Something in a Marine Industry News bulletin came to my attention recently; Spirit Yachts of Ipswich are building a new ‘mini’ J Class.
The class was known as the Q Class. These were an American designed yacht specifically used as club racing and as a test bed for the J Class yachts and their crews.
With money to build these from around 1900 through to the nearness of WW2, it is easy to see how the Americans remained holders of the cup for so long. They were thorough beyond anything done in Britain!
Apparently there are a few of the class which eventually numbered around sixteen still sailing. Another, currently in a rebuild, is due for completion in 2026.
See:
The new vessel’s design is complete and the new build is due to start around now. Those that berth in the Ipswich Wet Dock may well be lucky enough to see her in a year.
Be great to joust on the river with her!
P.S. the crew of a ‘big’ Spirit all gazed and waved at us last year…
These days, with the America’s Cup, all teams have an exhaustive series of matches and then there are the preliminary race series leading to a contender… A far cry from ‘dragging’ a crew from yachts and fishing boats to man those giants.