Frequently Asked Questions
| Q: | What in the world is a J-boat or yacht? |
| A: | A J-Class yacht is a single-masted, sail powered vessel that competed for the America's Cup in the 1930s. Only 10 J-Class yachts were built but several others were converted to J-Class specifications |
| Q: | So is it J-boat or J-Yacht, or what? |
| A: | They are referred to as a J-boat in some literature. However, most of the literature that I have indicates that J-Class Yacht is the preferred moniker. They are used interchangeably within this site. |
| Q: | J ?? |
| A: | The 'J' designation refers to a formula called an American Universal Rule which is essentially a formula that takes several factors such as sail area, displacement, length, and mast height into account to come up with a specification for measuring a yacht. A designer would have to decide which characteristics he was looking for and determine which characteristics to maximize in an effort to get a winning boat. |
| Q: | What are good references on J-Class yachts? |
| A: | Try these books: "Enterprise to Endeavour", Ian Dear |
| Q: | Can I get plans or drawings for any of the J-Class model yachts? |
| A: | Yes, see the contacts page here for that information. |
| Q: | Are there others in my area who sail model J-Class yachts? |
| A: | You should contact a local sailing club to find out if there is anyone in your area who sails one. To find out about your closest club, look at the AMYA homepage here. |
| Q: | Can I sail on a REAL J-Class Yacht? |
| A: | Yes, J-Class Yachting has an association, which you can check out here. J-Class Management, Inc. http://www.jclass.com, offers charters for Shamrock V and Endeavour. Admiralty Yacht Vacations also offers trips on Endeavour |
| Q: | Why aren't J-Class Yachts still raced for the America's Cup |
| A: | From what I can tell, two things caused the demise of the J-Class Yacht. The first was money as these yachts are very expensive and ate up too much material, especially relevant with the outbreak of World War II. The second reason was to allow competing boats to be brought over on container ships instead of being transported 'on their bottom'. This was more economical and safer for the crew, thus, the 12 metre design was chosen over J when America's Cup racing continued in the 1950's. |
| Q: | Did they only race in the America's Cup? |
| A: | No, both American (specifically the Yankee) and British J-boats crossed the ocean to compete against each other and in mixed-class regattas. |
| Q: | Which of the 10 J-Class yachts raced in the America's Cup? |
| A: | 1930 - Enterprise (U.S.) defeats Shamrock V (U.K.) -
4-0 1934 - Rainbow (U.S.) defeats Endeavour (U.K.) - 4-2 1973 - Ranger (U.S.) defeats Endeavour II (U.K.) - 4-0 |
| Q: | In the Movie "Wind", someone mentions something about, "Vanderbilt beat Endeavour, she was a faster boat." Is this the same race in 1934? |
| A: | Yes, and Endeavour was considered to have the edge in speed. |
| Q: | Were those J-Class boats the were sailing in, "Wind"? |
| A: | No, the ships they were racing in that movie were of the 12 metre variety. The America's Cup was first lost to Australia II, a 12 metre yacht, in 1983. |
| Q: | Does someone make a J-Class yacht kit? |
| A: | This answer depends on what you mean: There is currently only one manufacturer of a model J-Class yacht that floats and can be controlled with a remote, that information can be found here. There were three other hulls produced in fiberglass which were the Enterprise, Whirlwind, and Ranger. These are no longer in production. There are several manufacturers of non-sailing models of J-Class yachts which your local hobby retailer can help point you to. |
| Q: | What was the biggest J-Class yacht ever made? |
| A: | That depends on what you mean by 'biggest'. The boat with the largest displacement was Ranger (U.S.) at 166 tons. The longest boat overall was the Endeavour II (U.K.) at 135.8 feet. The boat with the highest mast was the Endeavour II at 158 feet above the deck. |
| Q: | What are the rules for model J-Class yachts? |
| A: | See them here. |
| Q: | How long does it take to build a J-Class yacht? |
| A: | This is a difficult question to answer. From scratch and working only on weekends? Probably ought to figure at least a year. From a fiberglass hull? Maybe less than 1/2 that time. It is difficult to answer because there are many variations on building techniques, hull and deck details, sails, and internal components that can make a large difference in the amount of time it takes to construct one of these beauties. |
| Q: | Speaking of sails, what kind of material is used on model J-Class yachts? |
| A: | Dacron is the material that is most often used with Mylar running second. |
| Q: | What countries made the real thing? |
| A: |
Only the U.S. and the U.K. constructed J-Class yachts. |