St Barth were most often around 20 knots, the action spectacular, the racing close. There was a reminder, welcomed or not, of how physically tough and uncompromising these boats are to get around a windward-leeward race course.

The atmosphere ashore was encouraging, even if there was still some social distancing. And most importantly owners, crews, umpires and the J Class representatives led by new class secretary, Stuart Childerley, opened proper dialogues and talked of how to build a more sustainable, inclusive long term future for the class.

Managing owner expectation and satisfaction is key. After the high octane, high pressure 2017 season there was some burn out. The Lionheart programme under Bouwe Bekking won most consistently but they were a crew who practiced longest and hardest with pre-season sessions.

They were visibly well drilled, briefed and debriefed and were rewarded with the immense satisfaction of becoming world champions. However, Lionheart ’s owner has since chosen to cruise with the boat extensively. Svea ’s new syndicate of owners are reportedly looking forward to cruising her in the Med this year too.

Photo: Sailing Energy / SYC

The level of optimisation and the pressure that the rule was put under saw Lionheart and Svea retaining designer Juan Kouyoumdjian to help with optimisation, while Hanuman worked with Judel/Vrolijk. Certain modifications and choices patently designed to improve handicaps riled other owners whose disposition was aligned more to racing their J Class ‘as it comes’.

“Looking back I think the intensity was too much for some and it was not sustainable or enjoyed by everyone,” recalls the J Class Association’s long serving measurer, Andrew Yates. Lionheart set the bar high but that was partly because the goals of a world championship title and America’s Cup J Class title were heady ones.

Photo: Michael Kurtz/Pantaenius Yacht Insurance

Now, double Olympian, one design keelboat world champion and international race officer Stuart Childerley is determined to work with the owners, boat captains and afterguards to map out the itinerary through to 2026 and beyond. It looks very much like this will include a major event at the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, where the new class secretary reveals a vision of having all nine existing J Class yachts mustered there.

“I think the important thing is to avoid periods of no activity and to put in place some long range planning,” Childerley explains. “For example one thing on the table we are being asked about is 2026 when it will be the 150th anniversary of Cowes Week. They’d like to invite the J Class to be there.” The pinnacle event of this season will be the week-long Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in September in Sardinia where the Js will race as a class.

ull concentration on Topaz as helmsman Peter Holmberg tries to get the better of Velsheda. Photo: Sailing Energy/SYC

Velsheda remains quietly consistent and within the fleet is widely considered to be the benchmark boat in terms of crew work and performance. They, and Topaz , have continued to race over the last couple of years.

Velsheda missed a number of key Kiwi crew due to travel restrictions – such as tactician Tom Dodson – but they are back in force this season and have retained British Olympian Andy Beadsworth in the afterguard to work alongside Dodson and navigator Campbell Field.

Since launching, Topaz has sought to keep a very consistent team under skipper-helm Peter Holmberg and has benefited by making steady incremental gains each season. They were crowned IRC class winners when racing at Voiles de St Tropez last year.

Fresh blood and wide-eyed enthusiasm is in rich supply right now. So many of the crew of Ranger and Svea in particular have sailed together or against each other week-in week-out on different grand prix boats. That alone should be a step towards the shared vision of competitive, fair racing on the water and shared ‘after work’ beers on the dock.

Velsheda’s veteran crew keep aerodynamic. Photo: Sailing Energy/SYC

Improved handicapping

Another vital ingredient for the future is the new version of the J Class handicapping rule, which has been devised by guru Chris Todter, a leading America’s Cup design director. The task of fairly handicapping a small but diverse fleet, which ranges from the original 1933-designed Velsheda to the 2017-built Svea , has been problematic.

But Todter has fully revised a new Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based VPP, which accounts for many more of the speed and drag producing elements of the hull and foil packages, and is now increasingly looking at seakeeping ability. It is thought that the CFD package produces a more accurate performance profile of each boat in different conditions. The results are computed by the analysis of successive six-minute strips of real time weather and performance data provided from each boat’s performance analysis systems.

Seconds have often divided this modern generation fleet of Js, so we will see what these handicapping updates mean in reality as the four line up in Palma at the end of June. As ever, when you get a collection of the world’s most iconic yachts together, it promises to be an unmissable spectacle.

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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.

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The new J Class sailing yacht Lionheart

Lionheart was the third new J Class to be launched since Harold S Vanderbilt's successful America's Cup Defender, Ranger , took to the water in 1937. In 2003, a replica of Vanderbilt's Super J Ranger left the Danish Yacht boat yard and immediately began racing, followed six years later by the J Class replica of Endeavour II , renamed Hanuman , leaving the Royal Huisman Shipyard and competing successfully against Ranger just four months after launching. With the launch of the Hoek Design_ Lionheart_ from Claasen Jachtbouw the stakes have been raised again.

The meeting between the replicas of Ranger and Endeavour II was significant when the duo met in 1930s, Ra nger _was victorious, but the more recent _Endeavour II-r eplica, Ha numan, triumphed on the water 90 years later.

