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 in June 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
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2022 من Yachting World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 2022 من Yachting World.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
wallywind 110 launches
The first example of Wally Yacht's new wallywind performance cruising range launched this summer, during the iconic Italian brand's 30th anniversary year - and in time for its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.
Irish skipper wins Figaro
Irish solo skipper Tom Dolan took a historic victory in this year's La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, winning the solo multistage offshore race overall only the third non-French competitor ever to do so.
Youth AC puts on a show
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's team won the UniCredit Youth America's Cup after a highly absorbing series comprising 12 international teams racing the one-design AC40s off Barcelona.
ATLANTIC BEYOND
SAILING THE SECOND EXPLORATION 60 ON A WEST-TO-EAST ATLANTIC CROSSING WAS IDEAL FOR A RIGOROUS TEST OF GARCIA'S NEW NOWHERE YOU CAN'T GO FLAGSHIP
UNCONTROLLED
HELPLESSLY APPROACHING AN UNINHABITED ISLAND IN THE GALAPAGOS WITHOUT ENGINE OR ELECTRONICS, JON VAN TAMELEN FEARED BEING IMMINENTLY SHIPWRECKED
SECRET ISLAND
BEYOND THE FORBIDDING ENTRY RULES OF TAIWAN IS A CULTURE RICH IN SEAFARING HISTORY AND STUNNING LANDSCAPES, FINDS CAMERON DUECK
LAND OF THE BIRDS
SKIP NOVAK DESCRIBES THE PERILS, CHALLENGES AND JOYS OF A CRITICAL EXPEDITION VOAYGE TO SURVEY SOUTH GEORGIA'S ENDANGERED WANDERING ALBATROSS
FIRST STEPS TO BLUEWATER
YOU CAN GET INTO WORLD CRUISING FROM A STANDING START AND EXPERIENCE THINGS NO OTHER TRAVELLERS DO. CATHERINE LAWSON AND DAVID BRISTOW TALK TO FOUR COUPLES WHO PROVE IT
HARD CHOICES
IN AN EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM HER NEW BOOK, PIP HARE REVEALS WHAT DROVE HER ON WHILE RACING THROUGH THE SOUTHERN OCEAN IN THE 2020 VENDÉE GLOBE.
INTO BATTLE
COULD THIS BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE VENDÉE GLOBE EVER? HELEN FRETTER FINDS OUT WHAT THE SKIPPERS WILL BE FACING.
