For any passionate sailor worth his salt, sailing aboard a classic J-Class yacht would be the pinnacle of their maritime career. For some however, life aboard the mythic J’s is not just a dream, but an everyday reality, and at times, an adrenaline overload. One of those rare few, is the Suffolk born Englishman, Will Gibbon, who has had the fortune to sail, cruise and live aboard not one, but two of these extraordinary vessels. Will is now in his fourth year as First Mate aboard the original 1933 Camper & Nicholsons J-Class, Velsheda, but he began his career in the Class aboard the 41.55-metre Danish Yachts, Ranger, a Spirit of Tradition J-Class which was built as an exact replica of Sparkman & Stephens' Ranger, launched in 1937. 
Photo: Merijn de Waard / SuperYacht TimesSYT’s Francesca Webster, caught up with Will, an old friend and wildly unsuccessful (on her part) first sailing coach, to talk about his entrance to the close knit world of classic yachts, his life aboard the sloops, and his all time best experiences.
In his late teens, Will worked on the U.K.’s east coast for sailmaker John Parker at his loft OneSails GBR. The international team at OneSails cut cloth for some of the biggest names in the industry, designing sails for superyachts, as well as classics and dinghies. It was here that Will, already an experienced small boat sailor, began sailing and racing more frequently, eventually meeting English comedian Griff Rhys Jones and joining the race crew of his 1948 Bermudan Sparkman & Stephens yawl, Argyll. After three years as race crew, Will stepped up to the 19-metre Fife III sloop Mariquita, joining the permanent crew as deckhand. 
In 2015, the news was announced that the entire existing J-Class fleet, minus Velsheda's sister ship Endeavour, would be coming together in a momentous event at the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda. His passion for classic yachts already ignited, it was Will's firm ambition to join one of the Class and compete in the once in a lifetime regatta. Eventually his dream was recognised, with the invitation to join Ranger as deckhand. “The mate at the time was promoted to captain, and he took me on and I worked through the ranks, which is the best way to learn these yachts. Even though Ranger has had a refit since I was last aboard, I am still familiar with both of the yachts, having spent so much time aboard.”
Photo: Carlo BorlenghiFor many sailors who witnessed the 2017 America’s Cup, the spectacular show of the J-Class competition stood out as a pinnacle of the event. Processing through Hamilton Harbour, gigantic flags billowing at their stern, the J-Class yachts truly put on a show, and for Will it was a top moment of his career. “Bermuda is definitely the highlight for anyone that has sailed aboard these yachts in recent years, it is easily the highlight of my career.”
Photo: Carlo BorlenghiIt was not all fun and games however, the regatta was a serious affair and every owner, captain and crew wanted to take the top spot during the races. Racing on a yacht coming toward its centenary isn’t without its difficulties, and Bermuda posed some additional challenges for the crew. With the water temperature considerably hotter than the Mediterranean, and the yachts being pushed to their limits, sometimes with only thirty minutes between races. There wasn't much time to catch your breath, “One day we did three windward-leeward courses, which for a J-Class is massive, especially in the small space within the reef in Bermuda. The legs were really short so you’re running everything as hot as possible and down in the engine room it got to about 45-degrees, everything was bubbling a fair amount!”
Photo: Carlo BorlenghiAfter Bermuda, Ranger wintered at Pendennis, and the following season, in 2018, Will joined the crew of Velsheda, now as first mate. Velsheda is one of the busiest yachts in the Class, competing year in, year out, usually participating in four regattas annually. As Will explained, many of the Class’ take a year out after big racing seasons like 2017 because the investment of time means less time for cruising, the other hugely rewarding part of owning a J-Class. The owner of one of the newest J's to the fleet, the Holland Jachtbouw Topaz, launched in 2015, fortunately shares the enthusiasm for racing clearly displayed by Velsheda’s owner, and the two yachts go bow-to-bow at almost every regatta. On the rare occasion that Velsheda is the only J in the regatta fleet, she stands her ground on handicap against her contemporary counterparts, and in 2019 took the top spot at Les Voiles de St Tropez against the Astilleros Armon Rambler and McConaughy Boats Leopard 3. 
Photo: www.leopard3.com/Watching these iconic vessels sparring, be it in the Caribbean or off the coast of Southern France, one is struck by their grace; huge black carbon sails towering over hulls which look like pencils in the water. Despite their classic aesthetic however, these yachts are high performance beasts, as Will noted, “we are always pushing to get every last bit out of the boat, our rigger often reminds us ‘you only have to win by a second’.” Today the entire fleet features carbon masts and sails, and Velsheda has hydraulic winches and Future Fibres rigging, a big upgrade from a few years ago. 
Photo: Merijn de Waard / SuperYacht TimesWhen they aren’t competitively racing, Velsheda’s owner joins the yacht throughout the year, and cruising is some of the crew’s favourite time aboard. When asked if a particular moment had stayed in Will's mind, a cruise in Greece when they spotted the Camper & Nicholsons 1934 J-Class Endeavour, the vessel which lost to the American defender Rainbow by Vanderbilt, Herreshoff and Burgess, immediately came to mind. The two yachts were sailing along the same reach and the crew from both put their minds to a race.
With Endeavour almost never competing, and only the permanent crew of seven aboard, it was all hands on deck for their 20-minute spar, “that was a lot of fun, sailing short handed is some of the most fun you have and when we are cruising you go to some amazing places.” Sardinia is also a top spot for Will, and the Rolex Cup is one of his favourite regattas. Life aboard Velsheda also has the additional benefit of Bystander, a 42.18-metre superyacht that accompanies the J. The superyacht, which was built by JFA Yachts and launched in 2006, carries additional crew, support and supplies and provides the accommodation for the owner after a long day of racing aboard Velsheda.
Photo: Will GibbonFor any sailer who hasa spent time aboard the classics, it is impossible not to touch on the maintenance of these yachts, which is a constant hum going on behind the scenes. Unlike their modern counterparts, many of which are made of carbon and GRP with wooden veneers, classic yachts demand constant work to retain them in pristine condition. Last year, while the pandemic raged across the world, and regattas were set aside, Velsheda's team took the opportunity to conduct her 25 year survey. When she was most recently rescued from the mud and restored, latterly in 1997, it was Southhampton Yacht Services that conducted the work. 
Photo: Charl van Rooy / SuperYacht TimesAs for the future, Will has other dreams, but he can’t see himself stepping off of Velsheda any time soon, the possibility of an America’s Cup season in New Zealand, or perhaps the United Kingdom, is too much of a draw. After all, once you’ve conquered some of the most coveted super sailing yachts in the world, how can you tear yourself away...
This article was originally published in Issue 41 of SuperYacht Times newspaper. To read more stories like this one and to never again miss another issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper, subscribe here.