Velsheda racing in the Solent, picture OnEdition

Historic J class yachts will be racing in the Channel in 2012, with regattas planned in Falmouth and the Solent.

The regattas will include several of the new Js that have been built in recent years, as well as the three originals: Shamrock V, Velsheda and Endeavour.

The Solent regatta will include a three day series on 18-20 July next year, followed on 21 July by a “Round the Island” race. This will be sailed over the clockwise course of the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Guinea Cup Race, which in 1851 was won by the yacht America. She was the first foreign yacht allowed to take part in this race, and duly took the trophy home, where it became known as the America’s Cup.

There is still some lingering controversy about how America came to win the original race. Although the race programme stated that the Nab light-ship had to be left to starboard, this was not copied onto the race instructions … was it ungentlemanly or simply good racing tactics when America was the only boat to sail inside the Nab?

Of the ten J-class boats originally built, only three survive. For many years there was little interest in these boats: Endeavour and Velsheda sank into mud berths on the Hamble, and were used as house-boats. During the late 80s and 90s repair work started, with 1998 the rebirth of the modern J class racing, as the restored Endeavour, Shamrock and Velsheda raced against each other in Antigua Classic Week.

With the growing interest in this most beautiful of classes, a further seven J-class boats are either launched or being built. A steel replica of the most successful J-class, Ranger (also called Ranger) was built in Denmark in 2002. This was followed in 2007 with a second aluminium replica of Ranger (Lionheart). An alumunium replica of Endeavour II called Hanuman launched in 2009, and replicas of Yankee and Rainbow are in build to be ready for the 2012 regatta. There are two “new” Js as well, built from designs that were never completed: Atlantis and Svea.

Racing is likely to be close, with Ranger and Hanuman beating each other to the top spot in recent regattas. The original Ranger, owned and skippered by Harold Vanderbilt won 35 races out of 37 starts. There is still time to skipper your own J-class in the 2012 regattas: Lionheart is for sale for a whisker under €15 million. Then there’s just the 30 crew to feed …

Use this link to find full details of the Solent Regatta  and there is a full history of the class on the J Class Association’s site.

J fanatics might also like to go to Newport for their J-class regatta this June, which will be the first competitive J-class regatta in America since Ranger and Endeavour II fought for the America’s Cup in 1937.

To see the Solent racing, there will doubtless be all sorts of corporate tickets at vast prices … or you could just get on your own boat and hang around off Egypt Point to watch these 200-ton beauties thunder past. An unforgettable experience.