For Andre Hoek, a detailed research program focused on testing the various, original J Class designs revealed that Lionheart was one of the best set of designs available for an all-round, high-performance J.

When an existing client came to us for a third yacht, his main interest was a new J Class yacht,' says Hoek. 'He asked us what we would do if we were to build a new J and that led to a proposal to first do a dedicated research project to determine what would possibly be the best performing J Class yacht.

'We proposed to analyse the theoretical performance of all existing J Class lines and to develop a dedicated Velocity Prediction Program specifically geared to J Class hulls with long keels,' the marine architect explains, 'as the existing VPP software is all for round-bilged hulls with fin keels and spade rudders, which are totally different hydrodynamically to a long keel hull with a rudder that forms a flap on a long keel.'

The proposal was accepted and a new Velocity Prediction Program for typical J Class hulls was developed together with Peter van Oossanen (of wing keel and FDHF fame).

Tank test data of a 20 foot long model of the J Class _Rainbow _was used to calibrate the mathematical formula of the VPP program. With this new software, initially all possible Super Js (with a maximum waterline length of 26.51m) were analysed for performance both on line honours and handicap.

The five best-performing hulls from this research were then analysed using computational fluid dynamics software (CFD). The CFD analysis confirmed the VPP findings and the search was narrowed to three hull designs:

One of the eight tank-tested designs commissioned by Vanderbilt from W Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens for the Ranger 77-F project;

Svea , designed by Sweden's Tore Holm in 1938 but never built; and A Frank C Paine design that didn't progress beyond the drawing board.'Of the final three, Lionheart showed the best overall performance,' Hoek reveals. 'The Paine-designed Atlantis is a very good light wind and downwind boat and Svea is the best upwind boat.'

Furthermore, the research proves that the_ Lionheart_ design is faster than the lines chosen for the original Ranger a choice that was not due to flaws in the combined wisdom of Vanderbilt, Burgess and Stephens, but purely that tank testing with models of just under a metre in length is now known to supply inconclusive and misleading data.

Once the optimum design podium was full, the client purchased the intellectual property rights for the Burgess/Stephens Ranger 77-F designs from Sparkman and Stephens and optimisation began on the_ Lionheart_ hull, rig and sail plan. The process started with recreating the 1937 lines to ensure that both port and starboard matched a common error in early, hand-drawn, pre-digital designs.

Continuing research soon showed that the designs with the buoyancy further forward were more effective; wind tunnel testing produced the sail plan geometry, and rudder angle calculations with the new VPP dictated the mast position.

The next phase in the design process was hull strength and construction. While the original J Class yachts were built in steel, the J Class Association (JCA) allows the modern, replica yachts to use aluminium a farsighted decision by the JCA, but one that raises issues of longitudinal stiffness in yachts possessing the enormous overhangs synonymous with the classic J Class profile.

To prevent the characteristic hogging, sagging and alarmingly slack standing rigging associated with an elastic, aluminium hull, Hoek and his team used a 3D finite element model (FEM) to explore load levels throughout the yacht, resulting in an exquisite, internal lattice of aluminium supports to keep Lionheart stiff, and hull panels of multiple thicknesses dependant on specific load stress areas.

While the overall hull design remained faithful to the original, 1930s J Class remit, one aspect of the replica hulls had to change. 'We are allowed to raise the freeboard by 10cm and make a bulwark of an extra 10cm above the level of the deck,' confirms Hoek. 'These are the only two changes you are allowed to make to the original lines.'

The reason the JCA introduced the rule change is simple: 'It has everything to do with the fact that the boats were never built to be equipped with vast interiors, generators, powered winches, galleys and electronics,' Hoek explains. 'There were hardly any interiors in these boats and they were purely built for racing.'

However, J Class purists who fear that the sanctity of the original class rule has been compromised with modern tampering should realise that the truth is somewhat different.

'Most people think that a J Class has an extremely low freeboard with long overhangs,' continues Hoek. 'Especially when you look at the original, surviving boats Ve lsheda, Shamrock V _and _Endeavour.'

In reality, the modern equipment on Velsheda and _Endeavour _has sunk both yachts by around 30cm below their 1930s waterline.

'None of the surviving Js fit the original Universal Rule now,' he adds.

The Universal Rule ensured that waterline length was no longer than 87 feet (26.51m). 'In some of them, the waterline length is now about 95 feet as they are so much lower in the water,' states Hoek.

Historically, the 26.51m waterline achieved by the Super J yachts was a fundamental advantage an area researched heavily by Vanderbilt.

'In 1936, they did a test with Rainbow and ballasted her down to precisely 26.51m,' recalls Hoek. Sinking the yacht below her natural 24.99m waterline delivered immediate results.

'She was faster than she was before due to the improved righting moment, but still did well in light airs,' he adds. 'The conclusion that a Rainbow -type boat at 26.51m waterline length would be high performance led to all the subsequent Ranger designs.'

