Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2024 | J Class Images by Bow Caddy Media
by Bow Caddy Media 15 Sep 23:01 BST
8-14 August 2024
It’s not hard to be seduced by the romance of J Class yachts racing at close quarters. Who doesn’t love that? And where better to see that than around the islands of the Maddalena Archipelago at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup?
But the challenges of delivering such seemingly effortless elegance should not be underestimated.
In two brief conversations yesterday - one with Bouwe Bekking who’s racing on Svea and the other with Andy Green who is navigator aboard Velsheda - give some insights into those challenges.
For Bouwe Bekking safety is the first concern. The vast sail area and the significant displacement of the J class yacht generates massive loads on all of the standing and running rigging. While the J can manage 25 knots upwind, when sailing downwind in heavy airs the huge mainsail requires an experienced team to pull off the gybes successfully.
For Andy Green the pressure really amps up when sailing Js in confined waters, as happens at Porto Cervo. Much of the underwater profile between the islands is highly inconsistent with large hidden rock formations lying well off the shore.
But, with its vast overlapping genoa the J has to sail a large arc in every tack, losing speed and distance. Andy estimates that in seven knots of breeze a J will take 2.5-3 minutes to get back up to full speed. So every tack is costly, hence playing it safe is not an option under the heat of competition. Tacking within half a boat length of an obstruction is apparently a typical call!
Sometimes it’s as well not to know too much of such detail, but just to sit back and admire the magnificence that is the J Class yacht. So here’s a black and white tribute to the duo racing at Porto Cervo this week.