J Class: Making the commitment

01/06/2024 01:07

While modern America's Cup boats will come and go, the iconic J Class lives on through the commitment of passionate owners. The latest to get a makeover is the 42.2-metre J Class Hanuman in the Netherlands for a seven-month refit to prepare for the 2025 St Barths Bucket.

In total, nine J Class yachts are currently active, including three original surviving Js – Velsheda, Shamrock, and Endeavour – and six replicas that have been built since 2003 – Ranger, Rainbow, Hanuman, Lionheart, Topaz, and Svea.

Launched in 2009, Hanuman is a replica of Endeavour II (1936) which was an unsuccessful challenger in the 1937 America's Cup, and was later scrapped in 1968.

The refit will involve removing 500 pieces of deck hardware and the stripping of the deck back to bare aluminum, along with replacing the interior sole floorboards, a hull and topside repaint, plus the upgrading the air-conditioning and hydraulics systems. – Full report