The implications of this issue are twofold in terms of performance and aesthetics, for although modern photographs of the surviving yachts suggest that reduced freeboard is more in keeping with tradition, the replica Js with their stretched overall length in the overhangs to compensate for the increased freeboard, share an identical design DNA.

'So, technically, the freeboard of the new boats is higher,' explains Hoek, 'but they are actually closer to the original.'

Lionheart's immaculate hull has been built at the Bloemsma yard, a key player in the current J Class revival, which has also been responsible for the hulls of Atlantis and Rainbow . Lionheart's fitting out was done at Claasen Jachtbouw with a team of 20 craftsmen and specialist contractors working with extraordinary co-ordination in the yacht's slender hull.

Deeper into the boat at the turn of the bilge in an area that charter guests are unlikely to visit the engine room is a masterpiece of space management. Despite the sheer volume of engineering squeezed into such a confined space, it is possible to stand upright and move around without skinning elbows or slipping discs.

And while Claasen Jachtbouw is famous for its exquisite joinery work and attention to detail, technical installations are to very high quality levels as well. MCM from Newport, USA, acted as the owner's representative a team of specialists that have added considerable experience to the build team. Their vast technical and big boat racing experience has also contributed to the end result on board.

For Victor Weerens, the yacht's project manager at Claasen Jachtbouw, Lionheart has been an exceptional experience.

'It has been a great project for us with many challenges,' he admits. 'But the team here and our sub-contractors have met all the demands of building a modern J.'

After launching she was taken up river to Zaandam for the stepping of the clear-coat carbon mast and boom from Hall Spars with Future Fibres PBO rigging.

Bugsy Gedlek; Claasen Jachtbuow; Freddie Bloemsma Aluminiumbuow; and courtesy of Hoek Design

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J CLASS TO HOLD 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BARCELONA IN 2024

No history of the America’s Cup is complete without mention of the J Class, the magnificent sloops that competed for the trophy in three editions between 1930 and 1937. Their grace and beauty reflected a time where a booming global economy brought some of the most colourful tycoons to compete for the oldest international sports trophy in the world. Names like Sir Thomas Lipton, Harold S Vanderbilt and Sir Thomas Sopwith graced a period that is known as the ‘Golden Age’ of the America’s Cup before the realities of the aftermath of the Second World War, saw the smaller, more affordable 12 Metre Class replace the J Class.

In modern times the J Class has thrived with owners either restoring or building new to old lines drawn but never constructed and to see one of the yachts in person is to witness sailing and racing at its very finest. With the America’s Cup in Barcelona in October 2024, the class have been welcomed by America’s Cup Events to host their World Championships between 7-11 th October 2024 with a practice regatta on the 3-4 th October 2024. The magnificent fleet have been allocated space in the Port Vell Harbour and will be a welcome sight for spectators and enthusiasts of the America’s Cup. 

Speaking about the J Class coming to Barcelona, Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events commented: “When the idea was first suggested, it was one of the easiest decisions ever to make. The J-Class are integral to the history, legend and fascination of the America’s Cup and we are very grateful to the Class Association and the Owners for taking the opportunity to host their World Championship in Barcelona at the time of the 37 th Match. 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.”

The J Class fleet has grown in popularity in recent years and the fleet includes Topaz (J8), Ranger (J5), Svea (JS1), Velsheda (JK7), Shamrock V (JK3), Rainbow (JKZ1), Hanuman (JK6) and Lionheart (JH1). The Class Association is seeking a commitment from as many owners as possible with five confirmed to date and others working the America’s Cup into their busy global schedules.

Hosted by the Real Club Nàutic de Barcelona, situated right in the heart of the Port Vell, the club is looking forward to a fabulous J Class regatta in the city, with Jordi Puig, President of the Yacht Club saying: “The opportunity to host the historic J Class for their World Championships in 2024 is something that myself and all the members of RCNB are immensely looking forward to. These yachts with their remarkable history both in the America’s Cup and into the modern era are one of the true wonders of the sailing world and will draw much attention when they arrive in Barcelona whilst acting as an integral part of the America’s Cup celebrations.”

Stuart Childerley, Class Secretary of the J Class, is delighted to be in the heart of the America’s Cup event in Barcelona 2024 saying: “We are extremely grateful to Grant and his team for smoothing the passage to be included in the America’s Cup regatta where the DNA of our fleet essentially lies, and we look forward to playing a central part in the programme both on and off the water. The Owners and Class Association are excited to hold our World Championships in Barcelona which will be the highlight of our season after the Maxi Worlds in Porto Cervo during September 2024 and the Mahon regatta in May 2024. The boats will arrive to the 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.”

Details of the 2024 World Championships in Barcelona will shortly be available on the J-Class Association website www.jclassyachts.com and circulated to Owners and Owner’s Representatives in due course.

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Need your help, YachtMerchant! - San Jose del Cabo Forum

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Tripadvisor staff removed this post at the original author's request.

I am sure YM will have much more detailed info for you, but I wanted to throw those ideas your way.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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