The J Class Association has announced that Holland Jachtbouw has become a partner to the J Class Association (JCA). The partnership comes as the latest J Class yacht, the J8, is due to launch this coming Spring, joining the 46 metre schooner Rainbow which was launched from the Holland Jachtbouw facilities in the Netherlands in 2012.
Commenting on the predicted performance of the J8, naval architect Andre Hoek says, “When Frank Paine originally drew this vessel in 1935, he was prepared to take a sail area to displacement penalty in order to gain the extra length required. By optimising the design for the modern handicap rules of the JCA, we paid enormous attention to J8’s stiffness to weight ratio and lightweight aluminium hull.”
In addition to the soon-to-come launch of the J8 vessel, other exciting news in regards to J Class includes the recent invitation to take part in the iconic America’s Cup being held in 2017.